Wrestling legend Kurt Angle returns to WWE on March 31st when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame and it’s sounding more and more like Angle will be sticking around after he’s inducted.
PWInsider Elite is now reporting that Angle is scheduled for WWE RAW the night after WrestleMania. Angle hasn’t appeared on one of WWE’s weekly TV shows since 2006. Shortly thereafter, he joined TNA Wrestling where Angle says he entered the prime of his career.
Over the past several years WWE has been reluctant to bring Kurt Angle back due to his health and previous struggles working a full time road schedule. While it’s unclear if Angle has taken any WWE medical exams yet, Angle told ESPN in January that he’s been clean and sober for four years.
Angle has been working the independent scene since leaving TNA last year but does not have any bookings lined up after March.
Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle recently appeared on CBS Sports Radio to discuss being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Now that Angle is on working terms with WWE again, one question on his fans’ minds is if he’ll compete in a WWE ring again or take on some other recurring on-air role. Angle says he hasn’t discussed those specifics with the company yet, but that he expects to return to WWE programming in some capacity.
“I honestly, I talked to Triple H and I did throw that at him and he said ‘Listen, we’re not gonna talk about all of that until after the Hall Of Fame,'” Angle recalled. “He did say we will talk afterwards. My guess is I will return.”
Angle clarified that he can’t speak for WWE on the issue of his return, but that he is still actively wrestling and doesn’t plan on stopping just yet.
“I was surprised I got it this early,” Angle said of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. “At 48 years of age, I’m not even done wrestling yet so it was a huge honor. I didn’t spend a lot of time in WWE, I think I was there six and a half years, so to make the kind of impact I did to be a Hall Of Famer in six and a half years made me feel pretty good.”
Angle revealed that WWE will announce the person who’ll induct him in the next week or two. The former WWE & TNA World Champion says he requested for either The Undertaker, Steve Austin, or John Cena to induct him, but he doesn’t know how much say he has in the matter. Angle also suggested Brock Lesnar, but didn’t seem to think that would be very likely as he’s “a man of very few words.”
2017 WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was interviewed this week by Donald Wood for Ring Rust Radio. Here are some highlights of what Angle said about:
Who Will Induct Him Into The WWE Hall of Fame:
“I wanted someone that had a huge impact on the business and no one had a bigger impact than those three. With John Cena, I was more of a teacher to John when he started in WWE. I was his first match. Not only that, but Vince McMahon put me with him to kind of teach the trade a little bit, and for six or seven months, we traveled the world and I was giving him my advice and trying to bring him along. Vince really loved John and I don’t blame them for that. He is very marketable, great personality and he’s a great athlete. It was my job to kind of groom him a little bit.
The Undertaker and Austin, I don’t have to say much about those two. They are the biggest names in wrestling. They taught me a lot about the trade, in ring psychology, what to do and timing. They taught me more than anybody, and I would add up there Triple H as well. I know I won’t get Triple H because he is a Talent Relation director, but I wanted one of those three.
I have not been told whether or not if I could pick, but I don’t believe the talent is the one that gets to pick. I think WWE sets up who they want to induct you. I would be surprised if it wasn’t one of those three. Vince McMahon and Triple H know the type of relationship I have with Undertaker and John Cena and Stone Cold. They do know I want one of those three, so looks like it will be one of those three.”
Goldberg’s Return Giving Him Hope For Another WWE Match:
“That gives me a lot of hope. Goldberg’s a great wrestler and in his prime he was the man, especially for WCW. I don’t think his WWE career ended the way he wanted it to, but he is an incredible athlete and he has done a lot of pro wrestling. It’s nice to see somebody of his stature and somebody that hasn’t been there in 14 years to go in there and get a great spot. It does give me a lot of hope. I wouldn’t doubt once we get pass the Hall of Fame, I take the physical and pass it, which most likely they are going to want me to do. I wouldn’t doubt that I would be in the title hunt.
When you have big names like that you have to use them the right way. You don’t put them on an opening card match and not promote that. When you have a name like Goldberg, or Brock Lesnar comes back, or the Undertaker comes back when he’s been gone for 10 months, or a Kurt Angle that hasn’t been there in 12 years, you’re going to want to put them in a pretty high profile spot. I expect that if I do wrestle, so I’m looking forward to it. I’ve kept my body in great shape. I’ve been wrestling the Indies with great talent like Del Rio, Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio just to keep my body in shape in case WWE does call me, I’m ready to go.”
His New Anglestrong Addition Recovery Mobile App:
“What we’re hoping to do is help with the epidemic in the United States. Right now, it’s the worst epidemic in the United States history. Over 60,000 people have died in the last few years of heroin overdose and it’s getting worse and worse. I worked on this Anglestrong app with Dr. Jonas, who is a recovering addict and a doctor. He has been recovering for 30 years. He came out with an incredible concept with the app.
It’s an app that you follow every single day. You use it to check in daily and if you don’t check in daily, your lifelines—whether it’s your family, friends, loved ones, or sponsor—will get notified and it’s also GPS enabled so if you do relapse they will find you. It’s more of a way to hold yourself accountable and join up with Kurt Angle type of app. I walk you through it and there are so many different things on this app that are really cool. For the most part, you follow the app, you follow the program and hopefully that will keep you in recovery.
We are really hoping that a lot of people sign up and join. You can sign up at AngleStrong.com and I also have a lot of workout programs on there, AA meetings closest to you and we are going to have a monthly call with me where you will be able to talk to me and I’ll be answering questions. It’s a pretty cool concept and we are excited to bring it to the market.”
Ahead of his WWE Hall of Fame induction during WrestleMania 33 weekend, Kurt Angle continues to heap praise on a former rival of his, John Cena. Angle has been doing the media rounds in recent weeks and John Cena’s name has come up numerous times. During an interview with Forbes published last week, Angle said Cena will go down as the greatest WWE Superstar of all time.
“John Cena is the man. I don’t know anybody else who has gone 13 years on top…I’m not going to say he’s was greatest athlete in WWE history, but he will go down as the greatest of all time in WWE history.”
Angle has posted a new blog entry at KurtAngleBrand.com and once again declares that John Cena is the “G.O.A.T.”
Angle argues that John Cena may not be the most gifted technical wrestler to lace up a pair of boots and names several men who were better technical workers than Cena. However, none of those men have stayed on top of WWE as long as Cena. Angle notes that his time as a top-guy in the WWE only lasted 7 years, 2 of which he dealt with injuries. While Cena has been sidelined with injuries before, he seems to always bounce back faster than people expect.
Discussion: We know Kurt Angle would love to wrestle for WWE again – what do you think of John Cena as a potential opponent for Angle later this year?
Kurt Angle was recently interviewed by Forbes and stated that John Cena will do down as the best of all time.
“John Cena is the man. I don’t know anybody else who has gone 13 years on top…I’m not going to say he’s was greatest athlete in WWE history, but he will go down as the greatest of all time in WWE history.”
Angle also revealed that he would like either Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker or Brock Lesnar to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. You can check out the entire article by clicking here.
Mojo Rawley did an interview with ESPN and was asked about his friend Rob Gronkowski. Rawley revealed that Gronk may wind up in the WWE after he is done playing football.
“Trust me, we’ve been talking about this for years and whenever the time is right and whenever the stars are aligned, I can tell you he will be raring to get over here. He’s fired up doing something with me here at WWE, and I can’t wait to have him. We’ve been dreaming about it for years.”
With Kurt Angle scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 33 weekend, there remains a good chance that we could see the Olympic gold medalist back in a WWE ring this year. Angle has stated in numerous interviews that his talks with Triple H thus far have been about the induction, not him wrestling again. During a recent interview with Forbes, Angle shed some light on where things stand:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I do a few more matches somewhere down the line, but they haven’t talked about it so it’s not official. This Hall of Fame thing is just the beginning, so let’s see how it goes and we’ll go from there.”
“I have a lot to offer in professional wrestling and I really love the sport, I love sports entertainment. It’s been really good to me. I caught on very quickly and I’ve been a great student, now I’ve become a great teacher.”
Since leaving TNA Wrestling, Angle has continued working independant shows. As recently as this past weekend, he competed against Alberto El Patron. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wrote that WWE is on board with Angle wrestling for them again as long as he can pass their medical exams.
“I don’t know when or how extensively at this point, but the plan right now is that Angle will be doing at least some wrestling in WWE. He would have to pass a physical, and obviously at best it would be very limited”
As for which WWE Superstars he’d like to work with, Angle has a few familiar opponents in mind.
“I’ve had my best matches with AJ and Joe, so it’d be nice to do it on a bigger platform in the WWE so we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Discussion: If Kurt Angle does wrestle for WWE again, name 3 opponents you want to see him work with before he retires for good.
When it was announced that Chris Hero had re-signed with WWE and would be returning to NXT it created a chasm across the Independent wrestling scene, both in the United States and Europe.
After his original departure from WWE back in 2013, Hero toured the world performing for numerous promotions big and small and establishing himself as quite possibly the best independent wrestler on the planet. What is truly astonishing is the quality and variety of matches that Chris Hero had in 2016; from his bouts in UK based Revolution Pro against Tomohiro Ishii and Katsuyori Shibata, his show stealing PROGRESS bouts against Mark Andrews and Marty Scurll, his PWG tag bout alongside Tommy End against Fenix & Pentagon Jr through to his EVOLVE matches with Dick Togo, Timothy Thatcher, Zack Sabre Jr……and Matt Riddle.
One of Hero’s biggest draws was that he seemed just as happy performing in front of thousands of fans as he did in front of a smaller crowd, eager to help as many promotions as possible gain traction and build their fan base.
Before I started writing this I saw a tweet from a very small UK based promotion stating that Matt Riddle would be performing for them in April against Josh Bodom, himself an up and coming star on the UK scene. Counter this with Riddle’s other matches so far in 2017 in the UK for the likes of Rev Pro and PROGRESS and you can see why I drew the comparison to Hero, he appears to be working for independents big and small.
Now, Riddle has only been wrestling for around 3 years and while he is not quite at the caliber of a Chris Hero just yet, he certainly has all of the tools to get there. Ever since his departure from UFC Riddle has taken to Pro Wrestling at an astonishing rate, earning him comparisons to the likes of Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. His natural charisma and ability to read is what established him as a star in EVOLVE.
Riddle’s temperament seems to be the same as Hero’s, he wants to work for as many companies as possible, get as much experience as he can and build his brand globally. As I mentioned before the hole that Chris Hero left in the Independent scene was substantial. Indie companies desperately need a performer that can come in and elevate both your company and the stars on your roster Matt Riddle looks set to be the man to fill those boots with his willingness to work in diverse matches against a litany of different opponents.
What Culture Pro Wrestling held their True Destiny iPPV over the weekend. SEScoops correspondent Mike Hogan was in attendance for the event and will be sending in a live report this week, so stay tuned for that. The show was headlined by the first-ever match between Kurt Angle vs. Alberto El Patron. Jim Ross and Matt Striker called the action.
Here are the results and some reactions from Angle, El Patron and JR.
– Ricochet defeated Will Ospreay
– Rampage defeated Primate in an I Quit Match
– Drago defeated El Hijo de Dos Caras
– Zack Sabre, Jr defeated Travis Banks
– Scott Wainwright & Will Ospreay defeated Tag Team Champions Johnny Moss & Liliam Slater vs. El Ligero & Gabriel Kidd vs. Prospect (Archer & Gracie) to become the new Champions.
– Nixon Newell defeated Bea Priestly
– Drew Galloway defeated Joe Hendry to retain the What Culture PW Championship
– Kurt Angle defeated Alberto El Patron via submission when El Patron tapped out to the Ankle Lock. After the match, Joe Hendry came out and got in the ring to congratulate Kurt Angle. Hendry praised Angle as one of the best of all-time. He extended his hand for a shake and instead attacked Angle. Hendry hit Angle with the Angle Slam as the PPV went off the air.
Amigo it was an honor for me to share that ring with you, thanks for the match and all the fun. God bless you everyday of your life https://t.co/grmuqUCq0F
2017 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Angle joined Busted Open with Dave LaGreca and Larry Dallas earlier this week. The guys sent in audio clips from the main topics, which you can hear below.
Kurt promoted his new AngleStrong initiative and mobile app and really dove into his addiction and how he handled it. He also believes that if back in ’96 if the UFC had been the billion dollar company that it is now, he probably would have chosen a career in MMA.
Kurt also discussed the current WWE roster and who he would want to face at a potential Wrestlemania match-up down the line, the way Roman Reigns has been booked and what he thinks of him in the ring (which he’s been very outspoken on) and John Cena’s 14 year career and how he’s been able to stay on top for so long.
Finally, and most importantly, Kurt goes into detail on his conversation with Triple H about his plans for wrestling for the WWE in the future. He says “Triple H and I did not talk about wrestling for the WWE after Wrestlemania. Do I think it will happen? Yes. But nothing is for sure right now.” He also comments on what it’s been like wrestling on the indie scene, mentions matches with Zack Sabre Jr., Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio in the UK this weekend for WCPW, and Joe Coffey.
Kurt Angle recently spoke with JP Zarka of ProWrestlingStories.com about his upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction, his past substance abuse, fatherhood, who he’d want to wrestle if he ever competed for WWE again and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
WWE Hall of Fame Induction:
“I was pretty surprised that I got the call this early. You know, at forty-eight years of age. I’m not even done with my wrestling career! I got a call from Triple H and he said how they wanted to induct me into the WWE Hall of Fame. That just puts an exclamation point to my pro wrestling career. I’ve been inducted into every hall of fame but the WWE in both amateur and pro, so this is definitely a huge honor.”
His Recovery From Substance Abuse:
“I’ve been in recovery for four years. I decided to enter rehab back in 2013 when I got my fourth DUI in five years. I got pretty reckless. It started with painkillers because I was having a lot of anxiety when I broke my neck four times in two-and-a-half years. I went to Xanax, so I was taking both of those. WWE didn’t even know I was taking it. Back in 2003, they didn’t have the drug testing they do now. They have a great drug testing policy now, but back then it wasn’t implemented yet so I was getting away with a lot of stuff.
Because of health issues and also feeling like I was a liability to Vince McMahon, I asked for a release in 2006 and Vince granted me it and I moved on with my life and they moved on with theirs. When I went to TNA, everybody drank and I never really drank alcohol. All of a sudden I was drinking alcohol and now I was mixing the three – it was a pretty deadly combination.”
Who He Wants to Wrestle if Given the Opportunity in WWE:
“I’m going to have to put AJ Styles up there, too. He is frickin’, he is the best in the business without a doubt right now. I just watched him and Dean Ambrose on Tuesday. Gosh, does that kid ever have less than a five-star match? He’s phenomenal. I completely understand why AJ is so much fun to work with – you don’t have to do anything! He does all of it for you. Any other wrestler who would tell you different is lying. AJ does all the work. That’s what’s so cool about it. You know it’s going to be a five-star match if he matches your ability. I’m talking the Ambrose’s and the Rollins’, the John Cena’s and Kurt Angle’s.
As long as you’re up there with him, you’re going to have that type of match with AJ because he is so easy to work with. I know this is going to be a little bit of a surprise but I really like Roman Reigns. I think he’s going to win the fans over eventually. It’s only a matter of time. I think he was pushed fairly quickly and the fans like to see that process. You know, the US title, the Intercontinental title, the King of the Ring and then the WWE title. He just went straight up. I think that’s the reason why a lot of fans, some fans I should say, are rejecting him.”
– The Hall of Fame ceremony on March 31st isn’t the only WWE event Kurt Angle is booked for on WrestleMania weekend. It was announced this week that Angle will also be appearing at WWE’s Axxess fan convention. He’ll be meeting fans and signing autographs at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on April 2nd at 8 AM.
Tickets for WWE Axxess go on sale on February 4th. You can find more ticket info at WWE.com.
– Speaking of Angle, he recently did a Q & A session with fans on Facebook, where he talked about who he wants to induct him into the Hall of Fame on 3/31. Angle said his three top picks to induct him would be Steve Austin, John Cena, and The Undertaker. Angle was asked about his favorite feuds from his WWE days, and mentioned his storylines with Austin, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock. You can read the whole thing on his Facebook page.
Posted January 28th, 2017 in WWE. Tagged: Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle is WWE Hall of Fame bound, but don’t expect to see him step in the ring this Sunday at the Royal Rumble.
News broke on Monday that Angle has been pulled from a live event scheduled for Saturday from Scotland. Immediately there was speculation that the move signaled Angle could be headed to San Antonio instead, but we reported that the Scotland 5 Star Wrestling Show was a TV taping that will air on Spike TV, which was likely the reason Angle pulled out.
The Olympic Gold medalist does not want to get fans’ hopes up and is saying flat out that he won’t be stepping foot in a WWE ring any time soon.
“Royal Rumble is not gonna happen,” Angle said. “A lot of people are assuming it, a lot of writers are writing about it … I haven’t talked to WWE about anything after WWE Hall of Fame.”
Kurt Angle will no longer be appearing for Scotland’s 5 Star Wrestling this weekend. Angle had been advertised for the debut episode of “Dominant Wrestling” – 5 Star’s new series which will air on Spike TV.
Already fans are speculating that Angle withdrawing from the event is a sign that we could see him at Sunday’s Royal Rumble event. WWE has never been keen on contracted talent appearing on televised shows for other promotions, so that’s likely the reason for the change.
Kurt Angle is on the record stating that he’d like to wrestle for WWE again and has been competing at a high level on the independent circuit in recent months. Earlier this week, WWE COO Triple H spoke with IGN.com and casually said that Angle is a sure-fire Hall of Famer for what he’s accomplished in his career and for his future accomplishments in the business. There’s a decent chance we will see Kurt Angle wrestle for WWE again, but at this time we’ve seen no indications that he’ll be at the Royal Rumble.
Here’s the official announcement from 5 Star Wrestling:
WWE COO Triple H recently spoke with IGN.com to promote the new Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania animated movie, which is now available on DVD & digital streaming services.
The Royal Rumble is just days away and it’s one of the most star-studded lineups in years. With big names like The Undertaker, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins involved, it’s also one of the most unpredictable Rumbles we’ve ever seen. Triple H thinks we’re going to see a surprise finish that nobody saw coming.
“Sometimes there’s a year in the Rumble where you think ‘Okay, I can see this or that happening. This seems like where the Rumble might be headed.’ But this year, it’s really tough to call. And I think that’s when the Rumble’s at its best, when you can’t really put your finger on what’s going to happen. I can see this year going a lot of different ways and I think it’s going to go in a way that nobody expects.”
Of course the big news of the past week has been the announcement of Kurt Angle entering the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 33 weekend. Angle has been away from WWE for a decade and Triple H says it’s the a very well deserved induction.
“We’ve had an association with Kurt for a long time but when Kurt was here in the WWE, he was one of the most impactful and memorable and iconic characters probably ever. One of the things that always stands out for me is that I was here when Kurt was coming out of the Olympics and training. And having never done this before, he went from zero knowledge of our industry to being one of the most incredible performers in the ring in the time frame of the Attitude Era where, you know, he was in there with some of the best in the world.”
He continued, “[Kurt] very quickly went from walking to the ring for the first time to being one of the best in the world himself. It happened faster than anyone else. And that’s what I do now mostly in my day to day job. Most of my day is focused on talent and recruiting and training and talent development. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone pick it up as fast as Kurt.”
Triple H said that on that basis alone, he deserves the induction. When you throw in everything he accomplished in WWE, what he’s accomplished since then and what he will continue to accomplish, it’s a no brainer.
– AJ Styles took to Twitter this week to congratulate Kurt Angle on the news of his WWE Hall of Fame induction. Styles and Angle had a series of main event matches during their time in TNA. Angle was the first inductee announced for the class of 2017, and he’ll be inducted on March 31st in Orlando, FL.
– Prior to the airing of his ESPN interview with Kurt Angle, Jonathan Coachman wrote on Twitter that he thinks the Olympic gold medalist is the best in-ring performer he’s ever seen.
I have said this many times. @RealKurtAngle is the most talented in ring performer I have ever seen. EVER and there have been great ones. https://t.co/u92Ym95uSQ
Kurt Angle spoke with SI.com’s “Extra Mustard” site today and revealed that he wants Steve Austin to be the one to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Angle said Austin being at the top of his list is a no-brainer.
“That’s a no-brainer,” said Angle. “I had just started with WWE and had a program with Austin right after I beat Rock for the world title. I had a quick skit with Stephanie and Triple H, and then it was right on to Austin. We had some memorable feuds and some very funny segments, so he is at the top of my list.”
“Steve was one of the most giving individuals,” he continued. “He took me in and allowed me to shine even when it was still his time. I don’t ever compare myself to Stone Cold. He is the guy who elevated wrestling to a level that nobody ever went before, but he enabled me to show my talents when he very well could have said no. He was a very giving individual, and he is one of the guys who had the biggest impact on my career.”
Angle also revealed that he was with his family when he got the call from Triple H last week. “I was with my wife and my three little ones when I found out, and I had my other two kids on the phone with me, so we were all together watching in unison,” shared Angle. “It was a really cool moment with my family. My younger kids don’t know about my career, but they looked at the screen and said, ‘Daddy’s on television!’ And then my younger daughter started calling me ‘Kurt Angle,’ and I said, ‘No! I’m Dad, not Kurt Angle.’”
While there’s much speculation on Angle returning to the ring for WWE, he insists there have been no talks about a return. He also says he has had no talks about being featured as a WWE 2K18 bonus.
“I have yet to speak to Vince, but I did talk with Triple H,” said Angle. “It was a great conversation. This is all about the Hall of Fame, nothing else, and I’m OK with that. WWE wanted to show their appreciation for my career there. Even though I feel it was short-lived at six-and-a-half years, I made enough of an impact that they felt I was worthy of the Hall of Fame. They didn’t want to talk about anything about the Hall of Fame, and I understood. This is the priority, and I’m going to enjoy this and see where it goes from here.”
The WWE Hall of Fame pre-sale is back on for this Wednesday with Kurt Angle being announced as the headliner yesterday. The tickets on-sale had been pushed back twice in the past two weeks but they are now back on for this week. The Ticketmaster pre-sale begins Wednesday and the general public on-sale begins Friday.
Speaking of the 2017 HOF, below is the official video for Kurt Angle’s induction:
Here are some more reactions to Kurt Angle joining the Hall of Fame:
Huge! Had some amazing title matches w/ this Olympic gold medalist. Congrats my friend. Truly one of the best men I've ever met. #WWEHOFhttps://t.co/L0ZjW3i6ax
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.
With the Royal Rumble around the corner and Kurt Angle reportedly telling promoters he’s returning to WWE, rumors have been circulating about the Olympic gold medalist being a surprise entrant in the 30-man Rumble match. According to a new report, those are just rumors as of right now.
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that according to backstage sources in WWE, there have been no talks between the company and Angle regarding the Royal Rumble yet. While WWE could always call someone at the last minute for a surprise appearance, it doesn’t sound like the former WWE Champion will be at the Royal Rumble on 1/29 in San Antonio, TX.
According to The Observer, it’s more likely that Angle could appear at WrestleMania 33 on 4/2 in Orlando, FL. Meltzer reported in December that Angle was telling independent wrestling promoters he isn’t accepting any bookings in April because he’s returning to WWE.
If he returns, what would you like to see Kurt Angle do at WrestleMania 33? Comment with your thoughts & predictions!
Northeast Wrestling has announced Kurt Angle and Cody Rhodes will square off inside a steel cage at the upcoming WrestleFest XXI event. The show takes place on March 3rd from Waterbury, CT.
Kurt Angle might be returning to WWE at Long last. The Wrestling Observer reports that the Olympic gold medalist has told indy promoters that he is not accepting any dates as he’s returning to WWE in April 2017.
It should be noted that this is not the first time Angle has told promoters he’s returning to WWE but there are many rumors going around about a return for Angle, according to The Observer.
Angle has two 2017 indy matches scheduled, against Alberto Del Rio and Cody Rhodes, but has told promoters those will be the last. It will be interesting to see if this is just another WrestleMania season rumor or if Angle is finally making his way back home.
What Culture Pro Wrestling will be hosting ‘True Destiny’ in Milton Keynes on February 12th and the main event for the show has already been announced.
Kurt Angle will be returning to the company to face former WWE & Lucha Underground star Alberto El Patron.
The event will also be host to the second ever WCPW convention and tickets for the event are available to purchase here.
Jim Ross recently spoke with TheScore.com about Sunday’s Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg Survivor Series showdown. During the interview, JR said Goldberg is probably the last big legendary name that WWE could reach out to for a big return. “I don’t know who else is out there that hasn’t already been saddled up and ridden to the big dance,” he said.
When asked about Kurt Angle, Ross said he would certainly endorse WWE doing business with the Olympic gold medalist again.
“For him to come back for a one-off, a WrestleMania match, coinciding with a Hall of Fame induction, something along those lines – I think would be great promotion, and the fans would probably embrace that idea. He may be the last guy out there we could name that would fit the bill of the returning, conquering hero back in the fold for a one-off.”
During a recent appearance on the Steve Austin Show podcast, Angle revealed he still has plans to wrestle for WWE at least one more time. “Next year I plan on going back somewhere. I don’t know where yet, but I wanted to keep myself mentally sharp,” Angle said. “I booked my matches this year; one against Rey Mysterio, with Cody Rhodes. I have another one coming up with Alberto Del Rio, and Joe Coffey. I had a match with Zack Sabre Jr, who is in the Cruiserweight tournament. He’s a very talented kid.”
He finished, “These guys I pretty much picked, knowing I would be able to wrestle these talented kids, before I attempt to most likely come back to WWE,” so Angle is still leaving the door open for a return.
Discussion: Do you want to see Kurt Angle back in WWE for one more match?
Both Kurt Angle and Robbie E welcomed new babies into the world this past weekend, as seen in the photos below.
Robbie and his wife Tara had twin boys named Carter and Cash while Angle welcomed his 5th child, 3rd with current wife Giovanna. The Angles had a baby girl named Nikoletta.
Congratulations to both families!
Carter Stone Strauss born at 1:31 p.m. weighing in at 5 lbs. 15 oz. and 18 inches long
Kurt Angle is Steve Austin’s guest on “The Steve Austin Show” this week, and he had some particularly interesting things to say about the current iteration of the WWE in-ring style. The comments stemmed from a discussion of Cody Rhodes, and if maybe he had issues getting over because the current WWE style and pace may not be for him. Here’s what Angle had to say (credit to WrestleZone for the transcription):
Well, I have always believed in his talent. I think I understand why he left. I don’t think he’s going to be gone from there forever. I think that he will eventually go back there. I just think he wanted a break, and wanted to do something where he could just find himself. I think that in WWE, he was doing what they wanted him to do, and I know he wanted to elaborate more on the Stardust character. It seemed that watching, he was on TV every week so I give WWE credit for that, but I just didn’t see him progressing in the ranks, I just saw him continue to be where he was. I don’t think they saw him where he thought he should be, and there will be a lot of people that agree with Cody on that, but at the same time, I look at WWE and there are a lot of good talent right now.
From there, Angle pivoted to the pace/speed of the WWE style in general:
Their style have picked up the pace more, they need to pull that back a bit. They need to go back to being a little more old school. I think their pace is going really fast, and I think the one thing that they are not doing is selling as much as they should. I think that down the road, if they continue to do that and pick up the pace it could eventually kill the business. You know wrestling works in cycles. There was a time when I was in WWE, I remember were I started 50 straight matches without tying up; it started with punches, but then it slowed down, then came to technical wrestling. I think it’ll come around again, I just think right now they are giving wrestlers less time on TV, so there’s no time to tell that story and show their wrestling ability.
[…]
I think a lot of these guys believe they have to have a beginning of a match. If their time is being cut from a 10 minute match to a 6, then they have to start with the heat, it’s not a bad thing to start off a match doing that. I think these guys want to tell an entire story so they don’t have time to do it, so they speed it up and just try to get it all in. It doesn’t appear good on TV. As a fan, you see them going around 150 miles per hour, no one sold anything. I think that if they don’t have the time, just start with the heat. It’s probably the best thing you can do.
On a similar note, Angle addressed how he prefers to use the creative control that working independently gives him:
They give me creative control. I can do what I want to do. Most matches I have been in this year, I have lost. I don’t see winning these matches on the indy scene being important to me. It’s more about having a great match with the guys. The fact that they are younger, it gives them a great rub with one of the best wrestlers ever. To me, the winning and losing part is not important, it’s just about getting my reps in. Next year I plan on going back somewhere. I don’t know where yet, but I wanted to keep myself mentally sharp. I booked my matches this year; one against Rey Mysterio, with Cody Rhodes. I have another one coming up with Alberto Del Rio, and Joe Coffey. I had a match with Zack Sabre Jr, who is in the Cruiserweight tournament. He’s a very talented kid. These guys I pretty much picked, knowing I would be able to wrestle these talented kids, before I attempt to most likely come back to WWE.
Analysis: It’s very interesting to hear these comments from Angle specifically. As talented as he is, one of the few criticisms of him as an in-rint wrestler has been that he’s not great at slowing things down when he needs to. Once, when Angle and Luther Reigns were feuding with Eddie Guerrero on SmackDown, they even got into an argument in the locker room over Angle and Reigns feeling that Guerrero was staying down too long for various moves. Now, With Angle’s full-time career over, it looks like he sees things differently and doesn’t want to see wrestlers “going around 150 miles per hour” in every match.