"I knew he would be a huge star" - Kurt Angle on what he told John Cena after his WWE in-ring debut

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has revealed what he told John Cena after their first match against each other in 2002.

The Cenation Leader made his debut on SmackDown as The Prototype, answering The Olympic Gold Medalist's open challenge on June 27, 2002. He put a lot of effort into the match, but was defeated by the wrestling veteran. Despite losing the bout, the 16-time world champion impressed several people in the locker room, including The Undertaker.

During an interview with TV Insider, Kurt Angle reflected on his interaction with John Cena backstage after the match.

"All I said was, 'You stepped up tonight. It was a great match.' He said, 'Thank you, Mr. Angle, for working with me. I really do appreciate it.' He was very respectful. I knew this kid was very special from the first time I got in the ring and after I got done wrestling him, I knew he would be a huge star down the road," said Angle.

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Kurt Angle on his rap battle with John Cena in WWE

The 16-time world champion is currently one of the biggest names to have ever come out of WWE. He has starred in numerous blockbuster movies and even had a hand in the music industry. Two of his songs were used as his WWE entrance music.

During the interview, Kurt Angle spoke about his rap battle with John Cena in 2003, starting that the latter was okay with it.

"John was really cool about it. He could have said no and that he didn’t want to do it. But he played along with it. We did the rap battle and other stuff together. He was always agreeable. He played along with it, which is really cool. Because he was a heel at the time and I was a babyface, he had to make me look good and he was doing that by making an ass out of himself. He understood the business and got how it was supposed to be. He knew the babyfaces need to be cheered and the heels need to be booed. That’s one thing about John that is cut and dry," said Angle.

John Cena and Kurt Angle will both go down as two of the greatest of all time. On Monday Night RAW this week, the former will return to celebrate his 20th anniversary in WWE.