Kurt Angle Discusses What It Was Like To Be Teamed With Samoa Joe In TNA In 2009

After leaving WWE and making his debut for TNA in October 2006, Kurt Angle immediately entered into an angle with Samoa Joe in what became one of the greatest rivalries in TNA history. But in June 2009, things took an unexpected turn when Joe joined forces with Angle, as well as Scott Steiner, Booker T, and Kevin Nash as part of the Main Event Mafia at the top of the card. It wasn't the easiest fit to make, according to Angle.

"There wasn't a right time," he said on a recent episode of "The Kurt Angle Show".

"It was really uncomfortable too, because Joe and I — our characters hated each other. We despised each other, and it was really difficult to bring us together. We didn't do a lot of interaction, because they didn't want that to happen. I think they wanted to keep Joe and I, not so much good friends, but kind of just like compatible and get along."

Angle and Joe would eventually go their separate ways when the Main Event Mafia disbanded in late-2009, renewing their ongoing feud three years later for TNA. However, they would end up having their final one-on-one encounter on an episode of "WWE Raw" during Angle's retirement run in March 2019. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Kurt Angle Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.