Kurt Angle recently reflected on the time he shared the ring with Brock Lesnar in the WrestleMania 19 main event.
Lesnar defeated Angle to capture the WWE Championship in the final match of the night. The 21-minute contest is best remembered for The Beast Incarnate’s botched Shooting Star Press. The move resulted in him suffering a concussion after landing head-first.
Angle confirmed on the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling” podcast that Lesnar was supposed to pin him after the athletic move. However, they were forced to quickly change the finish at short notice.
“Yes, the Shooting Star Press was supposed to be the finish,” Angle said. “It was my idea because Brock was using it in OVW [WWE’s former developmental system, Ohio Valley Wrestling]. The thing is, I don’t know if I was too far out but when Brock went to do it he kind of second-guessed himself and did like a stutter, and then he went and he didn’t make the full rotation. He landed on his head. It was just crazy,” said Angle. [6:15-6:41]
Lesnar said earlier this year that Angle guided him through the closing stages of the match after the Shooting Star Press spot. The current WWE star added that he was thankful not to have broken his neck.
How Kurt Angle helped Brock Lesnar at the end of the match
Seconds after the failed Shooting Star Press, Kurt Angle improvised by covering Brock Lesnar for a two-count. He then told his opponent to hit him with an F-5 to pick up the victory.
Reflecting on his quick decision-making, the WWE Hall of Famer felt he had no choice but to think of a new way to finish the match.
“There’s nothing else you can do but make the best of it and the most of it,” Angle continued. “That’s what I did. I didn’t do anything crazy, I didn’t come up with an incredible finish. I just told Brock to F-5 me and finish the match.” [7:28-7:40]
Angle, 53, retired from in-ring competition in 2019 after a 20-year professional wrestling career. Lesnar, 44, is due to face Roman Reigns in a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam on July 30th.
Please credit the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling” and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.