Kurt Angle Blames 9/11 for WWE Ratings Slump

[thefourthwall]

From WrestlingObserver:

In today’s edition of the Hartford Courant features an article on Kurt Angle. "I'm the best pure wrestler in there, with the best matches," quoted by Angle. Kurt Angle said pro wrestling is in an upswing, following the WrestleMania buy rate after being down due to 9/11.

Ahhh....so THERE is the reason that the WWE has been so piss-poor over the last several years, folks! It's not the botched InVasion angle, the horrible booking, the Triple H factor or lack of creativity.

It's because of September 11th!!

We can all breathe easier now knowing that the crack WWE writing/booking staff were doing their jobs all along. It is Osama bin Laden who is to blame.

Thank-you for providing such clarity into why Monday nights mean nothing to me anymore, Kurt Angle.

[hbkismyherostill]

I am going to pretend I never read that....

[Rick Mad]

Yeah.. maybe we should read what he said in context first..

[WWE Trademarked My Name]

I don't think he meant it was 9/11's fault

[Deleted]

If what Angle says is true..........

Then dude...............

[invaderdave]

I don't think Kurt Angle is dumb enough to scapegoat a national tragedy as a reason that a wrestling company's numbers are slipping. I don't quite believe that.

I'd say it was either taken out of context, or you misread your info, Bb.

[WWE Trademarked My Name]

Invader said:

I don't think Kurt Angle is dumb enough to scapegoat a national tragedy as a reason that a wrestling company's numbers are slipping. I don't quite believe that.

I'd say it was either taken out of context, or you misread your info, Bb.

My guess too. If he did say that he probably didn't mean it in that way

[B.A.]

an american olympic hero..blaming their companys problem on a tragedy that struck the united states....hmm irony anyone?

[kunswwfmark]

I believe Angle is saying that in the same way 9/11 put everything else into a recession, it did the same to WWE and due to that, plus the horrible booking (which he can't say out loud b/c he doesn't want to be fired).

[nutbunnies]

Well, didn't the ratings go down? I seem to remember them doing so.

"I'm the best pure wrestler in there, with the best matches,"

Hard to argue with that.

[Lenny: Smooth like Keith Stone]

I'm sure this quote was taken out of context. I really don't think Kurt Angle is stupid enough to say that WWE ratings are down because of 9/11.

[Will Has 'Til Five, Ref]

Lenny said:

I'm sure this quote was taken out of context. I really don't think Kurt Angle is stupid enough to say that WWE ratings are down because of 9/11.

Yeah, he's not Steph stupid.

[shacmasta]

Yea i agree. It probably was taken out of context.

But just in case he did infact say it. He's lucky he's kurt angle......because if triple h or vince mcmahon had said it....whew, imagine the outrage.

[doubleyou]

Sounds phoney to me.

[sirendemented]

I read the whole thing guys, it wasnt taken out of context, he blamed 9/11 for the WWE problems. I cant believe it, Kurt is a dick

[shacmasta]

Siren didn't just say kurt is a dick....

Her post was taken out of context.

**siren follow me...hurry before the angry mob comes for you***

[invaderdave]

No, Shac, it's allright. I understand.

Now, will this become a huge scandal for WWE? Probably not. But I expect a little bad press.

[morningside]

I know I wasen't watching wrestling after 9/11, but then again I wasen't watching it before either cause it got stupid and I was pissed off bout the Invasion.

does anyone have a link to the original article?

[doubleyou]

9/11 must be referring to the 9th of November of last year...

...That must be it!

[amsiraK]

This is the actual section of the article:

Pro wrestling is back on an upswing following a noticeable dip following 9/11, when "nobody wanted to be in a public place," Angle says. Last month's WrestleMania XXI broke new records, with 1 million pay-per-view sales, he says.

So, there ya go. Not exactly blaming 9/11 for the downswing, instead acknowledging the fact that 9/11 DID have people spooked for a little bit.

Now if they'd only recognize the crap writing...

EDIT: Here's the link to it:www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-wrestlelunch.artmay05,0,3601507.story