TJR WWE Network Table for 3 Review with Kurt Angle, Sting and Ric Flair

This episode of Table for 3 is called “Hall of Fame Legacy” featuring Ric Flair, Sting and Kurt Angle with a run time of 24:45 on WWE Network. I believe it was taped during WrestleMania weekend and added to WWE Network on July 23. The three men were seated alone in a restaurant with Angle on the left, Sting in the middle and Flair on the right. Flair and Sting have a long history from NWA/WCW, Angle and Sting worked together in TNA/Impact and Angle worked with Flair in WWE.

Flair joked that he was there with his oldest son Sting and his hero Kurt Angle. Angle asked the last time they were in a room together, somebody said the other company and Flair was like “oh TNA.” Sting said they hung out last night.

Angle talked about how the first time he met Sting was in Nashville. Angle asked them how long they were in TNA with Sting saying he was there for eight years and Angle was there for eleven years. Flair said it feels like yesterday he was flying overseas with Angle together. Angle noted that he met Flair at a Gold’s Gym in Memphis before Kurt got into wrestling. Flair said he knew who Angle was because his son was into amateur wrestling. Angle claimed that Flair said “do not go to WCW” and this was in 1998 when Flair was working in WCW. Angle said that WCW was hot, but Flair explained that Vince would have taken care of him and developed him more. Flair talked about how excited he was to meet Kurt and mentioned how he was like a mark for him, but thankfully Kurt walked over to him. Angle asked Sting and Flair how they met. Sting said that he was attached to Crockett when UWF sold the company to Crockett, who owned the NWA where Flair was.

Angle asked Sting when WCW died, why did it take him so long to get to WWE? Sting said that he had a conversation with Vince, but he wasn’t sure if he could commit to it as much as Vince would have wanted. Plus, he had the contract with AOL/Time Warner and it was 18 months to get paid. He said he disappeared with his tail between his legs. Sting said that everybody left and he was the only guy left. Flair said he tried to get Sting to go to WWE since 1993. Flair told him to go a lot.

Analysis: Sting has mentioned a lot of things for why he didn’t go to WWE earlier. He didn’t want the full time schedule since he was older by then and TNA paid him a lot, so that excuse made sense. Sting also didn’t like how raunchy the WWE product was. I think what he said here about not being able to commit to a full time schedule may be part of it too.

They talked about how there were discussions about how WCW was very political, so Angle talked to them about how they had success. Flair talked about Hall and Nash were on one side with Hulk and Randy on the other side. Sting said it wasn’t like that in the beginning. Sting said that for the most part, everybody was working together and there was a good nucleus of guys. Sting said after that it turned into cliques. Flair said that Steve (Sting) was fighting for his life. Sting talked about how Rick Rude was mad at Ric Flair about booking decisions, but Ric said he had a vote, but not the final say. Flair said that Rude wanted Sting’s spot and Sting said that Rude didn’t want to be a face. Flair said that it’s not going to be Rude because it’s going to be Sting. Flair spoke about how Rude didn’t want to do the job for Sting.

Sting and Flair talked about their famous first big match, which was Clash of Champions on March 27, 1988. That show opposed Wrestlemania IV that year. Sting said that Flair didn’t have to put him over really, but he put him over in a way. The match ended in a 45 minute draw with Sting pointing out that Flair was a draw, so he put him over that way. Flair said that somebody screwed up the finish because there was too much time left. Sting talked about how Flair blew him up before that, which meant that Flair helped to make him a bigger star. Flair said he didn’t remember it. Flair talked about how Sting always had composure.

Flair complimented Angle on having the same body as when he was 30 years old (Angle turns 50 in December). Angle said he was thinner in the arms and around the from around the neck. Flair talked about the cosmetic nightmare since his injury. Flair joked now that he will not go anywhere unless he’s in a tent. Flair talked about the airplane crash, being hit by lightning and being in a coma last year. Flair said he was in a coma for 11 days. Flair said he was in ICU for 31 days and 22 days in a rehab center. Flair said he weighed 204 pounds after being 244 pounds. Flair talked about how he could do 70 push ups even two years ago, but he couldn’t do a push up after that. Flair said he quit trying to do it. Flair said for a month he couldn’t get up out of a chair without help. Flair said that they gave him 21 CAT scans to test his memory and see if he was getting better. Flair talked about how he was supposed to go to SummerSlam a few days after he went to the hospital. They showed a clip from Flair on Sept 2, 2017 when he delivered a message. Angle said that everybody was terrified. Flair said that he was overwhelmed and he got hundreds of text messages. Flair said that his heart is good, he’s got a pacemaker and he’s like the 6 Million Dollar Man, but then he said more like $1.3 Million.

They talked about the Hall of Fame with Flair getting two WWE HOF inductions while Angle and Sting to WWE and TNA HOF inductions. Flair asked if they had a TNA induction ceremony. They said yes. Sting said he got a Rolex and Flair was shocked by it. Sting joked he didn’t get one from Shawn Michaels like Flair did.

Angle said he wished he had a match with Flair in his prime. Flair joked he would take Angle down. Flair said his best matches were probably with Steamboat. Clips aired of some of those matches. I would agree with that. Flair noted he got to wrestle guys like Bruiser Brody, who was 6’6″ 300 pounds and he liked Flair. Flair talked about how wrestling Brody and Stan Hansen was fun because they were in really good shape. Flair asked about Brody and Lex in Tampa. Flair noted that Lex had been in the ring for two weeks, so Brody bounced him like a rubber ball. Sting spoke about his favorite matches with Clash of the Champions 1988 and the first World Title match with Ric at Great American Bash 1990. A clip aired of Sting’s win, which drew a massive pop. Sting added the Starrcade 1997 match against Hogan. Sting also liked his WWE TItle match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015, which was his last match. Sting also mentioned his WrestleMania 31 match against Triple H, which was fun. Sting said those matches were the highlights of their 30 years.

Sting said that Angle pushed him to his limits as much as anybody, but also the easiest and most creative. Angle jokingly apologized. Sting asked Angle if he remembered the Empty Arena match in TNA. The clip aired from TNA Impact February 19, 2009 with them brawling in the empty Impact Zone. Angle talked about taking a big fall at one point and Sting said it was just a brawl.

Analysis: It was disappointing not to hear Angle mention his favorite matches. I know from past interviews he would say Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21 and he can’t mention the Benoit match at Royal Rumble 2003, but those are two of them. Angle also had great matches with Brock Lesnar, Steve Austin, The Rock, Edge, Rey Mysterio and so many others.

Flair said Angle’s the toughest guy in their business, but he can not Woo. Flair said that Sting was pretty good at it as a clip aired of Sting doing it. Sting said that it was a different Woo. Flair said that Sting calls himself “The Icon” and Sting said people ask for that. Flair said that Sting’s one of the guys that are legible when they sign. Angle said that they had the “Woo” off in Anaheim. Flair talked about a match against Angle, so then he found out that day from Pat Patterson that they were going 19 minutes. Flair was shocked by that, so Flair joked that he was petrified and just hooking the ropes. Angle said that Ric did great. Flair said he knows he did well. Angle said that Flair was calling the match, he called for a clothesline over the top rope, Angle said they only had a minute, so they did that spot. Angle noted that they had to finish, but Flair went against the barricade to take a break. Angle threw him back in. Flair said that he asked Kurt to send him out of the ring, so Kurt did and Kurt hit a belly to belly suplex, which they showed. Flair said he just wanted to take a break with Angle laughing that he knocked the wind out of Flair. Flair joked that he needed a three minute break. Angle said they went 19 minutes and Flair said he was 56 years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l28-LS2ZYn0

Analysis: Angle must have remembered something differently because the clothesline spot was with about 8 minutes left in the match. They did get nearly 20 minutes for the whole match, though. This clip is the final nine minutes of the match after a commercial break.

Flair said the worst thing was one time when Steve Austin told him he wasn’t going to work the next day because they wanted him to put over Lesnar on Raw (this was Austin’s walk out in May 2002). Flair said they put him in the match with Lesnar with no preparation. Flair laughed about it saying that it was ridiculous to see Lesnar destroying Flair because just to look at Lesnar was scary.

Sting said he would have loved to work with Brock. Sting said he loved the matches with the killer guys. Flair said that Lesnar’s another amateur guy that’s got it. Flair said that he got stiffer from his UFC days, but he still has it. Angle said that Lesnar is just really good at what he does. Flair laughed about how at SummerSlam 2014 in Los Angeles, Cena took 17 German Suplexes from Lesnar. Flair said they were all at the bar laughing about it. Angle said that Cena’s crazy and Flair said that Cena’s eyes were bugged out the next day in Vegas. Flair said that was like him with Brody where you can’t do anything.

They wrapped up the discussion with Flair saying that Angle is going to steal the show at WrestleMania. Angle said that he’s always terrified every time he goes out there. Flair said that he’s got Ronda to help him. Sting asked Ronda if she was a natural like him. Angle said he never wants to toot her own, but Ronda reminds him of himself. Flair joked he knows that Angle can take down Hunter, but he’s not sure about Stephanie. Angle said if she slaps him he’s in trouble. Flair joked he might lose a zero on his check.

The episode ended telling us to download the Global Wrestling Network app to watch Angle vs. Sting in Impact. That’s the end of this episode at 24:45.

Final Thoughts

That was a lot of fun to watch. Flair carried most of the discussion because any time he’s sitting down at a table he’s going to rattle off his favorite stories. That’s just how Flair is. It was interesting to hear him talk about his health crisis last year and what he went through. It’s been almost one year since it happened and I know we’re all grateful that Ric is still here with us. Sting looked like he had a lot of fun reliving the great matches with Flair and you could tell he gets along very well with Angle. I think Sting did a lot in his career without spending his prime in WWE, but if he did make his way over there he would have become an even bigger star. Angle’s my favorite of the three. He could be a lot cockier than he is, but I like how humble he is even at this point in his life where people talk about him being one of the best wrestlers ever. It’s better to be humble than cocky.

I recommend this if you’re a fan of three of the biggest legends in wrestilng history. It was one of my favorite episodes.

Check out the Table for 3 archive here because we have reviewed nearly every episode. I’ll be back for more when the next episode gets posted.