During the most recent episode of his podcast, Kurt Angle discussed his relationship with Bob Backlund and offered his opinions on the matter.
Backlund made his comeback to WWE in the early part of the year 2000, and during that year’s Royal Rumble, he formed a temporary alliance with Angle. Backlund asked to do over the promo segment in a less famous version of the “it’s live pal” moment, but he was unaware that they were broadcasting live at the time.
“[Bob] was supposed to put the crippler crossface on [Chris Benoit] while he was sitting, and Bob didn’t want to do it because he wasn’t standing up. I looked back [at the writer] like, ‘Holy sh*t.”
“I think that was the deciding factor,” Angel said. “When Bob went and did that, they just went, ‘We’ve had enough of Bob Backlund, we’re gonna move on.'”