'It does hurt' - Kurt Angle on Batista getting 25 minutes in retirement match but WWE giving him only six

Kurt Angle's final pro wrestling match happened at WrestleMania 35, where he put Baron Corbin over before ending his in-ring career. Kurt Angle's retirement match was cramped between the two featured matches of the WrestleMania 35 card.

It's surprising to note that Kurt Angle was given just under six minutes, while Batista vs. Triple H, which was The Animal's farewell bout, went on for almost 25 minutes.

Kurt Angle opened up about his brief retirement match on the latest episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show' on AdFreeShows with host Conrad Thompson.

Angle admitted that it hurt when WWE put his match at #14 on the WrestleMania card. However, the Olympic gold medalist had been in the business long enough to understand his role and reasoning behind the positioning of his match.

"It does hurt, but, like I said before, you understand your role in the company at that time. You understand the position of your match, you know, they were a featured match, and if they wanted more time, they were going to get it; and obviously, they were going to cut my time. That's just the way it is, and that's the way it will continue to be."

While Angle hoped to have been treated better given his legendary status, WWE booked the veteran in what he termed as a filler match between the main events. Angle, though, had no regrets as he did his job of putting Corbin over.

Batista vs. Triple H was the 13th match of the show, followed by Angle's swansong, the IC title match, and finally, the main event for the RAW Women's title.

"I just felt like, with my status, that I would be treated a little bit differently, but I understand. I did what I was told to do. I made my retirement match at WrestleMania, I did the honors by doing the job, and I put Baron Corbin over so that he continued on to get to the main event status. So, I did my job, and that's all I can ask for."

It was a filler match; that's what it was: Kurt Angle's honest opinions about the WrestleMania 35 retirement match

Kurt Angle reaffirmed his understanding of the situation by explaining that WrestleMania 35 was a 16-match card, and the show ended up being seven hours long.

"Well, yeah, when you have 16 matches, that's a long show. I think that show was seven hours long. It was ridiculously long. There were a lot of matches on there, of course, being 14th, it is a lot of pressure, but I also understood. When you are in the business for as many years as I am, you realize what each match is for and what it represents. The #14 match, it was structured in between two featured matches, and the #14 match, which is my match with Baron Corbin, was only 6 minutes long. It was a filler match; that's what it was. It is what it is."

Kurt Angle's body was breaking down at the time, and he figured that Vince McMahon had given him the retirement match he needed and not the one he wanted.

"You know, I understand why they did it. My body was breaking down, and I couldn't go at the level I used to, I think Vince McMahon gave me the retirement match, not that I exactly wanted, but I needed. I was just happy to have the match."

Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin.

Kurt Angle knew that going in at the 14th spot between the featured matches was a tough ask, but he believed that WWE killed two birds with one stone to plan his farewell contest.

"I think they killed two birds with one stone. They got my retirement match on WrestleMania, and they got a good filler match in between two main event matches. I honestly believe that my match was a filler match. When you go under six minutes at WrestleMania, and you're on 14th position, and you're after Batista and Triple H, and you're on before the main event, you know, it's a tough spot, and not having a lot of time you just know you are the filler match. That's what it is. It was a filler match; it was between two main event matches, and you know, it was what it was."

Do you think Kurt Angle deserved a better retirement match? Did Vince McMahon make a mistake by not giving Angle the John Cena showdown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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If any quotes are used from this article, please credit 'The Kurt Angle Show' and give a H/T to SK Wrestling