Kurt Angle reflects on the creation of his comedic WWE character

NEW DELHI: Kurt Angle is celebrated for his exceptional in-ring skills and his versatility as a performer. However, during the early stages of his WWE career, the Olympic Gold Medalist showcased a more comedic side that left an indelible mark on the wrestling landscape.

In a recent episode of the "True Geordie Podcast," Kurt Angle delved into the process behind creating his iconic comedic persona. During this period, Angle engaged in memorable segments with wrestling legends such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, Edge, and John Cena.


Angle revealed that the inspiration for his comedic character stemmed from his real-life personality traits. "I think [WWE] looked at my personality because I am a little bit naive and I wander off. I have some ADD. I'm just a really odd person," shared Angle. WWE writer Brian Gewirtz and Vince McMahon seized upon Angle's unique qualities to craft a character that would resonate with the audience.

The character was envisioned as a milk-drinking nerd who claimed to embody the 'three I's'—intensity, integrity, and intelligence. However, the comedic twist lay in the fact that Angle's character would often cheat to win, despite professing to uphold these virtues. "It was a really, really cool, clever character that they came up with. I was able to portray it perfectly because they took it from part of my personality, so it wasn't that hard for me to do," Angle explained.

While Angle's comedic persona garnered widespread success and remains etched in the memories of fans, the Olympic Gold Medalist eventually transitioned towards a more aggressive in-ring character around 2005. Vince McMahon, the CEO of WWE, suggested this shift, leading to the emergence of "The Wrestling Machine."