Kurt Angle has reflected on his classic WrestleMania 21 match with Shawn Michaels, revealing just how little the two rehearsed before stepping into the ring.
Speaking at an Inside the Ropes event, Kurt Angle said he expected to go over the match in detail during WrestleMania week, but Shawn Michaels preferred a different approach.
“Shawn and I got together a week before WrestleMania,” Angle said. “I’m like, ‘You want to get started on the match?’ He says, ‘We’re not going to move around. We’re just going to sit here.’ I was used to going over the spots and making sure I had it down. He said, ‘Don’t worry about that stuff. It’ll come in time.’”
Angle said they spent much of their time talking rather than rehearsing, only going over one specific spot in the ring to make sure it was physically possible.
“The only move we went over was an arm bar where I was going to lift him up over my head and he’d sunset flip me for a false finish,” he said. “That’s all we went over. Everything else was talked about, but not rehearsed. The first time I tied up with Shawn was literally at WrestleMania.”
Where Does Kurt Angle Rank His WrestleMania 21 Match With Shawn Michaels Against The Others In His Career?
Despite the lack of preparation, Kurt Angle said the match turned out to be the best of his career, crediting Michaels for the chemistry they shared.
“We had the best chemistry. It was like we worked together for five years,” Angle said. “I can’t give myself credit. Shawn has to be the reason. He’s never had a bad match with anybody. I had the best match of my career at WrestleMania 21 against Shawn Michaels, and that says the kind of superstar Shawn really is.”
