[2001-10-08-WWF-Raw] Kurt Angle vs Steve Austin

[BigVanCrush]

So the SummerSlam match is a classic, the Unforgiven match was great but a step down...and then there's this. They started out brawling in the entrance way like they did the other two and they did the exposed floor bit from Unforgiven but with one bump instead of three. Angle teased using the Stunner but Austin countered. They didn't do a whole lot to play off of the Unforgiven finish here. This felt like a lame duck TV match that just happened to be a title change. I'm not a huge fan of the Regal turn here, both because it was predictable and it wasn't the finish. Austin hitting one Stunner after that for the finish when we know Angle can take far more ends this one on such a flat, sour note compared to the masterpiece at SummerSlam and the really solid match from Unforgiven. They have a match at Vengeance (and a couple earlier in the year) that I want to check out again. It's a good match, but for the climax of the heel Austin vs. babyface Angle series, this is not a fitting or satisfying conclusion at all. ***

[ohtani's jacket]

This didn't break any new ground from the PPV match, but this has been one of the better match ups of 2001 so it's worth watching in that regard. I couldn't really understand the title switching in this feud, and after building Angle up as this resilient babyface, I read that they turn him heel again. Why?

[Kadaveri]

Bruce Prichard talked about this in his podcast and says Kurt only won the title because 9/11 happened and Vince wanted a patriotic title win. Austin getting the belt back was just righting the ship.

Not surprising they turned Kurt soon after, losing the title so quickly killed his babyface heat.