Kurt Angle has discussed Vince McMahon’s famous powers of persuasion where the WWE Chairman can change your mind on an idea in one conversation.
Angle was speaking on The Kurt Angle Show [available at AdFreeShows.com] about joining the ECW brand in 2006. Not long after his move to the revived brand Angle would make his exit from the company, going on to join TNA for a decade-long run in that company.
The Olympic gold medallist was asked about his initial hesitance towards joining WWE’s new third brand and how McMahon talked him round to the idea.
Kurt Angle explained:
“Well Vince was a father figure to me so I would do whatever he asked me to, I had full trust in him. It was just at the time I wasn’t able to get a hold of him because of my erratic behaviour. And I think Vince was dodging me on purpose to teach me a lesson. You know, I was mad when he asked me. He said ‘Listen I want you to be the name and face of a new promotion. [Kurt asked] ‘What’s the promotion?’ [Vince] is like ‘ECW.'”
“I was like ‘Why?’ You know, I didn’t know why and he was like ‘Let me warn you too, you’re gonna make less money working small arenas’ and I said ‘I’m not gonna do that Vince, why would I wanna do that?’ So I was giving him attitude that day. But he persuaded me, he kept talking to me, and he kinda coerced me into agreeing with him. Vince does have a psychology when he meets with guys and he makes you feel good about the decision he just made for you. Vince is really good at that, he’s a great talker.”
Kurt Angle also discussed sending McMahon threatening text messages during this time as the WWE Hall Of Famer struggled with personal addictions.
Credit: The Kurt Angle Show via AdFreeShows.com