The following quotes are from an interview with Kurt Angle conducted by The UK Sun which you can read at http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/article1723920.ece
TNA Gimmicks and Match Stipulations: “Being in TNA is exciting and frustrating at the same time. Weâ<80><99>ve been doing a good job but what we need to do right now is to simplify things. We get a little bit too complicated with our gimmick matches and run-ins. Iâ<80><99>ve spoken to the bookers, writers and owners of TNA and said: â<80><9c>Listen. Wrestling is very simple, keep it simple.â<80>
Why TNA Overindulges in Gimmicks: “TNA do it because we want to be different from WWE and innovative. But what happens is sometimes we are, but then sometimes we are too old school. Letâ<80><99>s face it, a tar and feather match today wouldnâ<80><99>t go over too well. But weâ<80><99>ve actually done that. Thatâ<80><99>s a 1960â<80><99>s match, this is 2008. Weâ<80><99>re in an MMA world. Fans want to see mano a mano. One on one. Letâ<80><99>s go at it. We call ourselves Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. We say: â<80><9c>TNA â<80>” we are wrestling.â<80> No weâ<80><99>re not. Weâ<80><99>re f***ing gimmick matches.”
TNA Protecting Talent: “At the last PPV, No Surrender, we had a triple threat main event between me, Christian Cage and Samoa Joe. We had a great match, but Samoa Joe won because Jeff Jarrett came in and hit me with a guitar. I would have won if Jeff didnâ<80><99>t do that. I believe that Joe should have kicked my ass and Christianâ<80><99>s ass and won straight up and then afterwards Jeff could have come in or even waited until the next night on TV and attacked me. Iâ<80><99>m trying to make our younger guys more popular. I let AJ beat me the last four times we wrestled for a reason. To make him a bigger star. I wanted Joe to beat me and Christian at the PPV to make him a bigger star. But whatâ<80><99>s been happening is we have run-ins to create the wins, so I get protected. I donâ<80><99>t want to be protected and I donâ<80><99>t need to be protected. Iâ<80><99>m having a real struggle with it. We need to back up and realize who we are and what weâ<80><99>re trying to get across. We have the best wrestlers in the world, WWE canâ<80><99>t compare. But how do we use them to our advantage? By simply wrestling, because thatâ<80><99>s what theyâ<80><99>re good at.”
His Future In MMA: “Iâ<80><99>m talking to several fight companies about doing MMA by the end of next year – 2009. Iâ<80><99>m going to cross over to the MMA world for a while but I want to end up back in TNA and back in wrestling. Iâ<80><99>ve always wanted to do it. Iâ<80><99>m the only Olympic gold medallist that will enter the Octagon and it feels right for me. I can almost guarantee youâ<80><99>re going to see me in the Octagon.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
