Kurt Angle Talks Destination America Wanting Him As Champ, EC3 Explains Why He's Played Politics

On today's TNA Impact/Slammiversary conference call, Kurt Angle and Ethan Carter III hyped their upcoming TNA Championship bout. On the call, Angle and EC3 spoke directly to us at Wrestling Inc, as we asked about Angle's feelings on the rumors of Destination America wanting him as champion.

"Destination America has done a tremendous job in supporting me as World Heavyweight Champion," Angle explained. "I'm sure it has a lot to do with the red, white and blue. I'm a gold medalist, so I knew that they wanted me to become champion and carry the company. That made me feel really good. It felt good to have a network that's around you."

Angle also said that he's enjoyed EC3's political campaign on Impact, but that Carter deserved the spot. He even noted that he went to TNA executives last year and said they're going to have to put the title on EC3 sometime soon.

Carter's political campaign has seen him take an all-American route, leading many to speculate it was a conscious effort to get Destination America behind him. Carter commented on the situation.

"If I was a television show and I was fantasy booking, and I was about America, my number one draft pick would be the only Olympic Gold Medalist in wrestling history, Kurt Angle, so I understand them giving him the burden of carrying the company. He's the ultimate American, but we play it out in the ring," said Carter.

"We play it out in the ring, but sometimes to get to the ring, you have to play politics. Every top star has played politics at some point in their career. I've remained unpinned, unsubmitted, and never granted a title shot. I looked at what the greats did, so the campaign was a political move to put my name out there as someone who could carry the company and end maybe Kurt Angle's title reign," Carter said.

Kurt Angle and EC3 will square off for the World Title next Wednesday, July 1.