WWE Hall of Famer recalls getting into a heated situation with Kurt Angle after being accused of not listening to calls over a botched spot

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam recalled an incident with Kurt Angle where they had a real-life backstage confrontation after their match in the early 2000s.

WWE Hall of Famer recalls getting into a heated situation with Kurt Angle after being accused of not listening to calls over a botched spot

Kurt Angle (via Twitter)

While talking in an interview, ECW legend Rob Van Dam recalled his interaction with WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. During one of their matches, the two legends almost had a heated argument. The confusion was later resolved as tempers cooled off in the backstage area.

RVD is a Hall of Famer with a long and storied career in all the major wrestling promotions. He was an ECW Hardcore who moved to WWE after Paul Heyman’s organization failed. Besides, he made his TNA debut in 2010. Apart from a brief stint in NJPW, he has alternated between WWE and TNA Impact for nearly 13 years. WWE inducted him into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

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While talking on the One of a Kind podcast, Rob Van Dam spoke about one of the matches that took place during the WWE-ECW era. Kurt Angle and RVD were both signed by WWE at the time. Therefore, during one of their matches, Angle botched a move in the end. As a result, the Olympic gold medalist became angry at RVD for messing up the spot.

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Rob Van Dam was furious, as he was a veteran in the industry until then, and it was rude of Angle to take control over RVD. After the match, when the ECW legend went to confront Angle about the issue, Angle denied doing anything of the sort. It was later cleared that Angle might have said something only in the heat of the moment and did not mean to offend Van Dam.

The WWE Hall of Famer also showed respect for Kurt Angle. RVD believed Angle was the first to consider other options when they had issues with WWE. Kurt Angle’s first move to TNA motivated others to explore as well. RVD was one of the wrestlers to follow the trail.

Related: Kurt Angle nostalgically recalls not walking in the footsteps of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Kurt Angle’s return to WWE after 12 years

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Kurt Angle (via Twitter)

After leaving WWE in 2006, the Olympic gold medalist found a second successful career in TNA. He won almost all the championships that the company had at the time. In 2016, WWE announced the induction of Angle into the Hall of Fame. This was a huge surprise for the WWE Universe, as Angle had been gone from the company for over a decade.

When Angle returned to the company, WWE made him the GM of Raw on the show after Mania. He returned to wrestling after some time, having matches with the likes of Drew McIntyre, Samoa Joe, and AJ Styles. The Hall of Famer wrestled his final match at WrestleMania 35 against Baron Corbin.

Fans criticized WWE as they did not consider Corbin to be a fit opponent for a legend like Kurt Angle. After retiring in 2019, Angle never wrestled again. He has made sporadic appearances since then. The WWE Universe saw Kurt Angle most recently when he drafted WWE superstars during the WWE Draft 2023.

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