Jeff Jarrett Recalls Kurt Angle's Deep Animosity Towards WWE In 2006

After committing to WWE in 1998, Kurt Angle spent several years with the company, becoming a multi-time world champion in the process. 

By 2006, though, Angle was dealing with a painkiller addiction and he became increasingly abusive during his final weeks with WWE, sending Vince McMahon threatening voicemails and text messages. This ultimately led to a face-to-face meeting with McMahon at WWE headquarters and Angle was granted his release after telling Vince that he thought he was going to kill himself by overdosing on painkillers. 

While Angle initially planned to just take some time off and then return to WWE, The Wrestling Machine ended up debuting in TNA Wrestling in October of 2006 and he spent the next 10 years with the promotion. 

Following his TNA debut, Angle cut a promo on WWE, during which he criticised his former employers and Vince McMahon for disrespecting an Olympic gold medal and much more. 

Speaking about the promo on My World, TNA Co-founder Jeff Jarrett revealed he was initially surprised by the deep animosity Angle had for WWE. 

"This interview that aired I can remember hearing the uncut version and I had a conversation in private with Kevin Sullivan, David Sahadi and Dutch Mantel and at first I was very surprised. I didn't know the deep, I don't mind saying this, at the time there was a lot of animosity, venom. I did not know that existed in Kurt was against WWE. I know he had gone through his personal problems, I knew all of that but I didn't know there was a lot of venom. I said do we want to put our top babyface, because that's what Kurt was coming in the door even though we had Sting, do we want to put our top babyface in that light? Is that the best strategic move?" Jarrett began.

"Yes, always punch up, I had no problem whether it was the three live crew or cookies and balloons, whatever it is, try to make noise. We are number two, a very distant number two and it's always great to try to make a chatter but was Kurt the right guy to do that? Yes, he just came off of an incredible run and the whole world knew about his WWE run, not everybody knew that he had gone through a very personal rough time so was it the right move? I just remember having those conversations like oof, do we want to clean this up? Then you go back to the other side and my fundamental belief is that you take reality and blow it up and that's how you make money," he continued.

"I think that still works to this day so I didn't want to edit and control the narrative too much. I can't say that I regret it but I just remember it's such a fine line to walk, I don't mind saying those things but the top babyface coming through the door, do we want him saying that because he's our new flag bearer. Him talking about the cup of coffee and a quarter, that was a stiff shot. I knew that back then, I wasn't just real comfortable but let's roll with it, it's how he feels, reality draws money."

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