Kurt Angle Entering The WWE Hall Of Fame

Kurt Angle will be the headline inductee for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017, as first reported by ESPN.com.

“I was shocked. I’ve been out of WWE for a long time and out of touch with them so I didn’t really expect this,” Angle said to ESPN. “It’s a huge honor. This is the only Hall of Fame that I’m not in and probably [the one] I want to be in the most. This is the one that means the most for me. I had a lot of fun entertaining the fans for seven years with WWE, and I’m glad that my hard work paid off.”

Angle had been out of the company for over a decade, since the Summer of 2006, when he was released after a meeting where it was demanded that he enter drug rehabilitation for a painkiller addiction. The Olympic Gold medalist soon went to TNA Wrestling, working there for a decade before departing last year.  Angle eventually went to rehab while in TNA, cleaning up and being open about the root of his addiction, which likely helped open the door with WWE.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque told WWE.com that “Kurt Angle’s accomplishments both in the Olympics and WWE were extraordinary.“ He added that Angle “was one of the most gifted athletes to ever enter the ring, and we are honored to welcome him into the WWE Hall of Fame.”

In speaking with ESPN, Angle revealed that he has not spoken to WWE about working any matches.

“We have not talked about any wrestling,” he said. “Whether we do or not, that remains to be seen… There are no guarantees. I think right now the most important thing is the Hall of Fame — and I think both sides feel that way.”

With so many years having gone by since he was part of the WWE family, Angle wasn’t sure if this day would ever come.

“I figured they either decided they didn’t want to do anything with me or they forgot,” he told ESPN. “Hunter said they never forgot and he called and told me this is the first thing they want to do. And whether I wrestle or not after this — which is irrelevant right now — I’m just really proud to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. I gave a lot of energy and time to WWE those first seven years, and I’m grateful that they recognized it.”

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has a nice ring to it.

I'm coming home! #itsdamntrue

— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) January 16, 2017