Wrestling 101 did an interview with Kurt Angle, who was promoting the TNA U.K. tour. Here are some of the highlights
Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles and Sting leaving TNA:
It's tough, even Hulk Hogan was a tough loss to accept. Sting has been the cornerstone of the company, Jarrett founded the company and I think he might be the best heel in the business, and AJ is just the best athlete I've ever been in the ring with.
From three different perspectives it is a tough pill to swallow because they are three of the best. When you don't have them in the company you hope to god that the young talent steps up, guys like Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, and James Storm seem to be stepping up.
Will they replace Sting? You can't replace Sting, will they replace AJ? Probably not, AJ is irreplaceable, but will they become their own characters and do really well, yes they will do phenomenally well and it's not about replacing anymore, it's about making new stars.
Doing a moonsault off the top of a cage despite having broken his neck on several occasions:
When you are climbing the cage you are praying and when you get to the top you don't think you just go, you are praying on the way down you don't get hurt, you land and you feel like you have everything intact, you are like thank you lord, time to move on.
A lot of people ask me what do I think when I get up there, when you think that is when you get hurt, you can't think you just have to go, that is why I don't stay up there very long. I saw Jeff Hardy get up there once, stood, looked over at Dixie Carter did some hand gesture and I was thinking he was going to get hurt, he is stood up there and he is thinking now. I can't do that, I don't even look at the fans, Jeff might be braver than I am.
We land on plywood and everybody thinks it's a soft surface, there is nothing soft about it, you can hear it when we land, it's a hard bump to take. I don't plan on ever doing it again, of course I said that before so I can't promise you anything.
How would he compare Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter as bosses:
How would you describe your two bosses Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter?
You can't compare Vince to anybody, if it wasn't for Vince McMahon I wouldn't be here talking to you. He knows how to make money and make stars, I wouldn't be working for Dixie Carter right now if it wasn't for Vince McMahon doing what he did for me.
Dixie is a woman and she has that caring aspect about her, sometimes she lets personal [issues] get involved with business because she can't help it. She cares about the wrestlers and their wellbeing and their welfare. Other than that I think Dixie has done a great job, we are talking about a woman that has been involved in the entertainment business but not the wrestling business.
It is different when you are involved in music and go over to wrestling, there is so much difference, I think the last 12 years she has had to learn on the job and I think she has done a good job. I can't say anything bad about her, one thing I'll say is that I'm not sure she would have made it without the help of Jarrett because she did need someone to help transition here and there and Jeff has a great mind for the business.
She has learnt a lot during her time at TNA but at the same time she has to make business decisions that she doesn't necessarily like. Lately she has made some very rash business decisions when you are talking about Hogan and AJ but she has to do what is best for the company, if she thinks that is what is best for the company she has to do it. Would other people agree, no, but she is doing what is best for her company and you can't blame her for that.
Source: Wrestling 101
Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles and Sting leaving TNA:
It's tough, even Hulk Hogan was a tough loss to accept. Sting has been the cornerstone of the company, Jarrett founded the company and I think he might be the best heel in the business, and AJ is just the best athlete I've ever been in the ring with.
From three different perspectives it is a tough pill to swallow because they are three of the best. When you don't have them in the company you hope to god that the young talent steps up, guys like Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, and James Storm seem to be stepping up.
Will they replace Sting? You can't replace Sting, will they replace AJ? Probably not, AJ is irreplaceable, but will they become their own characters and do really well, yes they will do phenomenally well and it's not about replacing anymore, it's about making new stars.
Doing a moonsault off the top of a cage despite having broken his neck on several occasions:
When you are climbing the cage you are praying and when you get to the top you don't think you just go, you are praying on the way down you don't get hurt, you land and you feel like you have everything intact, you are like thank you lord, time to move on.
A lot of people ask me what do I think when I get up there, when you think that is when you get hurt, you can't think you just have to go, that is why I don't stay up there very long. I saw Jeff Hardy get up there once, stood, looked over at Dixie Carter did some hand gesture and I was thinking he was going to get hurt, he is stood up there and he is thinking now. I can't do that, I don't even look at the fans, Jeff might be braver than I am.
We land on plywood and everybody thinks it's a soft surface, there is nothing soft about it, you can hear it when we land, it's a hard bump to take. I don't plan on ever doing it again, of course I said that before so I can't promise you anything.
How would he compare Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter as bosses:
How would you describe your two bosses Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter?
You can't compare Vince to anybody, if it wasn't for Vince McMahon I wouldn't be here talking to you. He knows how to make money and make stars, I wouldn't be working for Dixie Carter right now if it wasn't for Vince McMahon doing what he did for me.
Dixie is a woman and she has that caring aspect about her, sometimes she lets personal [issues] get involved with business because she can't help it. She cares about the wrestlers and their wellbeing and their welfare. Other than that I think Dixie has done a great job, we are talking about a woman that has been involved in the entertainment business but not the wrestling business.
It is different when you are involved in music and go over to wrestling, there is so much difference, I think the last 12 years she has had to learn on the job and I think she has done a good job. I can't say anything bad about her, one thing I'll say is that I'm not sure she would have made it without the help of Jarrett because she did need someone to help transition here and there and Jeff has a great mind for the business.
She has learnt a lot during her time at TNA but at the same time she has to make business decisions that she doesn't necessarily like. Lately she has made some very rash business decisions when you are talking about Hogan and AJ but she has to do what is best for the company, if she thinks that is what is best for the company she has to do it. Would other people agree, no, but she is doing what is best for her company and you can't blame her for that.
Source: Wrestling 101
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