Kurt Angle gets candid about his wrestling career | Credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Kurt Angle’s professional legacy is built on once-in-a-generation athletic ability, natural comedic timing, and flawless delivery on the microphone, the kind of talent wrestling rarely sees twice.
But according to Angle, none of that came without a teacher. And the man who shaped him the most inside the ring wasn't an Olympic coach, nor the megastar fans might expect.
In a candid chat with Going Ringside, Angle revealed who he learnt the most from.
“Stone Cold Steve Austin was the one guy I learned the most from,” Angle said. “He would call the match in the ring. Old school. You improvise.”
In an industry where matches are often meticulously planned today, Angle credits Austin for teaching him the instinct, timing, and in-ring intelligence that turned him from an Olympic hero into one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
“He was one of those guys that would call the match out in the ring,” Angle emphasized. “Him, Triple H, and Undertaker were three of the best improvisers I ever wrestled.”
With that admission, Angle rewrites a long-held fan assumption that he arrived fully formed, naturally brilliant, and needing little guidance. The truth, the man says, is much more grounded.
Angle entered WWE in 1999 with gold medals around his neck and a reputation as one of the most decorated amateur wrestlers in history. But he walked into the pro-wrestling world with no playbook, no developmental system, and no idea how to cut a live promo.
“I only trained for about seven months before going on TV — which is literally almost impossible,” he admitted. “I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. My opponents had to lead me in the ring.”
Instead of stepping into the ring as an untouchable prodigy, Angle was forced into the deep end, and told to swim fast.
“I was learning while I was performing,” he said. “I got better every week. And within two years, I became one of the best in the business.”
The lessons came nightly from icons, but none more than Austin.
Many fans remember Angle for his chemistry with The Rock - milk truck chaos, comedic timing, and their electric world-title rivalry. And while Angle admired The Rock’s abilities, he notes the lessons from Austin were different, deeper, and more technically foundational.
“Rock was so entertaining,” Angle said. “His promo skills were above everybody else's. He taught me a lot.”
But Austin was the crucible.
“He was the one I learned the most from,” Angle repeated. “You just go out there and do it, improvise.”
At a time when WWE crowds were at their loudest and unscripted TV ruled the era, Angle sharpened his instincts not in rehearsal rooms, but live, under pressure, beside Austin.
Before Angle became one of wrestling’s most beloved mic-workers, he was terrified of promos.
“I told Vince, ‘I can’t cut promos. I’m horrible at them,’” Angle recalled.
McMahon didn’t give him a script, he gave him a challenge.
“He told me the promo once. I stopped listening halfway through,” Angle laughed. “I asked him to repeat it. He said, ‘One more time. Go out there and sink or swim.’”
Angle swam, and never stopped.
Week after week the promos got longer. The crowd reactions louder. And the once-shy Olympic champion evolved into a comedic assassin who could flip from goofy to dangerous to dead serious in seconds.
By his second year, Angle was one of the most complete performers in wrestling.
Angle shared rings with giants, literally and figuratively, and still speaks with reverence for the athletes who pushed him. About Lesnar, he said:
“He was 300 pounds and moved like a cat. I’ve never been in the ring with an athlete like that. He was an animal.”
About The Rock, Angle recalled:
“He taught me promos. He taught me wrestling. He was so entertaining.”
In one of the interview’s most striking moments, Angle named Chris Benoit as the one wrestler, besides Lesnar, who could have gone to the Olympics.
“He had the ability to be a world-class wrestler,” Angle said. “If he pursued that, he would have been on the Canadian Olympic team. He was that good.”
Angle’s praise came with focus strictly on Benoit’s in-ring technical gifts, a rare acknowledgement of pure wrestling ability separate from the tragic reality of Benoit’s legacy.
Kurt Angle is one of WWE's all-time greats | Credit: IMAGO / Newscom World
While WWE made Angle a household name, his TNA chapter cemented his wrestling legacy.
He became champion multiple times, wrestled all-time classics with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, and gave the company legitimacy on a global stage.
Today, Angle spends his time traveling for fan appearances, shining light in an industry where physical sacrifice is met equally by emotional loyalty.
“I do about two appearances a month,” he said. “I pay homage to my fans. Their kids become my fans. So I actually grow a bigger fan base because of my incredible fans.”
From Olympic podiums to wrestling rings to convention halls, the bond remains strong.
“It’s really cool to have that type of relationship with my fans,” he said.
Angle’s story, as he tells it, isn’t one of effortless dominance. It’s one of pressure, humility, and being molded by giants: Vince McMahon forcing him into promos, The Rock sharpening his charisma, Lesnar challenging his athletic edge, and Steve Austin teaching him how to think like a wrestler.
**If you use quotes from the article, please credit the original source and link to Sportshadow.com for the transcript**
