Shawn Stasiak Responds To Kurt Angle & Challenges Him, Talks Feeling No Love Or Support From WWE, Calling Vince McMahon
By Andy London [E-Mail | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website | YouTube]
Former WWE star Shawn Stasiak recently joined PWMania.com for an exclusive in-depth interview. During the conversation, Stasiak responded to Kurt Angle’s recent comments about him and challenged him. He recalled calling Vince McMahon after his father’s Hall of Fame induction, spoke about his WWE release, feeling no love or support from WWE, and much more. You can read the interview by clicking here.
You can watch the complete interview below:
Here are some highlights:
Kurt Angle’s recent comments about him lacking confidence:
“Everything’s so blown out of context in today’s day and world with clickbait. I saw the headlines, and there were a couple of headlines that I was just like, ‘oh, really,’ man, like, I need to go back and watch Kurt’s actual episode and watch the context in which, he shared his thoughts on that. He puts me over seemed to me, he thought I had all the talent and raw ability and tools and accolades, but he said, I lacked confidence. When I saw that, it’s not the greatest feeling. And he’s probably not wrong, either in the sense that I think we all to some degree, we question, second guess ourselves. We have doubts. I had lost my Dad not too long prior to that, I think for me, back then, I tried too hard. I put too much pressure on myself. I wanted to make my Dad proud. I wanted to make the Stasiak, make our name proud.”
Kurt Angle saying he derailed his career because of a hair transplant:
“I was in Memphis Tennessee at the time, I was working with Jerry Lawler and was in a great storyline angle. It was so much fun looking back at those times, “The King” of course, the legend. It was an honor for me to work with him. I was a young man, great body, full of piss and vinegar want to take on the world and here I am the WWE, and I’m in these training camps with guys like Test Andrew Martin, Christian, and Edge with these beautiful long flowing locks of blonde hair and I’m losing my hair, right? I gotta do something about this man, this sucks, you know? And I’m thinking and what are my options? Shave it? Buzz it? I looked into that procedure and I went to one of the best places if not the best place in the world in Toronto and inquired, did a little consultation, and I got back to WWE, and I said listen, you guys were about to call me up I think soon, that was the word right? And I consulted with them. I said, I just think this would help improve my image give me some youth back give me some years back, and they said ‘hey, by all means, if it improves your image and feel it helps your confidence and it gives you some youth and improves your image then by all means… because we want to bring you in as kind of like, stay in shape, keep your abs.’ They were they weren’t telling me what the character was going to be, my rookie character, we’d soon find out that after that, but I just decided to get that done. I don’t know where that story came from. I don’t know where Kurt conjured up that story in his mind.
“I don’t know if he [Kurt Angle] heard something from someone in the office. I don’t know maybe he was a little loopy that day, I don’t what he was thinking, but that’s a bullsh*t story. I never would have called the WWE, and said ‘hey guys listen, I’m getting my hair done, you’re got to hold off my debut for a couple.’ Are you kidding me? None of that happened. I spoke with them and consulted. They said ‘yes, by all means get it done, but get it done now,’ because there’s a little bit of a period of recovery, for about a month or so. And they said, just do it now, and then we should be fine. So I did. And then for about a month, I would travel to Monday Night Raw TV, thinking I was gonna make my debut, but they keep postponing this and next week, then next week, and then next week. And then finally, I made my debut, and I remember that night specifically, of course, you always think when did you make your actual debut? And I was in the arena, it was Grand Rapids, Michigan, it was in 1999 of course, and I’m in the arena, and I’m looking at the crowd through the curtains, I’m getting ready to make my run and jump Tiger Ali Singh and walk off with Terry and Jackie, introducing the Meat character.”
Challenging Kurt Angle to one final match:
“That’s up to WWE and that’s up to Kurt Angle. I’ll just say this, look, just like in the tweet like I said, love Kurt, respect Kurt but it all started with me, why not ended with me Kurt, full circle. WrestleMania 40, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, your home state, right? You want to end your career? Let’s do it. Forget, what’s his name? Corbin?
“Baron Corbin, right, Baron Corbin, forget that man. Let’s get back to the Attitude Era. Let’s finish it where it all began. I was your second match, you know? And plus, that’s in Philadelphia. That’s the city of brotherly love. That’s where Stan the Man Stasiak, my father, became the fifth wrestler in the history of the WWE to become champion. So why not there? I think it makes sense. He’s got new knees, his neck is I think repaired, he’s in great shape, he’s in a happy place, he looks great. I’m in great shape. I’m open to it.”
His WWE release and feeling no love and support from the company:
“I am grateful that I got the opportunity that I did have. Hey look, I screwed up, I made some mistakes I had labeled myself for various reasons. I never had any wrongful intent ever. You know, of course, I got released from that company. Because of the tape recorder incident. I’m sure you’ve heard of that. But in some ways, it was a blessing because WCW hired me and actually did something with me and gave me more of an opportunity. I wish WWE would have done that. But I think in the long term it put a stigma to my name. Jim Ross and Eric Bischoff made references to that. How can you trust somebody in the locker room with a whole tape recorder thing? It’s like, honest to God I have I’ve shared this story many, many times over the years, there was absolutely no wrongful intent. It was a rib gone wrong. It was stupid. It was a dumb mistake and I was a rookie. I was just being me, I was just being Shawn, and I think that bit me in the ass in the long run where I don’t think I ever recovered from that with WWE, in the minds of the decision-makers. And who knows, it’s a shark-eat-shark world, Vince probably had people in his ear…I don’t know if it was politics backstage. But I just have never been able to feel the love and support of that company. I’ve never really received invites to WrestleMania when they’re here in Dallas. Although I did go to last year’s WrestleMania with my former business partner and friend. It was amazing. I felt like I’d never left at all. The fans thought I was there to do something on show, they thought I was going to do a run-in, and I was just there as a fan. You know to take pictures, autographs, it was so fun.”
His father’s 24-second WWE Hall of Fame induction and calling Vince McMahon:
“I learned about my Dad getting inducted into the Hall of Fame through fans on Twitter. And I realized, then I went, ‘oh my god,’ the things tomorrow night or the next day. And I knew right away what they were doing. They were gonna put him in some video package. I had seen this legends wing for a couple years. And I used to get nervous watching because I think ‘oh, man, don’t put him in there.’ Don’t let him show up in that. No offense or no disrespect to the other legends. I just think my Dad deserved a little bit more acknowledgment. And to do it right. I would think some of the people that have been inducted in this Hall of Fame, you would think that Stan Stasiak, one of the original WWE champions would have been done right and called upon. That his only son, at least that I know of, his only son to induct his father into the WWE Hall of Fame. And I think we made history. I think he’s the first WWE champion that never got a real induction. It was just, ‘here’s a video package. And here’s 20 whatever seconds.’ And that’s it. I was heartbroken. I was p*ssed off. I called Vince McMahon, I dialed the digits. I knew he wouldn’t pick up, it was WrestleMania. We’ve had a couple conversations over the years. But I text him I said, ‘Please don’t do this. Don’t put him in like this. Let’s wait till next year, I would encourage that. You’re going to be in the New York New Jersey area,’ at MetLife Stadium, I think that was the next year’s WrestleMania. He [Stan] was kind of known to be in the East Coast anyway. And I thought it’d be more appropriate to just give me five minutes to just do it right. But I wasn’t even invited to the arena, which was at New Orleans. I’m in Dallas, it’s a short flight. You would think they would at least invite me to show my respects, to be there in the building. So there’s, there’s something going on. I must be hated so bad, so much and so disregarded. It hurt me. It really did.”
Stasiak also commented more on Kurt Angle’s comments about him, if he’d be open to returning to WWE as a talent or backstage role, the differences between WWE and WCW, his future, and much more. You can check out the complete interview at this link.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this interview, please credit PWMania.com with an h/t to PWMania.com for the transcription.
About The Author
