Kurt Angle Details Vince McMahon's Frustration When Brock Lesnar Left WWE In 2004
During the latest episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic Gold Medalist spoke about his match at WrestleMania XX with Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship. The show was also memorable for the Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg match, where the former WCW Champion won but the fans took over the match, booing the two stars out of the building after rumors circled that they were both leaving the company afterward.
Angle revealed a conversation he had with Brock before he left the company, and said what he told the former UFC Champion could've changed the outcome of his WrestleMania match with Goldberg.
"Brock had a private conversation with me a month before WrestleMania," Angle said. "He told me that he wanted to try out for the NFL and that he didn't like the travel that the WWE produced for him every year. He just didn't want to be on the road that much and so he told me he wanted to try out for the Minnesota Vikings, he actually contacted the recruiter and they were interested so he asked me 'what should I do? Should I tell Vince now or should I wait?' I told him 'If I were you, I would wait 'til after WrestleMania and then tell Vince that you're unhappy and that you want to leave the company.' Brock decided to go back home and he told Vince right when he got back home from the tour, when he was talking to me on the tour.
"That's when he told me about him wanting to leave. So he ended up contacting Vince and that's what enabled Vince to decide that Brock would do the job. Vince already knew Goldberg was leaving, he didn't know if Brock was leaving at this particular time but when Brock came home from that tour and told Vince, it hurt Vince, it stung. Everybody knew that if Brock was leaving and Goldberg was leaving, most likely Vince is probably going to stick it to Brock. Brock was younger, he was full-blown WWE, WWE was his whole career and Goldberg came from WCW. When you're a part of [Vince's] company when you start out, he wants you there forever. When you leave, Vince can be a little bit unforgiving."
In recent news, Brock Lesnar is on a collision course to face Roman Reigns in the main event of this year's WrestleMania 38 in a title vs. title, winner takes all, unification match. Roman beatdown Lesnar during WWE's Madison Square Garden live event this weekend, adding more fuel to their feud heading into WrestleMania.
Continuing to speak about Brock's departure from the WWE in 2004, Kurt Angle revealed how much Vince McMahon admired Brock at the time and was upset about him leaving the company. Brock wouldn't return to WWE until 2012, spending his time away from the company to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
"Brock is one of Vince's guys, he was one of the top guys," Angle said. "He was only on TV for about 2 years but they pushed him really hard from the beginning. Brock earned his spot and I really believe that Vince was really upset when Brock decided to leave. Brock ended up going to the NFL and trying out, he made it to the final cut. He didn't quite make the team and stuff happens. Him leaving, Vince was pretty upset about it."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.