TJR WWE Network Review: Table for 3 with Kurt Angle, Edge and Christian

The trio of Kurt Angle, Edge and Christian were the guests on this week’s edition of Table for 3 on WWE Network. They were known as “Team ECK” – a heel trio that teamed up occasionally in 2000-01. Edge and Christian split up as a team in the summer of 2001. In 2002 on the Smackdown brand, Edge and Kurt Angle had a big feud that ended with Angle having his head shaved.

Let’s see what these three legends are up to on this week’s show that had a run time of 20:10.

– They started by wondering when was the last time the three of them sat together for a conversaion. Angle guessed 2004 and Edge joked that it was probably at a Denny’s in Huntington, West Virginia.

– Christian said the elephant in the room is that E&C weren’t inducting Angle into WWE’s Hall of Fame. A clip aired of John Cena introducing Angle, so this was taped right before the Hall of Fame.

– They noted that Rhyno was a “Team RECK wannabe.” Edge called Rhyno the worst travel partner. Christian said that Rhyno was banned as his travel partner. Christian told a story about how Rhyno wouldn’t pick him up when they had shows in Michigan even though they were riding partners. It was because Rhyno picked up other guys. Christian put Rhyno on a three week trial to make him his travel partner again. Rhyno turned it down and went in Molly Holly’s car with Edge calling Molly the nicest person.

– They talked about the Moondance Diner in Chicago with Angle saying it was the best diner in the world and Christian saying it was their secret find. They loved their pancakes. Edge noted that Christian eats like a pharaoh wolf. Christian noted that one time they were eating with Gangrel and Christian folded a full pancake while choking it down to eat it.

– Edge mentioned that he traveled with Kurt and Brock Lesnar at a time. They talked about how Brock was a crazy eater. Kurt said that Brock was a big farm boy that would consume 15,000 calories in a day.

– Kurt talked about how when he took his first bump he didn’t think he could do it. Edge said that he and Christian trained in a boxing ring. Edge talked about the pain you would go through. Christian spoke about how he remembered not having elbow bads on and would look at his arm with bruises on it. Christian said he bought elbow pads and he always wore them. Angle spoke about how they would have to bump 300 times a day with Dory Funk Jr. Angle joked about how you only have so many bumps in your career and they wasted them by doing 1500 per week with Dory.

– Christian said that he remembered having a developmental deal with WWE. He talked about when Angle started he would pick things up so quickly and that he was a natural.

Analysis: A lot of people say that about Angle. He picked up things in the business as much as anybody and a lot of people said he was a “natural” at it.

– Kurt noted that he never watched pro wrestling growing up. Kurt talked about how it was pretty easy to watch and mimic what the others were doing. Kurt talked about the guys he trained with early on like Christian, the Hardy Boyz, Test, Prince Albert and they were all really good. Christian said that they would have fun with Kurt because he didn’t know as much as the others. Christian noted that Kurt would have his manager with him to do his laundy and Kurt said he told his manager that the other guys thought he was gay, which led to laughs. Christian said at the end of the week they would do spot shows for Killer Kowalski and add matches. Christian talked about how they put Kurt in the ring with him for his match. Christian joked about how he would make jokes in there with Kurt.

– Edge spoke about how he worked with Kurt a lot after the Team ECK stuff ended. This would be their 2002 feud. Kurt noted they had a lot of good matches together. Highlights were shown of their rivalry. Edge said that he was floundering and noted that a guy who had been working a quarter of the time helped him lock into where he needed to be. A clip aired of Edge shaving Angle’s head at Judgment Day 2002. Christian talked about how it’s weird seeing a pic of Kurt with hair now while noting now people are used to seeing Kurt as a human thumb (aka bald).

– Christian told a story about how guys were hanging out around the ring before a show and he asked Kurt if he could take him down in front of everybody. Kurt asked why he would do that. Christian thinks if people saw that they might think Christian is more legit. Kurt said no and everybody laughed.

– They focused on comedy bits with Edge doing that skit with Kurt Angle looking at pictures while the back of them said thing like “You Suck” on them.

– Christian mentioned that at his wedding Edge was the best man and Kurt was there. Christian noted that when Kurt was there in a tuxedo his face was beat red with Kurt laughing about it noting that it was a 20 inch neck. Christian said that Kurt even ripped his pants at the wedding as well.

– They spoke about how they are all new dads. Edge mentioned that Kurt has five kids. Kurt said he wanted to have one more, but joked that he’s already 94 years old (he’s 48). Edge noted that he has two with Beth and they like that because with more than two it would be hard. Kurt said that he didn’t see his two oldest kids that much over the years and then in the last five years he was home like 25 days per month, which is the opposite of what they used to do. Kurt said he learned how to be a good dad. Christian said that he waited later in his career to have a kid and he could be around his daughter more. Kurt said it was cool for his kids to be with him for Hall of Fame. Kurt noted that he thought he would cry at the Hall of Fame when talking about his kids (he didn’t). Christian mentioned it’s hard to find a good name for your kids because they have to live with it. Christian said his daughter is named Ila and Kurt joked he’ll steal it for his next one.

– They reflected back on their careers noting that Kurt just got in the Hall of Fame, Edge retired early so he’s in the Hall of Fame and Christian said he’s not in the Hall of Fame. Kurt assured him he will be, which I agree with. Edge noted that now they have eight kids between them and Christian said it’s like a whole new Team ECK.

– The “You Suck” chant was mentioned. A clip aired from Edge in 2002 saying that every time Kurt spoke the fans should chant “You Suck.” The clip aired of that and it led to the “You Suck” chants for the song. Kurt said it was one of the best things that Edge did for him. Edge said it was Tucson. They also reflected back on the kazoo version of Kurt’s song from when they were working together. Kurt said “Cripes on Friday” and Edge wondered where he got that from with Kurt noting he had a coach that used to say it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfmuKLkvZZo

– Edge noted that as soon it’s fun the audience gets it and knows that they are idiots. A clip aired of the three of them doing the “Jug Band” pose in 2000. Kurt said that every week they couldn’t wait to show up to see what’s coming next. Edge said they were getting paid to hang out with their friends and play with kazoos.

– Edge claimed the craziest idea was when Christian had to cut weight to become a Light Heavyweight and used a chicken suit. They said cruiserweight, but it was called Light Heavyweight at that time in WWE. They said that the chicken suit belonged to Kurt, so when Kurt saw Christian in the chicken suit Kurt goes: “Hey, my chicken suit!” Christian got a high five from Kurt and Kurt sniffed his hand after.

– Kurt spoke about how they were his favorite years working with them. Kurt said the fans love wrestling, but when you give them moments from your character there’s nothing that can match anything like that.

– Edge and Christian busted out the kazoos. They did the Kurt Angle song on the kazoo with Angle joining them as the show came to a close.

Final Thoughts

It was a fun show featuring three of my favorite wrestlers ever that were a big part of WWE’s Attitude Era. I loved that era too and seeing the Team ECK on WWE Network brings back a lot of memories. As they noted towards the end of the chat, they all couldn’t wait to get to the arena for the shows because they were having so much putting on a show together. I’m sure it’s like that for some wrestlers today, but I think it was like that for nearly everybody back then since the crowds were bigger and there were more people watching too.

Edge and Christian are best friends as most people know, but you could tell how much they valued their friendship with Kurt as well. I’m glad they were able to reminisce about the good old days while noting how funny Kurt could be even though people didn’t expect that from an Olympic Gold Medalist like him.

If you are a fan of these guys and you want to reminisce about some funny moments, then this episode of Table of 3 is worth checking out. If you weren’t watching that’s okay too because I think if you give it a watch you can see how much they enjoyed working together.

Check out our Table for 3 archives for recaps of other editions of this WWE Network show.