Kurt Angle Explains Why Vince McMahon Fined Him $8,000 in WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is known for his remarkable accomplishments in wrestling, but for some fans, his comedic antics may stand out even more. Recently, Angle appeared on the “Notsam Wrestling” podcast to reflect on his illustrious career, including a memorable period about a year and a half into his time with WWE when he was collaborating with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on various skits.

Host Sam Roberts likened those segments to “Saturday Night Live” skits, where the actors aim to break each other’s characters. Angle agreed, admitting that it was indeed a challenge and mentioned that he ended up paying a steep price for it.

“Vince said, ‘Hey, we’re going to do these pre-tapes, but last week was a disaster because you guys kept breaking character. You kept laughing. So this week, if you break character, you get fined $2,000,'” Angle explained. “I ended up getting fined $8,000 because I broke character four different times. I started getting serious and thought, ‘I can’t do that anymore; I’m going to lose all my money.’ So, I made an effort not to break character anymore, and honestly, I don’t know how I managed to do it.”

Despite the hefty fines, Angle enjoyed a nearly decade-long tenure with Vince McMahon and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. In a separate interview, Angle also discussed Stone Cold, noting that if Austin had remained with the company, he would have addressed Angle’s previous substance abuse issues as they arose.