Kurt Angle On If WWE Should Keep Pushing Roman Reigns, Goldberg Lesnar Match Being A 'Letdown', More
2017 WWE Hall Of Fame Nominee Kurt Angle was recently interviewed by The Statement Show. During the show, Angle discussed WWE performers having more freedom during the Attitude Era, why Roman Reigns draws the ire of the WWE Universe, and the Survivor Series match between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar being a "letdown".
In Angle's view, WWE performers had much more freedom during the Attitude Era and wishes it was more like that today.
"We had a lot more leeway back then. I wish it were the same way today. Today, they gear more towards kids. Back then, we were trying to zone in on the young adults and it worked extremely well." Angle added, "I haven't seen a roster like [the Attitude Era], even though I think the talent today is pretty damn close, so it's just a different time."
On the subject of Roman Reigns, Angle professed that WWE pushed him to the world title faster than he should have been pushed. Moreover, Angle predicted that 'The Big Dog' will earn the respect of the fans in time.
"Roman Reigns is talented. I don't care what anyone says. You can't deny that the kid knows how to work. I believe what happened to him was that they didn't have him go through the wringer. They didn't have him win the European title, or I should say, the Intercontinental title, U.S. title, King Of The Ring [tournament]. They just threw him up there right away and the fans don't like that. They want you to earn your keep. If any wrestler has ever done that, I don't know of one. It seemed like they were really trying to push Roman faster than he should have been pushed. I think he will earn the respect of fans, but it's going to take a little bit more time."
Angle continued, "for Vince McMahon, it's not a difficult choice. You keep Roman Reigns in the picture and you just continue to push him. And eventually, someday, it won't be the half and half, 50 and 50 [where] 50 [percent of the crowd] like him and 50 don't. Eventually, it'll go up, 60, 70 percent."
According to Angle, the Goldberg / Lesnar match at Survivor Series was so short because Goldberg had not wrestled for over a decade and WWE did not know whether he could perform. Like many who argue that professional wrestling's competitive advantage over mixed martial arts is the guarantee that main event matches will go the distance, Angle claimed the tussle in Toronto, Canada was a "letdown".
"It could have been a 12, 15-minute match, but I think that they also have to understand, and I think the fans have to understand this, Goldberg hasn't been around for what, 12, 13, 14 years? They don't know if he's capable of 15 minutes. And not that Goldberg can't. I'm sure he can, but they weren't sure and the biggest bang for their buck is to go with what the old Goldberg used to do. And what did the old Goldberg used to do? Two minutes every match. So I get why they did it, but I think that maybe Brock wasn't the right person, but it was a shocker and that's a good thing. I just don't think anybody could do that to Brock, especially a healthy Brock Lesnar. But I can see both sides. I think it was a big letdown that that match was a minute-and-a-half, but it's Goldberg and that's what he did and that's how he became a big name."
Listen to the show here. If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit The Statement Show with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: The Statement Show