In 2003, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar were engaged in a classic rivalry in WWE and faced off in a series of highly-regarded matches. As they spent more time together in the ring and on the road, their competition eventually turned into a close friendship, with both wrestlers not afraid to have a bit of fun and show their comedic side.
One memorable moment between the two occurred in a 2003 episode of SmackDown, when Lesnar and Angle faced off in a match. After initially luring Angle in with a handshake, Lesnar ended up kissing Angle on the lips. Speaking on his podcast, The Kurt Angle Show, Angle discussed the unexpected kiss with Lesnar and his reaction to it.
Oh, I loved it, of course (laughs)! No! You know what? We got done wrestling, Brock and I were having a really good program together, and I think we were both babyfaces at that particular time. We just got done doing a show; we killed it. We had an incredible match. I remember Brock; he put his hand out to shake my hand and of course, me being the babyface, shook his hand. Then he put his hands out like he wanted to hug, and we hugged. And then he grabbed my face and kissed me right on the lips. It shocked the s–t out of me, man! Of all people to do it, Brock Lesnar? Like, he never does this kind of stuff, so it was like, ‘Does he really like me?’ I started questioning if Brock really liked me or not!
Kurt Angle Praises Brock Lesnar’s Work Ethic
Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar’s friendship only deepened over the years. In fact, Angle spoke highly of Lesnar’s dedication and work ethic:
Brock was always very serious about his work. He was always very focused and he always wanted to be the best. He always wanted to be the champion. He always wanted to be the main event. And he was willing to do whatever it took to get there. He was a very determined individual and he still is to this day.