"I was having really bad luck" - 11-Time Champion recalls breaking neck from a Brock Lesnar chair shot

Kurt Angle opened up about how unlucky he was with injuries in 2003 when he broke his neck from a brutal Brock Lesnar chair shot.

After a brief injury layoff, the Olympic hero returned to WWE and was booked to capture the world title at Vengeance 2003. Unfortunately for Angle, he hurt his neck a few months after his WWE Championship win during a match with The Beast Incarnate.

Angle explained that he made a mistake by rushing into his in-ring return as he could have spent some more time in recovery: Here's what Angle revealed on his podcast:

"I broke my neck again two months after this. Brock Lesnar hit me in the head with a chair, and I broke my neck again. Three vertebrae and I was back in the same position as I was before," recalled Kurt Angle. "I believe that I rushed back and didn't let my neck fully heal." [50:40 - 51:00]

Kurt Angle clarified that Brock Lesnar was not at fault for his neck injury as he was already facing a few physical issues during that phase of his career.

The WWE Hall of Famer stated that he broke his neck on multiple occasions until 2004, which took a massive toll on his wrestling career.

"I've taken chair shots before, and my neck never broke; this time, it did," Angle added. "Unfortunately, I was having really bad luck with my neck, and it started in 2003. I broke my neck again in late 2003, and then I broke it in early 2004, and then again in early 2006. So, four broken necks in two and a half years. Bad luck." [51:01 - 51:22]

Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar battles in WWE

The Ruthless Aggression era is famously known for the feud between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. The former Olympic gold medalist helped put Lesnar on the map during their rivalry, which kicked off after Brock won the 2003 Royal Rumble.

The popular superstars faced each other in a memorable WrestleMania 19 main event and were involved in a few other hard-hitting singles matches over the next year.

Angle and Lesnar also briefly formed an entertaining on-screen partnership, showcasing incredible chemistry in various backstage segments. Kurt Angle recently revealed that he would have also loved Lesnar to join his stable during the early 2000s, but that sadly never happened because of Vince McMahon.

Is Kurt Angle one of Brock Lesnar's greatest ever rivals? Sound off in the comments section below.

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If any quotes are used from this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show on AdFreeShows.com and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.