Kurt Angle has reminisced on his working relationship with WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund, recalling the incident that led to Backlund’s WWE exit.
Speaking on his podcast, The Kurt Angle Show, the olympian recalled a hilarious botch that Bob Backlund made live on air.
Bob Backlund has had a few runs with WWE (and formerly WWF), originally from 1976 to 1984, and returning in the 1990s and most recently in the early 2000s.
Kurt Angle and Bob Backlund formed an alliance after his return to at the Royal Rumble in 2000. Backlund briefly managed Angle, mentoring the man who was both the Intercontinental and European Champion.
Angle recounted the error that he thinks led to Backlund’s exit, recalling a backstage promo segment which Backlund reportedly asked for a do-over – not realising the moment was being broadcast live.
Angle recalled:
“(Bob)was supposed to put the crippler crossface on (Chris Benoit) while he was sitting, and Bob didn’t want to do it because he wasn’t standing up. I looked back (at the writer) like, ‘Holy sh*t.
“I think that was the deciding factor. When Bob went and did that, they just went, ‘We’ve had enough of Bob Backlund, we’re gonna move on.'”
Backlund did make a later return to WWE in 2007 where he remained until his release in 2017. He has since wrestled on the independent circuit, most recently in Japan for Dradition Pro Wrestling in 2018.
Kurt Angle recently made a return to WWE Raw in an appearance on the August 29 edition of the show in Pittsburgh.
The WWE Hall of Famer took part in some nostalgic segments, including a reenactment of a poster board sketch with Edge, and drank a celebratory glass of milk with the Street Profits following their match-up with Alpha Academy.
Following his return, Angle hinted that both he and WWE were open to further appearances in the future.
Transcription via PWMania
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