When it comes to in-ring action, one of the greatest WrestleMania main events of all time was Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 19. It was a major moment for Brock Lesnar, with him winning his second World Championship and his first WrestleMania main event. However, things almost went in a different direction – with Kurt Angle originally planned to leave WrestleMania 19 still the WWE Heavyweight Champion.
A Broken Neck Changed Plans For Kurt Angle As WWE Heavyweight Champion
While speaking about Armageddon 2002 on The Kurt Angle Show, Angle would reveal some previously unknown information about the WrestleMania 19 main event. He was intended to hold the WWE Heavyweight Championship for a full year, which would have seen him defeat rival Brock Lesnar in Seattle.
“I was supposed to beat Brock, but I broke my neck beforehand,” said Kurt. “So I had to do the job for Brock and lose to him and give him the title because I had that surgery. So they didn’t want me to be Brock two times in a row. So Big Show beat Brock Lesnar, then I beat Big Show. That way, I didn’t beat Brock twice, even though he ended up beating me at WrestleMania because I broke my neck. I was supposed to have a title reign for a whole year. That was the whole plan. I was gonna beat Big Show. I was gonna carry it into WrestleMania, beat Brock, and continue on. Unfortunately, I broke my neck in February and I couldn’t, I had to have surgery after WrestleMania.”
Instead, Lesnar would win – with Angle taking three months off from in-ring action following the event. He’d win the belt back at Vengeance 2003, defeating Lesnar & Big Show in a Triple Threat match.
could Booker T Have Become World Heavyweight Champion If Kurt Angle Stayed Healthy?
It’s possible that WrestleMania 19 was altered in other ways due to this injury. Another major match on that event saw Triple H defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Booker T – which remains one of the most controversial WrestleMania results of all time. Many felt Booker T deserved to win the feud, after being subjected to racist remarks from Triple H on the build.
Going into WrestleMania 19, both Triple H & Kurt Angle were dominant heel champions, with Booker T & Brock Lesnar fitting into the face roles. With Angle originally set to retain, it’s likely that the big babyface victory of the night would have gone to Booker T instead of Lesnar.
Do you think Kurt Angle’s injury influenced more than his match at WrestleMania 19? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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