4-time WWE Champion thought Brock Lesnar was not going to kick out against him

Kurt Angle feared the dramatic finish to his WrestleMania 19 main event against Brock Lesnar was going to result in the wrong person winning.

Angle, who had a broken neck at the time, initially thought Lesnar sustained the same injury after he failed to properly land a Shooting Star Press. Despite suffering a concussion, The Beast Incarnate continued the match and hit an F-5 on his opponent to capture the WWE Championship.

Speaking on the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling” podcast, Angle recalled how he needed neck surgery immediately after WrestleMania. Had the concussed Lesnar not kicked out of a late pinfall attempt, the Olympic gold medallist’s surgery would likely have been delayed.

“He almost broke his neck!” Angle said. “My biggest fear was that I’d have to keep the title another month because I thought Brock broke his neck and he was out cold, and I covered him and I didn’t think he was gonna kick out. I was like, ‘Oh s**t, I’m gonna have to hold this title for another month. I won’t be able to get my surgery.’ Right away, anyway. And Brock kicked out! He’s a beast.” [5:32-5:57]

Brock Lesnar successfully used the Shooting Star Press in WWE’s Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) developmental system. Angle thought the move looked impressive and suggested he use it at WrestleMania to create a memorable moment.

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How Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle ended

The match was originally supposed to end with Brock Lesnar pinning his opponent after a crowd-pleasing Shooting Star Press. Following the unfortunate botch, Angle improvised by immediately pinning the title challenger for a two-count.

Moments later, the four-time WWE Champion spoke to Lesnar in the ring and gave him instructions on how to finish the match.

“At that point in time, I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna pick you up, cut me off, and give me the F-5,’” Angle added. “He did and that was the end of the match, but it was a crazy match. Crazy time in the business too.” [5:58-6:11]

The former amateur wrestlers also had a friendly competition with each other away from WWE cameras. They once faced off in a shoot-wrestling contest in the ring before a WWE show, which Angle claims he won.

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Please credit the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling” and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.