Angle explains why Brock doesn't make the cut.
WWE Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold medalist Kurt Angle has a ton of respect for WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, but that doesn't mean The Beast Incarnate is worthy of a spot on Angle's "Mount Rushmore" of professional wrestlers.
During a recent interview with The Sun, Angle explained the criteria for making his list, and had this to say about Brock, specifically.
“I think it’s because he’s not a guy… he’s a man of very few words. He goes in that ring and performs as good, if not better, than anyone in the world but in sports entertainment you have got to have something behind that.”
“If you are talking about the Mount Rushmore then you are talking about the overall entertainment - how people get wowed and what they say to people and to the fans and how they pertain themselves in their character."
Considering the value that Angle places on the entertainment aspect of professional wrestling, in addition to each wrestler's ability to perform in the ring, there shouldn't be any issues with his Top 4 of all-time.
"A guy like Shawn Michaels would be on the Mount Rushmore, Ric Flair would be on Mount Rushmore," Angle tells The Sun. "I don't see Brock as an overall athlete that would be up there. But don't get me wrong, what he does in the ring, no-one does better."
“Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. I would never put myself up there, it’s just not who I am. I imagine some people do but when I think about Mount Rushmore I don’t think of myself.”
There's always room for debate with any Mount Rushmore, but you won't catch me campaigning to remove Flair, HBK, The Rock or Stone Cold from any such list.