Kurt Angle Says Being Moved To WWE ECW Felt Like A 'Demotion' At The Time

In June 2006, WWE brought back former competitor ECW, turning it into the promotion's third brand alongside "SmackDown" and "Raw." Ultimately, ECW never truly found its footing as a brand, despite the top title being put on the likes of Rob Van Dam, Bobby Lashley, and CM Punk. Some, such as Kurt Angle, even felt being on the brand was a detriment to his career, as revealed on WWE Vault.

"I was [Vince McMahon's] best wrestler, I knew that. I mean, when you're talking about thorough-bred, in-ring wrestling," Angle said. "ECW basically was all about hardcore wrestling. Vince wanted me to be the face of it and I felt like this was a demotion; I got very bitter." 

Angle then recalled a conversation he had with McMahon ahead of his jump to ECW, where the then-WWE Chairman admitted that Angle was going to work in smaller arenas and take a definite pay cut. "I said: 'Why the hell do I want to do that?' I look back now, maybe what Vince was trying to do was make me the new age Taz? 'Cause Taz was a thorough-bred wrestler as well; he carried that company pretty well." The veteran then admitted that while it makes sense that McMahon could've wanted to mold him into the next Taz, it wasn't something he took very well at the time.

Interestingly, during an interview a few years ago, Angle painted a different picture about his "ECW" run. Instead, he claimed he knew that the ratings would be good in the beginning before dropping off later, and was far more concerned about being on a brand without WWE's full support.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "WWE Vault" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.