All language subtitles for WWE Rivals - Season 1 - EP-04 - Brock Lesnar VS. Kurt Angle

- When I was in the ring,
I took a lot of pride

In what I did.

- Angle slam!

- And I always wanted
to be the best.

I was always the best.

- No!
- Ah!

- Angle's done it!

Kurt angle
is the wwe champion!

- God put me on this earth
to be a professional wrestler.

- Look at this monster!

[dramatic music]

- Brock lesnar is champion!

I think kurt angle
wanted to know

Just how good he really was,

And no one could push him
to find out,

Like brock lesnar
could push him,

And I know brock was curious
as to how good he really was,

And no one could push him
like kurt angle.

- I was having
a lot of difficulty

With my body functioning.

I was in trouble.

- Being in front of all those
people, having the anxiety--

♪ ♪

All these things
racing through my head.

I second-guessed myself.

- What the hell is this?

- This rivalry has just
escalated into a war!

- When two legends collide,

Their rivalry stays pinned
in our minds forever.

♪ ♪

This is where we break down
the legendary stories

Behind the greatest rivalries
of all time.

I'm freddie prinze jr.

[audience gasps]

And this is "wwe rivals."

♪ ♪

I'm gonna take you back
20 years to 2002.

We're gonna talk
about the rivalry

Between kurt angle,
olympic gold medalist,

And brock lesnar,
ncaa heavyweight champion.

This was insane, that the stars
could align for these two men

To be in the same place
at the same time.

But they did.

What does this mean
to the business?

- We wanted to see these guys
go at it.

Brock lesnar's the biggest
freak I've ever seen

On any level in any sport.

♪ ♪

- Brock was what I tried
to model myself after--

A superstar like that just
kind of fit a different pocket

As an athlete,
and also this inhuman strength.

Now the difference between
me and brock is--

I'm a strong woman,
don't get me wrong--

But with brock,
there was just no denying it.

He was undeniable.

- Look at this!

- The--ah! F5!

That's 350 pounds!

- Then you've got a guy
who wasn't just good.

He was,
out of 8 billion people,

He was the best in the world
at what he did.

He was a gold medalist.

- In 1996,

The olympics,
they came to atlanta.

I got to be there, and
kurt angle wins a gold medal,

Which is a big moment.
You want usa to win in that.

- [chuckling]
I mean, the man won

A gold medal
with a broken neck.

Where most people
draw the line,

Those men haven't
even gotten started yet.

There--or, there is no line,
period.

- And from athlete
to pro-wrestling athlete--

Two of the quickest ever
to pick it up.

- [yells]

♪ ♪

- When I got to the wwe,
vince mcmahon said,

"hey, I'm giving you
an opportunity.

You either sink or swim,"
and I had to swim,

And I did.
[laughing] thank god.

[yells]
- whoa.

- I want to enter the wwe.

I am the world's
best wrestler,

But I have to take that here,
and I have to prove to everyone

That I can win in here too.

[yelling]

There were a lot of big names,

Especially when I came
into the company--

Stone cold steve austin,
the rock, triple h,

Undertaker--
and it was very competitive.

I came in here
with my eyes wide open,

And all I did was do the best
I possibly could.

♪ ♪

- He was a prodigy.

It was like
one of these stories

That you hear
about a five-year-old

That has never been at a piano
before and sits there,

Hears music, and then
just does chopin perfectly.

There was nothing that kurt
could not do inside the ring.

- Making his

World wrestling entertainment
debut,

The most celebrated real
athlete in wwe history,

Kurt angle!

["medal (kurt angle)"
by wwe & jim johnston]

- What you have to understand
about kurt angle

Is kurt angle
is a world-class athlete.

- [yells]

- Kurt took everything
that he did inside the ring

And outside the ring
very seriously

And looked at it
as he had to be the best.

Kurt angle had to be the best
at whatever he did.

- Kurt angle has won
the european championship!

- I knew it!

- This one could be over!

- Two!
Three!

- Look at that!
- There it is!

We got a new
intercontinental champion!

- The winner of this bout--

- My rookie year
was my favorite year,

Because I was
improving every week.

[dramatic music]

- Kurt is a machine,
and the mentality that he had

For, you know, anything
athletic, it seemed,

Translated to pro wrestling.

- Wait a minute,
the olympic slam on the rock!

[crowd cheering]

- What is kurt angle doing?

- No! No!

- Ah!
- Angle has done it!

Kurt angle
is the wwe champion!

- I don't think he treated it
any differently.

I think he came at it with
the same bulldog mentality.

- Kurt angle goin'
to meet the rattlesnake!

This match, one fall
for the wwe title!

- A lot of the athletes at wwe
had a lot of respect for me,

Because I won a gold medal
at the olympics,

And they saw
the raw talent that I had.

[crowd cheering]

So it wasn't hard for me
to come in.

- Kurt came in, and the
progression was phenomenal.

I think it put more
of a target on kurt

For being
an olympic gold medalist

Because, hey,
you're the best in the world.

Everybody wants to try you.

- Wes hand drops down
to the leg.

Both: And that's it.
- That's it.

He slipped out of it,

And brock lesnar
from minnesota

Is your heavyweight champion
in the year 2000.

- I worked hard.
Wes is a competitor,

But I know I deserve it
more than he did.

- Brock lesnar was immediately
recruited by wwe

And signed,
what was at the time,

The biggest
developmental contract

In sports entertainment
history--

And deservedly so.

- Shelton, out of the ring--

Brock lesnar on the top rope--
my god!

Shooting star press!

- If you were to pray
to the heavens and say,

"please give me
the perfect athlete.

Please give me what I want
to present to the world

As a wwe superstar,"

I give you brock lesnar.

♪ ♪

- He's a guy, you put him in
any era, and it's gonna work.

See that rather large
individual over there?

See him?
That's brock lesnar.

He's a once-in-a-lifetime
athlete.

- Brock is a freak of nature,

And there's no other way
to describe him.

♪ ♪

He's the most talented,
most gifted athlete

I've ever seen in my life.

- I look like
a killer machine though--

Born to fight, fight to kill,

But ready to die,
but I never will.

♪ ♪

There are some nights I lay
in bed and really believe

That god put me on this earth
to be a professional wrestler.

♪ ♪

- First time I met him,
what happened was

The brooklyn brawler went up
to brock and said,

"hey, how would you do
against kurt angle

In a wrestling match?"

Brock said, "he's too small.
I'd kill him."

So I walked up to brock.
It's the first time I met him.

"hey, brock.
How ya doing?

"kurt angle.
Nice to meet you.

"by the way, you said
you could whoop my butt.

Let's get in the ring."

[laughter]

- I just remember them
messing with each other,

And also thinking to myself,

"well, who's gonna
break this one up

If it starts going sideways?"

♪ ♪

- And I'm sitting there--
I'm going, and I'm meeting

With vince, and all of
a sudden, somebody hollered,

"brisco, you better
get out to the ring.

Your boys are goin' at it."

They're both in the ring,
and they were gettin' ready

To square off
against each other,

And of course,
every talent in the building

Is out at ringside there.
So they go after it.

♪ ♪

- I beat him, but it was
a very, very tough battle.

Brock is the real deal.

We actually got along
even better afterward.

♪ ♪

- I have great respect
for kurt angle.

Put it this way--in 1996,
when he won the gold medal,

I was graduating high school.

I mean,
he was the best of the best

As an amateur wrestler, and he
was a guy I wanted to be like,

But also wanted to wrestle
and also wanted to beat.

♪ ♪

Just to see if I could hang
with him, you know?

[crowd shouting]

- Wait a minute.
Who the hell is that?

King, that's--
that's the hottest free agent.

That's--ooh!
Brock lesnar!

♪ ♪

- Brock and kurt got it,
and they understood.

Kurt could out-wrestle
the entire world.

Brock could beat up
the entire world.

[crowd shouting]

They're both very smart guys
who understood the business,

And that's
what made the difference

With those two guys.

- Lock under!
- Brock lesnar,

He countered!
- Fireman's carry!

Aw, man! F5!

- Look out! F5!

Brock lesnar is champion!

♪ ♪

- I got a rocket
strapped to my ass.

"now let's send
this kid to the moon

And see if he can survive."

- [yells]
- there's been no one

In the history of the wwe
that has been on a roll

Like brock lesnar has.
- Oh, my god.

Brock lesnar has buzzed
through the wwe roster.

[crowd shouting]

- There was nowhere left to go
with brock lesnar at that time.

He had steamrolled
over everyone.

The most natural matchup
for brock lesnar,

Ncaa division I
heavyweight champion,

Was to face kurt angle,
an olympic gold medalist--

The one honor bigger
than the ncaa division I

Heavyweight champion.

♪ ♪

- These two will
meet at "wrestlemania"

For the wwe championship.

It is perhaps the most
anticipated matchup

In history.

- I want you, kurt!

- I think kurt finally found

The guy
that he could dip into,

What he probably always
wanted his character to be,

Which was
that wrestling machine,

And a guy who could hang
with him, and a guy who could

Physically be a match,
and it took his intensity

Into a really, really
aggressive direction.

- Kurt angle taking
brock out at the knee!

- It probably helped brock
gain even more legitimacy,

And from workin' kurt,

Realized, "okay, this is
what being at the top is."

They're pushing each other.
That can make

For some really
compelling television.

- [yelling]

[crowd cheering]

- Oh, it's time
to buckle up!

The road to "wrestlemania"
starts tonight!

Welcome everybody
to "no way out"!

♪ ♪

- Brock lesnar
wants kurt angle.

- Of course he does.

He's gonna get him
at "wrestlemania,"

But he'd love to kick the hell

Out of him
right here tonight--

- Right.
- In that six-man

Tag team matchup.

- At "no way out,"
brock and I were wrestling

In the ring,
and I had a chokehold on him.

♪ ♪

And he lifted me up
on his back.

He was so damn strong, and
he was on one side of the ring

In the corner, and he charged
the other corner.

♪ ♪

- As lesnar breaks the hold--

- When he went to turn,
I hit sideways,

And my neck
whiplashed sideways.

Two vertebrae
cracked in my neck.

Two disks slid directly
into my spinal cord.

I couldn't lift my left arm,
was having a lot of difficulty

With my body functioning,
and I didn't think I was gonna

Go to "wrestlemania" that year.

I was in trouble.

[dramatic music]

- After brock injured my neck,

I had pain stemming
from my neck down my arms.

You know, I was getting
headaches from my neck.

It was pretty brutal.

- Brock lesnar
put kurt angle on notice

For when lesnar and angle meet
at "wrestlemania."

- Brock felt very badly.
It was a freak accident.

It wasn't like he did
some kind of dangerous move.

It was just something
that just happens

Every once in a while,

And there's nothing
you can do about it.

- I thought
we were gonna have to change

The main event of
"wrestlemania."

I didn't think kurt should step
into the ring with a feather,

Let alone brock lesnar.

- I came home,
and I saw a doctor,

And he told me,
"your neck's broken.

You can't wrestle."

I knew that the surgery
was serious.

I knew I had to have it done.

So I called vince mcmahon
and I told him,

"I'm not gonna be able
to main event 'wrestlemania.'"

He said, "okay, well,
what we're gonna do is,

"next week, we're gonna have
you drop the title to brock

"on tv, so he can wrestle

Somebody else
at 'wrestlemania,'"

And I was like,
"gosh, that sucks."

[chuckles]

- Really ask yourself--

Kurt angle's
got a broken neck.

He's already won a gold medal
with a broken neck.

Do you think kurt angle's gonna
no-show "wrestlemania xix"?

He's not gonna miss that.
He could have no legs.

Like, this is a big deal.

He's not missing that moment.

- Would it hurt me
if I wrestle one more match?

My doctor, he said,
"no, you might as well

"just wait till after
'wrestlemania'

To have the surgery."

So I call vince, and I said,
"vince, I'm back in the game."

♪ ♪

- So without further ado,

Allow me to introduce you
to the biggest thing

In sports entertainment today--

The man who claims he will take
the wwe title from kurt angle.

- Brock!
- Ladies and gentlemen,

Brock lesnar.
[all cheering]

♪ ♪

- To tell you the truth, I was
worried just touching the guy.

[chuckles]

I'm gonna bring the pain.
[all cheering]

- His neck could have snapped
at any second, you know?

So I mean,
I was really worried

On everything I did with him.

- Brock, you're not taking this
from me at "wrestlemania."

My mindset was
I wanted to get it over with.

It's a very nerve-racking time
for me.

You know, all morning,
all I could think about was--

Was what if I hurt my neck?

What if I don't put on
the performance I want to?

This is a big day for me.

[all cheering]

I was in a lot of pain.

But whenever I go out
with injury, I was always

Thinkin' about,
"how am I gonna get back?

How quickly can I get back?"

'cause I never wanted
to lose my spot on the card.

I always wanted to be
the top guy and stay there.

♪ ♪

- That's one thing that me
and kurt have inside of us--

Is to be the best
that we can be.

Regardless of what happens, we
both wrestled with injuries.

You know, he won the olympics
with a broken neck.

I mean, that's not
some [bleep] story.

It's the truth.

- I was set on the match,

And I wanted to entertain
the fans the best way I could.

- Now the grand stage
at "wrestlemania"

Turns to
the wwe championship--

Kurt angle and brock lesnar.

- Once you walk
through that curtain,

Your adrenaline's pumpin'.

You know what you have to do.

You know what
you have to accomplish,

And you're doing something
you love.

- Here comes the pain!

- For brock lesnar,

It is his first
"wrestlemania."

- At the time, I didn't
wanna convince myself,

But now I know
I was scared [bleep].

[laughs]

But I didn't
wanna present that

To any of the guys
in the locker room

Or even to kurt.

[crowd shouting]

- Right when I tied up
with him,

My hamstring popped,
and I was like, "oh, no.

Not only
do I have a broken neck,

But now I have
a torn hamstring,

And I didn't know what the hell
to do from there on in.

So I limited my running
in the match.

- Both men
trading holds right now.

- [yells]
- powerslam!

- Wow,
what a slam by lesnar.

- Every time I took a bump,

You could see the pain
I was in.

- Big knockdown by lesnar.

- It's like
running into a mack truck.

- That's something
that you can't work around.

I mean, you're gonna have
to bump at "wrestlemania."

- Oh, boy!
- German suplex!

- Whoo!

- Oh, my!
- Oh, man!

The wwe title is on the line

On the greatest stage
of them all--

- Uh-oh!
- "wrestlemania"!

And what a throw by angle.

[crowd cheering]

- This is "wrestlemania,"

And it's the main event.

[crowd cheering]

- You know, you don't very
often get wrestlers

That lay it on the line
like that.

- Here comes kurt!
- Oh, my!

- Two of the greatest
amateur wrestlers

To come out
of the united states

Giving this kind
of a performance

In front
of the "wrestlemania" crowd.

- What a damn match!

- I had to stand
and applaud them.

That's what I miss
and love about wrestling.

- What is brock doing?

- The coolest moment
was brock's dumbest moment.

- Being in front
of all those people,

Having the anxiety
and the 25-minute match,

All these things
racing through my head--

- He's climbing to the top
rope.

What the hell is this?

- I was sweaty.
My hands were all sweaty,

And I second-guessed myself.

But then once you're up there,
you know, you're up there.

So I just went with it
anyways.

I figured, "well,
you know, here it is."

[chuckles]

- Oh, my god!

- Brock lesnar went
for the shooting star press!

- And lesnar landed
on the back of his head.

That's 290 pounds
comin' down on your neck.

- When I watched
brock land on that,

I thought I just watched
somebody die.

All: Yeah.

- There was this, like,
vacuum of just like--

♪ ♪

- I was pretty much
knocked silly.

I saw the people.
I saw the top of the arena.

I saw the mat comin',

And then I saw kurt's singlet,
you know?

And the referee asked if I was
okay, and I guess I said yes.

You know, any normal person--
I don't think--

I think
it would've snapped in two.

But I'm very lucky,
very lucky.

- Here, I'm sitting there
saying, "brock,

Get your ass up, because
I'm not doin' this anymore,"

And I didn't know what to do,
so I covered him.

- He got it!
- No!

- Lesnar just
got the shoulder up.

- I don't remember doing that--

Just out of instinct, I guess.

I grabbed kurt and f5'd him
one more time.

- Wow, another f5 connects!

The cover!
- One, two--

- We have a new champion!

["next big thing"
by wwe & jim johnston]

- Thank god.
[chuckles]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- Coming back from the match,

Everyone was concerned
for brock,

And everyone was crowding--
"I wanna help."

"oh, my god, brock,
you gotta go see the doctor."

"you gotta do this.
You gotta do that."

So the frustration, I think,
in brock's mind of,

"wow, I hit my head,
could've broken my neck"--

Probably was feeling it, and
then everyone on top of him,

I think there was a lot
of frustration there.

- And now all these people
surrounding me.

You know, people are grabbing
me and doing this, doing that,

Wanted me on a stretcher,
wanted me in the ambulance,

And I wasn't
having any of that.

Get the [bleep] off me!
- Brock.

- [chuckles] everybody said
that I was hard to handle,

And I can imagine I was,
probably.

- He's in that survival mode,
that defense mode,

And I gotta tell you,
it scared my socks off of me.

Okay, just calm down.
Let's get the medical people.

So I walk him
on to the ambulance.

I get in the ambulance
with him.

Usually, they don't
let passengers go

In the ambulance,
but that night,

Because of who
they had in there,

They didn't wanna be in there
by theirself.

♪ ♪

- I knew I was fine.
They needed me to get x-rayed

And whatnot,
so I did all that,

And I walked out
of the hospital that night,

And--which is pretty amazing.

- Vince flew me home
on his jet that night,

And I went to the doctor
the next day, to the hospital,

To have my neck surgery.

So it was literally the next
day after "wrestlemania."

- Kurt, first question--
can you kind of explain

The night before your surgery?
You know, how you're feeling,

You know,
physically and mentally.

♪ ♪

I guess I've been waiting
for this for the past month.

Going into "wrestlemania"
unsure if I was even gonna

Finish the match.

I've had so much pain
in my neck that I'm hoping--

I pray to god, tomorrow when
this surgery's over with,

I'll be pain-free,

And I'll have that relief
from the pain.

♪ ♪

[machinery beeping]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

- There are a lot of things
wrong with my neck,

And what I'm gonna have done
is called "neck repair."

Doctor jho's just gonna scrape
the bone spurs off my neck,

Open up the passageways
for my nerves to flow,

So I can get the feeling back

And also the size and strength
back that I don't have,

And I think that
when he does these things,

I get the feeling
that I should be back

In the lineup in no time.

♪ ♪

Well, the first two weeks,
I was relaxing.

I didn't watch wrestling.
I was trying to spend time

With my family, but after
two weeks, I got restless.

[toy beeps and squeals]

- [barks]
- "e"--elephant.

- I wanted to be back.

[chuckles]
I was dying to go back.

That's probably why
I went back so quickly.

♪ ♪

["medal (kurt angle)"
by wwe & jim johnston]

[crowd cheers]

- There's only one kurt angle,

Ladies and gentlemen--
only one olympic gold medalist

In wwe history,
and he returns tonight.

♪ ♪

- Coming back in June of 2003
after I had my neck surgery

Was one of the most
exciting moments of my life.

Fans, the way they reacted,
I wasn't much of a baby face.

[chuckles]
I was pretty much a heel,

And when I came back, they
welcomed me as a baby face,

And it showed me how much
the fans appreciated my work.

And I'm back for one reason
and one reason only--

'cause kurt angle
is a champion.

[crowd cheers]

And I wanna
become champion again!

- Kurt should've taken the
year off after that surgery,

And instead, he just came
right back to perform,

And the audience was quite
appreciative of that.

You know, when I was laid up
in the hospital,

And I didn't know
if I was gonna wrestle again,

There's someone
that became a genuine friend.

All the phone calls from you,

All the personal concern

When I didn't know
I was gonna wrestle again...

[dramatic music]

I just wanna say one thing.

Thank you.

♪ ♪

Brock was my best friend
in wwe.

You know, every week, we would
meet up at the airport,

Get a car--rental car--and we'd
drive to the next city,

And you know,
talk about wrestling

And talk about
our personal lives.

We had a great relationship.

You're rude.
- Hey, champ.

Both: Hey, how ya doin'?

- She was talkin' to me.
- She was talkin' to me.

- No, she wasn't.

- [gasps]

- Good luck, champ.

♪ ♪

- I think there's
a lot of things

That are underrated
about brock,

That--that he doesn't
get the credit for

Because of his appearance.

- Well, since I can't kick
your butt till "vengeance,"

How 'bout we have a little
competition right here tonight?

- Well, name the game.
- [mockingly] name the game.

How 'bout pushups?

- So this is what
it's like at your level.

- [laughs]

- You wouldn't think
he could work as a baby face.

Man, he can make it work,
and that doesn't make sense.

- Brock, at "vengeance,"
we ain't gonna happen.

It's me against you
against big show.

- The following contest

Is the triple threat match
for the wwe championship.

[bell rings]

- Lesnar and kurt angle--

- What the hell?
Chokeslam?

- A chokeslam
from lesnar and angle!

Look at this!
- Angle slam!

- Angle slam
through the announce table!

Lesnar and angle have done
what they wanted to do.

Big show's been eliminated.
It's down to these

Two great wrestlers
with amateur backgrounds.

Here we go, reversal.

Irish whipped into the corner

For kurt angle.
Nobody home for lesnar!

- Oof.
- And look

At kurt angle, measuring

Brock lesnar.
- Another one!

- An angle slam
to the champion!

Can kurt angle do it?

Kurt angle hooks the leg.
- He got him!

- Shoulders down!
Both: He got it!

- Kurt angle wins the title!

♪ ♪

- Every rivalry needs
a good guy and a bad guy,

Or a baby face and a heel.

Well, kurt angle coming back
from neck surgery

As our american hero
is the biggest baby face

We could possibly have,
which meant brock lesnar

Had to be
the baddest heel there was.

[crowd cheering]

- I remember the night
that he turned heel.

It was a cage match
against vince mcmahon.

I was
the special guest referee.

When brock turns
into bully mode--

- What the hell?
What the hell is goin' on?

- An f5 to kurt angle!

- This guy can do damage
like no other.

♪ ♪

- Brock lesnar's
such an effective monster

Because he's a real monster.
[laughs]

He was a guy
that would walk in a room

That everybody in that room

Knew that they weren't
the best guy in the room.

- Pressing--
oh, my god, look at this!

♪ ♪

- Brock lesnar
wants to be the best

And not just be another guy.

Brock wants to be the guy
that everyone is talking about,

And that everyone wants to be.

- It's lesnar, angle
for the wwe title

At "summerslam!"

- [panting]

[dramatic music]

[grunting]

♪ ♪

To have the wwe championship,

There's nothing else bigger
or better in this business.

All the way up
to "summerslam,"

I had to prepare myself

Like I was going into
a regular amateur match.

I treat this business
as I treated my business

In college
and in high school--

One day at a time
and one match at a time.

So I mean,
I prepared myself no different.

♪ ♪

- There's a lot
of testosterone

In the locker room.

You wanna see who really is
the king of the hill.

♪ ♪

Kurt angle's
an olympic gold medalist.

If I'm brock lesnar--

"I'm bigger than him,
I think I can take him."

- [yells]

- There's just
a natural competitiveness,

And if you don't have
a natural competitiveness,

Then you don't belong
in the wwe.

You just don't.

[rock music]

[crowd cheering]

- This is the rematch

From "wrestlemania."

Lesnar and angle squaring off
in phoenix tonight.

[bell rings]

[dramatic music]

- My memories of that match,

Especially wrestling
brock at any time,

But particularly,
"summerslam,"

Was how we added in a lot
of the college wrestling moves.

- Kurt used
to wrestlin' up in weight

When he was an amateur.

- There's
the quickness of angle.

- "summerslam," this is where
I actually got to see

What made kurt
an olympic champion.

What he was doing to brock,
as far as moving brock around,

I look at that and I go,
"that's the difference

Between an ncaa champion
and an olympic champion."

- Brock lesnar,

Beginning
to become frustrated.

If lesnar becomes frustrated,

Kurt angle is gonna
pick him apart.

- How good is angle?

- I think kurt angle
wanted to know

Just how good he really was,

And no one
could push him to find out

Like brock lesnar
could push him,

And I know brock was curious
as to how good he really was,

And no one could push him
like kurt angle.

- Here we go!

- Angle slam!

Can angle take advantage?

There's one--
- there's the belt!

He kept it!
- And brock lesnar

Kicks out of the angle slam!
- Wow!

- [grunts]
- oh, what a shot!

- A shot again,
lesnar knocked back!

- Brock and I
are both stiff as hell.

♪ ♪

When you hear
that somebody's light...

- Wow!

- That means
you barely feel anything.

If they throw a punch
or a kick, it's not as brutal

As a person who is stiff.

Brock and I are the two
stiffest guys in the business.

There were times
when brock would yell at me,

"what did I do to you?"
that was his line.

"what did I do to you?"
[laughs]

- Oh, my god!
- Ankle lock!

- Lesnar's gonna tap!
Is he gonna tap?

- Brock lesnar taps out!

[bell rings]

Kurt angle is the champion!

- Lesnar and angle,
it always felt special.

- I'm sure a lot guys
were salivating at the idea

That they're gonna do
some stuff

That hasn't been seen
in a while.

What's old is new.

♪ ♪

- You can't just leave it
up in the air.

This guy's gotta win,
and this guy's gotta win.

Trilogies are kind of the way
to answer the question,

Like, "okay,
who's really the best?"

- Two weeks from tonight,

Kurt angle will be defending
the title against brock lesnar.

This will be
a one-hour iron man match.

Whoever scores
the most falls in one hour

Will undoubtedly
be the champion.

- I thought, "this is perfect.

"this is a great opportunity
for me to show everybody

That I can go 60 minutes,
and it's the perfect opponent."

That is the match that will--
if you're not good,

It will expose you.

If you are good, it'll
make you look even better.

I wanted to show
how good of a wrestler I was.

- You mentioned that
iron man match.

There's a lot of pieces
that came together

To make that magic.

- That's a prizefight, yeah.

That looks like a prizefight
that is a prizefight.

I will watch this match.

- Those guys were freaking
ali and frazier, man.

- Like, there's no way
I'm missing this.

[indistinct chatter]

- We had just finished
a production meeting.

Talent had reported.

You know, I think I was
even with kurt

When the call came in on that,
so you never wanna hear that.

♪ ♪

My brother eric called me,

And he said "le'anne's dead."

♪ ♪

My sister, she overdosed.

♪ ♪

And vince mcmahon met with me

And said,
"what do you wanna do?"

♪ ♪

- I thought that there
was just absolutely no way

We're gonna get to the match.

No way.

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

Vince mcmahon said,
"what do you wanna do?"

I told him I wanted to wrestle,

'cause I wanted to do it
for my sister.

I knew I had to compete
that night.

You know, a lot of people
would say,

"does he care,
or doesn't he care?

"if he's wrestling that night,

"and his sister died
the night before,

He doesn't care."

But that's the whole reason
why I wrestled--

Was for my sister.

That was my way of showing her,

'cause that's what we did
in my family.

We showed each other love
by doing actions,

And doing things for people,

And this match
was literally for my sister.

[somber music]

- One great thing
about our business

Is they all rally around you,
and including brock.

Brock was a gentle giant
that day.

- Me and kurt have
a relationship

That I don't have

With a lot of other guys
in the locker room,

Just because of our roots
and what we've done.

We respect each other a lot.

I mean, people don't
understand what it's like

To compete at our level, how
you gotta make yourself go.

- That's what you do--
you show up.

You're a team.
You say you're gonna

Do somethin', you do somethin'.

- I want people to understand

How amazing this philosophy
y'all have,

'cause I don't think you guys
even recognize it,

Because you're in it.
The show must go on,

And it's so impressive, and I
still believe to this day,

It's why fans still hold on
so tight.

♪ ♪

- They know that there's a lot
of families that are depending

On them showing up
to do their job,

And sometimes, we have to do it
under circumstances

That are really difficult.
It can be almost cathartic

To get out and
do something that you love.

["next big thing"
by wwe & jim johnston]

♪ ♪

- This is a 60-minute
iron man match--

Lesnar vs. Angle
for the title!

[dramatic music]

The first superstar
to gain the most falls

In a one-hour time limit
will become champion!

- And falls are scored
by pinfall, submission,

Disqualification,
or a count out.

- The greatest insult you can
levy against kurt angle

Would be
to take it easy on him.

Kurt angle doesn't want you
to feel sorry for him.

Kurt angle wants you
to bring it,

Because he's going to bring it.

- This is a humongous
matchup for brock lesnar here

And kurt angle--oh!
- And brock lesnar

Wasting little time.
[bell rings]

- You just get in the ring,

And you understand

This is gonna be interesting,

To say the least.
- Look at that!

- And look at this.
- Whoo, what a shot!

Both these athletes
have never been in

A 60-minute iron man matchup.

Most pro wrestlers haven't.

- The iron man match
was a really intense match,

And it was my favorite match
that I had with him.

- Brock,
you're gonna get disqualified!

- Brock lesnar using
the steel chair--

[bell rings]
kurt angle's up one fall

To nothin'.
Why the hell did brock lesnar

Do that?

- What we were able to do
in that hour

Was pretty incredible.

- Kurt can hardly stand up.

Whoa!
- Brock lesnar--

- There goes angle!

[bell rings]
- and brock lesnar

Has evened this
at a fall apiece.

- Brock wanted
to injure kurt angle.

- Make it easier
to pick up falls.

This is kurt angle's
signature maneuver.

Kurt taps!
- Tappin'.

Wow.
- I don't know

How much
the champion has left,

And he still has
over 45 minutes to go.

- If anyone would get
in the ring and try to wrestle

A one-minute match,

Most people
would be sucking wind

Probably after about
30, 45 seconds.

You take someone
that runs on a treadmill

For 30 minutes every day.
- [chuckles] man.

- Now go run on that
treadmill at full speed

And have someone
taking you down

And throwing you down
on the mat for 30 minutes.

- There it is.
[bell rings]

He got a count out on him.

- Double it.

♪ ♪

- And he connects!
Hookin' the leg.

There's two!
- G--got it!

- Got it!
[bell rings]

- Kurt, now,
can get the upper hand

On brock lesnar.
Whoa, whoa.

Oh, my god!
- And lesnar just

Cleaned the clock
of referee brian hebner,

And now with that title
in his hand--

- Oh, my god, wow!

Lesnar, in complete control.

- Brock lesnar's
now up, four to two.

- I don't understand
how the two of them did it.

We've all talked about how
unique and special they are.

They both had gas tanks
that went for days,

And it's my favorite
non-pay-per-view story

That they ever told
in the ring together.

- Brock lesnar
rolled out of the way!

- And the whole story for
the match is kurt being down--

- Man, lesnar just
lookin' unstoppable here.

- Oh, wow!
Five falls to two,

Lesnar leads!
We've talked a lot

About the heart of kurt angle.

The wwe champion, though, has
to show that heart right now.

[crowd shouting]

- Here comes kurt!
Whoa!

Belly-to-belly!
- Suplex!

Angle, cover!
Angle got it!

[bell rings]
- whoa!

- And slowly getting
one victory after another,

Ugh, I believed in kurt so--
you said "hope"--

That's what he gave you
in that match.

- Time is ticking away

On kurt angle's title reign.
Wow!

- Watching it,
you can really tell

That kurt had stepped into the
shoes of being a real leader.

- The champion's in control!

- He looked like
a real champion to me.

- Lesnar taps!
[bell rings]

It's five to four!

- I felt like I showed
a lot of people

That I had character.

When I was in the ring, I took

A lot of pride in what I did,

And I always wanted
to be the best.

I was always the best.
I was national champion,

Olympic gold medalist.
I wanted to be the best

At this craft too,
and I think

At a particular time,
I was the best in the world.

- You can see kurt angle
peeking up at the clock

Here on the big titantron.

- Kurt needs
one more fall to tie it up.

- And look at this!
Brock lesnar made a mistake!

Kurt--
both: Got the ankle lock!

- 15 seconds left!

- I remember at the end,
having him in the ankle lock.

- Ten seconds left!

- Nine, eight!

Will brock tap?
- And what it did show

The fans was that I had
the ability to never give up,

That I was gonna keep going
no matter what.

- There's four seconds--three!

- Three seconds!
- Two!

- Brock has to tap
for kurt angle to tie!

- There's four seconds--three!

- Three seconds!
- Two!

Is he gonna tap?
- Will brock lesnar

Tap out?
[bell rings]

[crowd roaring]
and it's over!

The time limit has expired!

Brock lesnar did not tap!

Brock lesnar
is the new champion!

[heartbeat thumping]

- After the match with brock,
the iron man match, you know,

Vince, he came to me
and gave me a big hug

And said,
"I'm so proud of you.

Let's get you home
for your sister."

[dramatic music]

And brock came back,
and he said,

"hey,
I can't thank you enough."

♪ ♪

"what you did for me
tonight was incredible.

You didn't have to do it,
but you did it."

If it weren't
for fans like you,

I would've never
made it back here

After I broke my freakin' neck.
Thank you!

[crowd cheers]
I love you!

Thank you!

- As far as me and kurt
having anything to prove,

I don't think we have
anything to prove.

[crowd shouting]

Our stat books and accolades
that we've accomplished

Speak for themselves,
but I'm glad to this day

That I was able to go through
and be put in those situations

With kurt angle.

♪ ♪

- These guys were
the greatest combat athletes

This business has ever seen,

And they were the right people
at the right time

And both in the prime
of their life to do this.

This was an amazing time.

- The iron man match,
I feel like, to me,

Encapsulates what that story
ultimately was,

And also created
one of the best monsters

This sport has ever seen
and still is seeing today.

[crowd shouting]

- Have you got
a problem with me?

- What's it like
when I see brock now?

[laughs]

It brings back
a lot of good memories.

- Oh, no!
- Oh, my god!

Oh, my god, lesnar with an f5
to our general manager!

- Seeing brock and
how he's doing in his life,

And you know, he's had a lot
of different things going on--

Ufc champion, you know,
he got married and has kids,

And he can do
whatever he sets his mind to,

And I think his legacy
will be his talent,

What he was able
to contribute,

Not only to amateur wrestling
and pro wrestling and mma,

But you know, to the world.

He's entertained fans
for years.

Fans adore brock lesnar.

- Ready?
One, two, three.

- Brock lesnar and kurt angle
created an atmosphere

That would be conducive to each
of them breaking through

To new heights

That they couldn't achieve
against anyone else

Because no one else
was capable of hanging

With either one of 'em.

- The angle slam connects!

- My rivalry with brock lesnar

Shaped my career
in a very positive way.

It made me a better wrestler,

And knowing I could go
toe-to-toe with brock lesnar

Gave me confidence.

You know, as amateur
wrestlers, we have a bond,

And it has a lot to do
with work ethic.

We're the hardest working
athletes in the world.

And knowing I'm in the ring
with brock lesnar

And doing what I do,

Made me feel like
I could beat anybody.

- [yelling]
is he gonna tap?

- Brock lesnar taps out!

- This is
brock freakin' lesnar.

And he's the most dominant guy

I've ever been
in the ring with,

And I'm beatin' this guy.
I can beat anybody.

♪ ♪

- For kurt, it was
that transition

Into a ruthless
wrestling machine.

- Oh,
the angle slam off the top!

- Black mouth guard--
there was a different

Aggression and tenacity to his
stuff, and brock can still be

Considered, you know, the most
dangerous competitor now

At 44 or 45 years old.

- F5 by brock!

- Bringing it back to
the focus on real athletes,

And showing what they could do,
but then blurring the line,

Like, getting you to a point
where you can't really decide

On one side or the other
who's gonna take this,

And really being invested in
the story because I don't know

Who's gonna be the winner in
this, 'cause you have these two

Outrageously
talented alpha males,

And every step of the journey
was just awesome to watch.

- But which one is better?

And that's the question--

Who's better,
brock lesnar or kurt angle?

That is a question that people
will ask forever

And never really
gonna find out,

And I don't know the answer
to that.

- You're damn right, kurt,
we're gonna raise the standard.

We're gonna raise the bar.

- I want my legacy to be known

As one of the
greatest of all time.

Kurt angle vs. Brock lesnar,
the rivalry--

I wish I would've won
the third match.

[laughing]

That's my final thought.