"I was threatening him" - Kurt Angle recalls almost intimidating 13-time champion before their match

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently recalled the time when Vince McMahon asked him to intimidate Hulk Hogan before their match at King of the Ring 2002.

Kurt Angle was always a top-tier athlete, and during his tenure in WWE, the Olympic Gold Medalist hardly ever fell short of entertaining the crowd.

In 2002, he was set to win the King of the Ring tournament, with Hulk Hogan supposed to put him over. However, Vince McMahon had other plans for the rising star during their meeting before the match. In a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, he recalled how Vince wanted him to intimidate the 12-time World Champion before their match:

“Vince told me beforehand, ‘I want you to get out of your seat and put your nose this close to Hulk Hogan’s nose.’ I am like, ‘Why do you want me to do this? It’s Hulk Hogan,'” he said. “What he’s trying to do is intimidate Hulk, and you can’t intimidate Hulk Hogan, he’s a freaking bad*ss...But the crazy thing is, Vince wanted me to get out of my seat and get real close to his face like I was threatening him – it was ridiculous.” [H/T - WrestlingInc]

Unfortunately, the intimidation didn't work and Hogan still agreed to put the young star over during their match. Angle went on to win the match as he forced Hogan to tap out to the Ankle Lock.

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Kurt Angle talks about working with Hulk Hogan

Kurt Angle faced several superstars during his time with WWE and Impact Wrestling. The Olympic Gold Medalist has always been open about working with new talent.

In his early days, he got the chance to face Hulk Hogan. In the same episode, Angle spoke about working with The Hulkster and how his friends idolized him:

"I was really excited. I wasn’t nervous at all. I was absolutely elated to be able to wrestle the most popular guy in the history of the business. Hulk Hogan was a mainstream name back when I was in high school and junior high. I wasn’t even a wrestling fan and I knew who he was. My friends idolized him. Knowing I was gonna be in the ring with him was a great opportunity." [H/T - 411Mania]

It was interesting to see the two stars of their time go head-to-head in a heated battle during the finals of the tournament. Angle went on to accomplish a lot in WWE, but he is among only a chosen few who could make Hogan tap out.