Gerald Brisco Ribbed Kurt Angle By Telling Him To Wear His Gold Medals Everywhere
When Kurt Angle was called up to WWE's main roster towards the end of 1999, his gimmick was someone who thought he was a world-renowned good guy because he was an Olympic gold medalist but was so obnoxious about his accolades that it made him a heel. The character clicked, with Angle picking up enough momentum that he won the WWE Championship after less than a year on the main roster. On Thursday, while winding down an appearance on "Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw," Angle recalled how show co-host Gerald Brisco ribbed him early in that run by giving him "advice" on how to make his character even more obnoxious.
"Vince McMahon tells me, 'Listen, I want you to have as many gold medals as you can. Go home and find all the gold medals you one when you were a kid, even the little ones! I want you to wear these when you're at the arena. I want you to wear them all day long,'" Angle recalled.
The next time McMahon saw Angle, medals and all, he thought that the look with the multiple medals clicked the way he wanted to, but then Gerald Brisco took Kurt aside.
Brisco's Prank On Angle
"He says, 'Hey, Vince wants you to wear those everywhere.' I said, 'What do you mean [by] everywhere?' He goes, 'Outside! When you go home, wear the medals! Stay in character! When you check in at the airport, have your gold medals on! When you go to a restaurant, have your gold medals on! He wants you to be in character all the time.'"
Angle says he proceeded to do this for a week before he saw McMahon, who asked what he was doing and got the explanation of what Brisco said.
"'Jerry's an a**hole!'" Angle recalled McMahon saying. "You only have to wear them at the arena!"
Angle would eventually stop wearing his medals a few years into his WWE run after legal threats from the International Olympic Committee led to that side of his character being toned down.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.