Kurt Angle Explains Why He Never Faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania

The match between Kurt Angle and The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out 2006 remains one of the best bell-to-bell matches in both men's careers. And yet for as many times as the Olympic Gold Medalist and "The Deadman" crossed paths, they never wound up facing each other at WrestleMania. Angle reflected on their title match on the latest The Kurt Angle Show and said Undertaker wanted Angle in a match at WrestleMania 22, only for Vince McMahon to shoot down the idea.

"It was a big deal to us, both Undertaker and myself," Angle said [h/t Wrestling Inc.]. "Having 'Taker come in at No Way Out and you wrestle him in the main event, usually it's a downer pay-per-view, but it was an upper. Taker actually wanted to face me at WrestleMania [22], he told me this back in December before I had the match at Royal Rumble. I said that'd be fantastic, he said we're going to have to go to Vince [McMahon] and ask him. We went to Vince and Vince said 'No, I'm not ending Taker's undefeated streak.' He didn't tell me why I would have to end his undefeated streak, but the reason was because I was going to win the World title and go to WrestleMania and wrestle somebody holding the world title. I think Vince McMahon felt I was going to hold the World title after WrestleMania, which I didn't. It was really awesome to have him at No Way Out and the reason Vince booked it is because we wanted the match at WrestleMania so Vince said no but we'll make it at No Way Out."

Angle followed up by saying McMahon likely regretted not putting that match on the biggest event of the year.

"If you don't think Vince was thinking that, you're high," Angle said. "Of course he's going to say 'Damn, that was my main event of WrestleMania.' Because I legitimately thought that was the match of the year in 2006, I took pride in that match. I thought that was one of the best matches that anyones ever done. To not be at WrestleMania, Vince was probably like a'w s— I should've done it.' What he could have done is he could have had Undertaker beat me for the World Title, he just didn't want Taker to have the title at the time."

Angle wound up losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Rey Mysterio in a triple threat with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 22, while Undertaker beat Mark Henry in a Casket Match to continue his undefeated streak.