Posted on 5/24/123 by Phil Johnson
Former WWE star Shawn Stasiak recently joined PWMania.com
for an exclusive in-depth interview. During the
conversation, responded to Kurt Angle's recent comments
about him and challenged him, calling Vince McMahon after
his father's Hall of Fame induction, his WWE release,
feeling no love or support from WWE, and much more. You can
read the entire interview by clicking here.
You can watch the complete interview below:
https://youtu.be/R-1FEyVVTjE
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, you know, he shared his thoughts
on that, you know, he put me over seemed to me, you know, he
thought I had all the talent and raw ability and tools and
accolades, but he said, I lacked confidence. And when I,
when I saw that I was kind of you know, it's not the
greatest feeling. And he's not he's probably not wrong,
either in the sense that I think we all to some degree, we
questioned second guess ourselves. We have doubts. I had, I
had lost my Dad not too long prior to that, I think for me
back then I tried too hard. You know, I put too much
pressure on myself. I wanted to make my dad proud. I wanted
to make the stage get our name, proud, man."
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 so 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'm going 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 and 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 you know, and they
say 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
and they were they weren't telling me what the character was
going to be as 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 Lewis 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 get
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 it. What's his name? Corbin?
"Baron Corbin, right, Baron Corbin, forget that man. Let's
get back to the Attitude Era. Let's 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 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, you know, for various reasons. I never had any
wrongful intent ever. You know, of course, I got released
from that company. Because 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 Bishoff 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. 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 of the decision
makers. And who knows, its a shark eat shark world, you
know, Vince probably had people in his ear about I don't
know, I don't know if political backstage knows, right. But
I just have never been able to feel the love and support of
that company. I've never really received invites to
WrestleMania is when they're here in Dallas. Although I did
go to last year's WrestleMania with a business partner of
mine and friend. And it was amazing. I felt like I'd never
left all the fans thought I was there to do something to
show I was going to do a run and I just was 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 get inducted the Hall of Fame
through fans on Twitter. And I realized that I went, 'oh my
god,' the things tomorrow night or the next day. And I knew
right away what they were doing. You know, 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, you know, nothing, no offense or no
disrespect to the other legends. I just think my dad
deserved a little bit more acknowledgement man. 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
Stasiiak, one of the original WWE champions would have would
have been done right and called upon that his only son, you
know, 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, man. I knew he wouldn't pick up, it was
WrestleMania. We've had a couple conversations over, you
know, over the years. But I text him I said, 'Please don't
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, that MetLife Stadium and that was
the next year's WrestleMania he 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 I was even invited to the arena, which
is a New Orleans I'm in Dallas as a short flight, you would
think I did at least invite me to the 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 that
you're gonna you know, I don't know. And so it hurt me, man.
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 the link below.