Kurt Angle called an audible at TNA No Surrender 2007.
During a recent 'Ask Kurt Anything' edition of The Kurt Angle Show (via AdFreeShows), the WWE Hall of Famer spoke about his time at IMPACT Wrestling (then TNA) and dropping the X Division Title to Jay Lethal when he wasn't supposed to.
“Well when I started in TNA, the staple of the company was the X Division. That was the most popular division in the company. I would have loved to have been a part of it, especially with my style. I had a different style than most of the X Division guys. I think I would’ve added to it, I would’ve made it more popular. The crazy thing about that match is Jay Lethal wasn’t supposed to beat me. He got some heat for that match. Now understand at this particular time they wanted me to hold all the titles. So I was TNA World Heavyweight Champion, I was IWGP Champion, I was TNA Tag Team Champion, I was X Division Champion. They wanted all the gold around me. I felt like, ‘You know what, I want to give back to these guys.’ I thought, ‘You know what, why not put Jay Lethal over in the X Division.’ I thought it was a great idea. Of course, we got a little heat for it and Jay Lethal didn’t hold that title very long afterward. He ended up losing, I think, the next match. I didn’t get heat for it but he did and it was unfortunate," Angle said.
Kurt added that the decision to have Lethal win didn't happen in the ring but backstage before the match.
"Beforehand I pulled him aside and I said, ‘Let’s just not say anything. Don’t tell anyone, let’s just put you over.’ That’s what I did and I wasn’t supposed to," he said.
Angle competed for IMPACT from 2006 until 2016. During that time he held the World Heavyweight Championship six times.
Lethal is currently a member of the AEW roster and has aligned himself with Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh. He is currently feuding with Samoa Joe.
IMPACT is set to present Under Siege this evening, May 7. Fightful will have live coverage of the event beginning at 8 p.m. ET. You can view the updated card by clicking here.
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