WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has added one more feather on his cap. 

Per PW Insider, Cauliflower Alley Club has announced that ‘The Olympic Gold Medalist’ is the latest recipient of the prestigious Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award.

Angle has certainly cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats. His legendary career began with amateur wrestling. He went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 despite having a ‘Broken Frickin’ Neck.’ He eventually shifted to pro wrestling and competed across WWE and TNA Wrestling, tasting more success in the process. He is a former multi-time World Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017. 

Wrestling Legend Kurt Angle to Receive Prestigious Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award! https://t.co/McL3xqEi4q

— Cauliflower Alley Club (@CACReunion) May 29, 2024

Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award

The esteemed award was named after legendary wrestler Lou Thesz and Cauliflower Club founder Art Abrams. It is noted that the award nominee must have a strong amateur wrestling background and a widely recognized pro wrestling career. It is needless to mention that Kurt Angle is a fitting choice for this award. 

• Kurt Angle: If I Hadn’t Left WWE, I’d Be the Greatest of All Time

Kurt Angle will accept the award in a ceremony at the 58th Annual Cauliflower Club Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 19 to 21. ‘The Olympic Gold Medalist’ has now joined the prestigious list of fellow legendary wrestlers such as Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Ricky Steamboat who have received the award in the past. For more information and to buy tickets, fans can visit the CAC website.

Kurt Angle had an illustrious career in WWE but things might have been different for him had he signed with WCW. Fellow WWE legend Ric Flair had prevented Angle from joining WCW. Read more below:

If it wasn’t for Ric Flair, we may have saw Kurt Angle show up on WCW Monday Nitro, but “The Nature Boy” knew the right place for an Olympic Hero was WWE.

Ric Flair was a styling and profiling guest on the 5/29 episode of “Busted Open Radio” and started talking about the array of stars during the Attitude Era. Flair then mentioned how he flat out told Kurt Angle, who was looking to get into pro wrestling to avoid WCW.

“I said, you don’t want to go to Atlanta, brother. You will get lost.”

Bully Ray asked Flair for clarification and Ric went into further detail about how the encounter happened.

“We were in a gym working out in Nashville, TN and I met Kurt several times and he walked over and said, ‘I’m thinking about getting into professional wrestling,’ he said ‘What do you think about me going to WCW?’

• Ric Flair Rips “Bull***” ‘Who Killed WCW’ Docuseries Produced By The Rock

Flair thought about it for a second, said “Give me a minute.”

“I went in the locker room, got my phone, came out, called Vince [McMahon], put him on the phone and he was working out with Dory Funk Jr. two weeks later.”

Flair said WCW would have greatly misused Angle at the time.

“Kurt when healthy, is absolutely one of the great ones.

“Kurt is a special kind of athlete and a special kind of guy and legitimately really tough.”

Flair covered a great deal of ground during his interview, talking about his daughter Charlotte, the unbridled star power of The Rock and how Ricky Steamboat is in the top two of the greatest all time wrestlers alongside Shawn Michaels.

Please credit Busted Open Radio and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

WWE superstar Chad Gabe has begun to embrace his new role as a ‘Heel,’ as he aims to be a champion. He turned his back on fans after attacking WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn following a defeat on the April 15 episode of Monday Night Raw. Although he’s still earlier in his new persona, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angles sees himself in Gable’s new ‘Heel’ role.

On a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the former WWE Champion praised Gable’s new character change. When answering a fan’s question about his thoughts on the WWE superstar’s in-ring promo on the April 22 episode of Raw, Angle believes that Gable is doing things he used to do in his career. 

“Well, listen, the Kurt Angle formula worked the first time. The Kurt Angle formula will work today. I’ve noticed. I’ve been watching Chad, and he’s doing a lot of actions that Kurt Angle used to do,” said the WWE Hall of Famer.

 Angle noted that Gable’s characteristics, facial expressions, and even finisher(Ankle Lock) seem inspired by him. 

“…I feel like this is a rebirth of Kurt Angle, but I’ll tell you this: he’s doing a great job at it, too. He’s really stepped up and I don’t know if I can do it any better than him. He’s doing really good right now,” said Angle. 

While Gable may be taking inspiration from Angle, the WWE Hall of Famer has shared that he would be open to being his manager. 

Kurt Angle On Possibly Being A Manager For Chad Gable

Angle believes the WWE Universe would love to see a new version of his classic faction, Team Angle. The popular group was led by the former WWE Champion and featured a tag team of Shelton Benjamin and Charlier Haas. WWE fans have also recently considered the possibility of the Creed Brothers(Brutus & Julius Creed) working with Gable to form a new faction. 

Currently, Gable is focused on his Alpha Academy and winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship. However, Angle thinks he can greatly advocate for Gable under the right circumstances. He didn’t share the terms, but his co-host Paul Bromwell suggested money is a factor. 

It’s unclear if WWE would consider bringing Angle back to be a manager for Gable. For now, Gable has set his sights on Zayn and finally aims to finally put singles gold around his waist. 

Will Ospreay downplayed Dave Meltzer’s five-star match philosophy while with the Dick Cavett of our time, RJ City.

Ospreay was the latest guest on RJ’s “Hey! EW” and City, the longtime adversary of David Arquette, noted that Dave Meltzer must really like Ospreay. He asks Will if he thinks he’s as good as Meltzer really thinks Ospreay is. Instead of putting himself over, Ospreay decided to make sure Kurt Angle was given the praise worthy of an Olympic Gold Medalist.

“No, cause when you talk about guys like Kurt Angle and he hasn’t got like one five-star match, I’m nowhere near the level Kurt Angle is.

“Stuff that Kurt Angle could never do, I could do, but stuff that I could never do, Kurt Angle could do.

“I think it’s just his opinion, you know what I mean? Opinions are like a**holes, everyone’s got one.”

Ospreay very much shares the same sentiment as his rival Kenny Omega, who on several occassions noted how much he appreciates the in-ring work of Kurt Angle. Kurt has also reciprocated Omega’s praise, putting “The Cleaner” over for the work he does in the ring as well.

Much ado has been made about Meltzer’s star-ratings system and it’s validity, but Meltzer himself did reiterate Ospreay’s thoughts in that those ratings are just his opinion. 

Perhaps the more controversail discussion point was that Meltzer decided to break his own ratings system by adding more stars to his judging criteria, giving Omega a whopping seven-star match.

Kurt Angle is one of the greatest to ever lace up his boots, and Kenny Omega would agree with that. The former AEW World Champion recently explained why Angle is his favorite.

Kenny Omega is a student of the game, but his go-to is Kurt Angle. The AEW EVP explained on his Twitch stream why he considers Kurt Angle his favorite. 

Kenny Omega Praises Kurt Angle

While speaking on his Twitch stream, Kenny Omega went into why Kurt Angle is the most complete wrestler in his book. He embodies, not only what a physical performer can do with any style, but also his ability to embrace the lighter side of things.

“I do think that Kurt Angle is the greatest, I can’t just say in-ring performer, to me he’s just the most complete wrestler of all time. He’s my favorite. He’s my go-to guy to study for me. Being an athletic guy who wants to mesh well and compliment every wrestling style, but also not, I’m also not, if anyone is familiar with me, I’m not above embarrassing myself and doing silly things, and that is a lot of what Kurt did on TV.”

Kurt Angle certainly took part in some memorable comedy segments. Kenny Omega can say the same, as he’s let loose on many occasions, whether it was on Being The Elite or AEW television.

Kenny Omega says that @RealKurtAngle is his favorite wrestler, his go to guy to study, and the most complete wrestler of all time.

Kenny also said that Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio from SummerSlam 2002 is one of the best opening matches ever. pic.twitter.com/LbnIhD3mLM

— AIR (@AIRGold_) March 23, 2024

Omega’s Current Recovery Progress

Kenny Omega is currently on an indefinite break from wrestling. Last December, he revealed he was dealing with diverticulitis, a serious condition affecting the large intestine, which requires time off for recovery.

Omega is not the only pro wrestler who has dealt with this illness. WWE wrestlers Brock Lesnar and Shane McMahon have also experienced diverticulitis, with Lesnar undergoing surgery in November 2009 before returning to UFC competition eight months later.

Tony Khan is optimistic about Kenny Omega’s return to the ring. That being said, there is no return timetable for The Cleaner just yet.

Pro wrestling fans got excited the moment it was confirmed that it was confirmed that Dark Side of the Ring is coming back for season five. Now, we are getting even more details about what is in the pipeline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V7xEp5hGzg

Dark Side of the Ring Season 5 Plans

VICE TV’s Dark Side of the Ring has become a must-watch for wrestling fans, as they dive into sometimes controversial topics from pro wrestling’s past. With its past four seasons generating significant discussion in recent memory, season five has a lot to live up to. 

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that the upcoming fifth season of Dark Side of the Ring is in the works, and a list of episodes has been revealed. 

Season five is set to cover “Black Saturday,” the 1984 moment when Vince McMahon orchestrated a takeover of Georgia Championship Wrestling’s lucrative TBS cable TV timeslot. Additionally, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle and ECW legend The Sandman will each have episodes dedicated to their life stories. 

Other people slated for featured episodes in season five reportedly include Brutus Beefcake, Buff Bagwell, and Harley Race, who passed away in 2019 due to lung cancer. 

Chris Adams, who is credited for training Stone Cold Steve Austin and popularizing the superkick, will also get a focus for an episode on season five.

For the new season of Dark Side of the Ring, we know of these episodes: Brutus Beefcake, Harley Race, Buff Bagwell, Kurt Angle, Chris Adams, Sandman and Black Saturday (when Vince McMahon purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling to get access to the TBS time slot in 1984. Glenn “Kane” Jacobs was campaigning for Donald Trump in Iowa. 

Dark Side of the Ring Season 5 Air Date

As of right now, there is no information on the air date for season five on VICE TV, as filming is scheduled for later this year. We will keep you updated when an actual date comes out.

The show is unafraid to tackle wrestling’s darker moments, such as The Plane Ride from Hell, the Benoit family tragedy, and Owen Hart’s tragic death. The success of the show also led VICE TV to produce several spinoffs, including Dark Side of the ’90s, Dark Side of Comedy, and Dark Side of Football in recent years. 

New AEW Trademark Filing

The fans of AEW will have a chance to ‘Get the Feeling’ thanks to a new trademark filing by the promotion. This week, AEW filed a trademark for the phrase for its use on merchandise, as well as at professional wrestling events. At this time, there’s no word on what ‘Get the Feeling’ will mean for the on-screen product. 

Interesting Name at AEW Collision

The January 6, 2024, edition of AEW Collision featured some top names, including Adam Copeland, Ric Flair, and Sting, but a different WWE Hall of Famer remained backstage. PW Insider reports that former NWA United States Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA was backstage at the Collision taping in Charlotte, NC. 

Kurt Angle’s AEW Cameo

Kurt Angle has made it clear he’s a WWE guy, but that didn’t stop the Olympian from making a cameo for AEW this week. On Twitter, Stokely Hathaway shared a Cameo featuring Angle, in which he claims that Hathaway is a changed man to Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander. It seems Kurt didn’t stop recording when he should have, as the video ends with Angle asking Stokely where’s his money. 

#GiveStokelyAChance@willowwrestles / @callmekrisstat @AEW pic.twitter.com/huD93xg2rd

— Big Stoke (@StokelyHathaway) January 6, 2024

Mariah May Home Affected By Fire

Mariah May looked to set the wrestling world on fire during her AEW in-ring debut this week before the debuting Deonna Purrazzo interrupted. On Twitter, May shared that the place she lives suffered a fire. Fortunately, everyone is okay and the hunky firefighters proved to be a silver lining for the British wrestler. 

and I made friends with some animals I carried out

a win is a win

— Mariah May ? (@MariahMayx) January 5, 2024

Drew McIntyre’s Shoutout to ICW

Drew McIntyre hasn’t competed for ICW in years but recently gave a message to the promotion. In a video to the Scottish-based promotion, McIntyre reflected on his favorite ICW moments, as the company will no longer be hosting its Fight Club events. 

.@DMcIntyreWWE sends a message to fans ahead of tonight’s #LastFightClub. pic.twitter.com/UQCD0lwsR0

— ICW (@InsaneChampWres) December 17, 2023

Randy Orton at Ringside

On last week’s SmackDown, Randy Orton made it clear he’s coming for the Bloodline but was in no hurry to get in the ring. During his entrance, WWE cut to a commercial and in off-air footage, fans can see Orton taking his time at ringside while Roman Reigns stands in the ring. 

That ad break was so awkwardly placed on Smackdown.

Here's how Randy Orton passed the time during it 😂 pic.twitter.com/rZvRyzCwM1

— NukemTalksWrestling (@NukemWrestling) December 17, 2023

Kurt Angle Reacts to His Meme

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle may be a huge name in wrestling, but the Olympian recently went viral as part of a meme. The meme itself shows a frazzled-looking Kurt, which Angle reacted to on his podcast. 

“I know that that video you know, it’s kind of a weird-looking face, but for some strange reason everybody caught on and wanted to throw out some memes and I was the butt of the joke, I guess.”

Kurt later joked that he could just get paid to make that facial expression all day. Merchandise of the meme is already available. 

The Undertaker Adds Shows

As reported earlier this month, The Undertaker will be heading to Australia next February to host his 1deadMan show. WWE has now confirmed that the Deadman will be hitting three more towns. The Phenom will be appearing in Peth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. WWE will be in Australia in February for the WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth event. 

Kurt Angle is slated to undergo the knife again, this time on his back, after years of pro wrestling. 

The WWE Hall Of Famer walked away from the wrestling business in 2019 after successful runs in WWE and Impact Wrestling. With WWE, he was a six-time World Champion, while in TNA, he doubled that number. 

His retirement match happened when he lost to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35, a match that Vince McMahon pushed for as Angle wanted to wrestle John Cena instead.  Angle dealt with health issues for years after winning a gold medal with a broken neck. He also broke it in 2003. 

While speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, Angle stated that he’s getting a procedure on his back done on March 21, where the doctor is going to clean his back out. The pain in his back also affects his leg. 

The Surgery

“On March 21, I’m having it done, the day after my vacation. All they’re doing, they’re not going to do any fusion or anything like that, thank God. They’re going to clean it out. They’re going to clean all the arthritis out because I have a nerve going down my leg, and it’s bothered me, and there’s pain in my lower back. So they’re going to clean all that stuff out, take the bone chips out and the calcium and stuff like that. He said I should be good to go after that. I’ve had a lot of damage done to my back, but it’s not to the point where I need fusion,” Angle said.

The doctor has told him the surgery won’t get rid of all of the pain in his back, but it will help out with pain run down his leg.

H/T to Fightful for the transcript

Kurt Angle reveals why this year’s WrestleMania will be the first he plans on attending in a long time.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and noted that he currently is planning on staying for the first-half of WrestleMania. The Olympic Gold Medalist noted that he really wants to attend in order to see Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.

He added that he might even extend his trip to stay for the second night of WrestleMania, as he believes Rhodes is going to win the World Title. Angle will also be in town for an appearance for WrestleCon.

“Right now, my flight plans leave Sunday morning. I’ll watch the first half of Wrestlemania. I might stay and extend my flight to the next day, but I want to watch Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes because I believe he’s going to win the title.

“I’m doing an appearance for WrestleCon. I believe I’m going to do some stuff for WWE as well. I plan on going to Wrestlemania for one day. I’m really excited about it. This is the first Wrestlemania I’ve gone to in a while.” 

Cody Rhodes won this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39 in Las Angeles. Now, he’ll challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.

Reigns has been on a dominant run as World Champion for the past few years, and Rhodes is looking to bring his family their first WWE World Title, a longtime goal of his that he has been very adamant about achieving since returning to the company last year.

Quotes via NoDQ.com

WWE Hall Of Famer JBL was front row for a legitimate backstage fight between Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero.

He told the story during a recent episode of Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, noting that the fight took place backstage after a match Angle and Guerrero had. Guerrero was under the impression that Angle had stiffed him.

JBL explained that he was confused because during the fight, Guerrero attempted to take Angle down – Angle being an Olympic gold medalist wrestler.

“You know a fight’s going on in the locker room … you can tell by the noise, and this was a fight. So finally, [John] Laurinaitis had gotten between Eddie and Kurt. Kurt was outside the dressing room, Eddie was inside it, I was dressing right by Eddie.

“Laurinaitis shut the door, so that separated Kurt and Eddie. Eddie comes back and sits down, and I could tell by the noise that’s going on that …  Eddie had tried to leg dive [him]. So I’m sitting there looking at Eddie, and he’s not looking at me at all. He’s looking at the door, just mad as mad as he can be, breathing so loud you can hear him breathe. …

“Finally I said ‘Why would you leg dive a Gold Medalist?’ And without looking at me, he goes ‘Cause I’m stupid!’ That was great. Then he finally started laughing.“

Not only is Angle a former Olympic gold medalist, but he’s also a five-time former WWE World Champion. He has since retired from in-ring competition and was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017.

Guerrero was also inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame shortly after his untimely death in 2005. He was a former WWE Champion and one of the most respected in-ring performers of his time.

While fans were blown away by the closing moments of last month’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, Kurt Angle has a different pick for his segment of the night.

The finale of the January 28 event saw Sami Zayn’s time with the Bloodline end after he refused to attack Kevin Owens and instead struck Roman Reigns.

The segment has been praised by fans and those in the industry as an excellent culmination of Zayn’s near-year-long angle with the Bloodline.

Women’s Rumble

Before Reigns and Owens headlined the event, fans saw Rhea Ripley become the sixth woman to win a Rumble match.

The Judgment Day’s Eradicator now joins Asuka, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Ronda Rousey, and is the first woman to win a Rumble from #1.

Speaking on his show, Kurt Angle praised the finish which saw Ripley face off against a returning Asuka and Liv Morgan (who entered at #2.)

“I thought it was a great Royal Rumble and I’m not gonna lie to you the women’s finish of the women’s Royal Rumble was the best finish I’ve seen in years. Rhea Ripley — the way that that match ended was incredible. I was so impressed by it. I have to give the women five stars for that match.”

Kurt Angle.

Ripley at WrestleMania

On last week’s Raw, Ripley declared that she will be challenging SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39.

This match will mark the second WrestleMania match between the two, after Flair dethroned Ripley to become NXT Women’s Champion at the crowd-less WrestleMania 36.

Should Ripley win this year, she’ll be the first woman to hold the Raw, SmackDown, NXT and NXT UK Women’s Championships.

h/t – Fightful

WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle believes WWE should utilize Seth Rollins more.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and was asked about who he’d like to share the ring with if he got to have one last match. The Olympic Gold medalist chose Seth Rollins as a prime option, heaping a ton of praise on “The Architect.”

In fact, Angle explained that he doesn’t believe WWE utilizes Rollins to his potential, believing he should be in a similar spot to that of Roman Reigns.

“I really, really like Seth Rollins. I love the character he’s doing right now, the flamboyant thing,” Angle said. “He is such a great wrestler, such a great talent. I know the company has utilized him a lot the past couple of years. But I think they don’t utilize him enough. I think he should be where Roman Reigns is  — on top all of the time.”

Rollins participated in this past weekend’s Men’s Royal Rumble match and put on quite the performance. However, he was eventually eliminated by Logan Paul. Rollins is still featured as one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW at the moment.

With WrestleMania 39 right around the corner, it will be interesting to see what plans the professional wrestling juggernaut have in store for the former World Champion at “The Show Of Shows.”

Quotes via WrestleZone

WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle has revealed the worst bump he has ever taken in his career.

The Olympic gold medalist has competed in some grueling matches over the course of his career, so there’s a wide variety of bumps to pick from. However, Angle recently took to Twitter and revealed a 2002 match with Kane on RAW provided the honors.

During the match, Kane hit a double chokeslam on Angle and referee Charles Robinson, resulting in the referee landing on Angle. Check it out here:

“My match against the big red machine… Kane. This is the worst bump I ever took in my career. Referee Charles Robinson landed right on top of me. I thought I was going to crap myself. Lol.”

Angle has certainly been around the block in the professional wrestling industry. First beginning in the business in 1998, Angle signed with WWE and quickly established himself as one of the company’s top stars.

He lasted with WWE until 2006, winning five World Titles, a Tag Team Title, a King Of The Ring tournament win, and much more. Angle was finally inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017.

Angle even spent a decade in IMPACT Wrestling; where he won six World Titles, and X-Division Title win, and was also inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame in 2013. Now, Angle has retired from in-ring competition, and spends his time hosting his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show.”

Kurt Angle is no stranger to dastardly actions in wrestling, but he believes that wrestling’s greatest heel, isn’t even a wrestler.

In late 2002, Angle captured his third WWE Championship, dethroning the Big Show at that December’s Armageddon Pay-Per-View.

Big Show had only won the title a month earlier, defeating Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series in the Beast’s first loss in WWE.

Greatest Heel

Lesnar’s loss inside Madison Square Garden came about after Paul Heyman turned on Brock, ending their alliance that had existed since Lesnar’s debut earlier that year.

After his title win at Armageddon, Kurt revealed Lesnar as the head of his management team (Team Angle) turning heel in the process.

Speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympian spoke about working with Heyman.

“It was a great idea. It’s not that I needed Paul to speak for me, not at all, but he draws a lot of heat. At this particular time I was kind of a babyface so that I was having Paul on my side would draw a little bit more heat for me.

“He is the best heel in the business, he really is.”

Kurt Angle on Paul Heyman.

“He was, he is, the best heel in the business, he really is. And it is because he draws a lot of heat. He’s the best promo guy I’ve ever been around. When you’re around him you learn a lot, so I was really happy to have Paul as my manager.”

Working with Brock

While Angle’s victory over Big Show came thanks to a big assist from Lesnar, Kurt and Heyman declared that they would refuse to face the Beast.

On his podcast, Angle spoke about the WrestleMania 19 match he’d have with Lesnar, and despite his declaration, knew the plan all along.

“I knew after I won that title [at Armageddon 2002] that Brock and I were gonna wrestle four or five months later at WrestleMania.”

Kurt Angle.

Angle added that their match was extra special for both men given their similar backgrounds.

“We’d got in a ring a little bit here and there you know, with tag matches and stuff but this is our first singles match. Both of us were looking forward to it.

“I saw how talented Brock was and how quickly he picked it up and he knew I was really talented so we were really looking forward to it. Especially with our amateur wrestling backgrounds we really wanted to showcase that at WrestleMania.”

Lesnar would dethrone Angle at WrestleMania 19, in the only example of a WrestleMania main event where all competitors used their birth names.

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle still has a price tag to return to the ring for one of WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows.

His final match came back in 2018 when Angle was defeated by Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. Angle has received offers from promotions such as AEW to return to the ring, but the Hall Of Famer has turned them down, instead making sporadic appearances on WWE TV since.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and discussed the matter. The Olympic hero has competed in one of WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows before, confirming the paydays for such events is, indeed, phenomenal.

He first touched on the rumor that Shawn Michaels received an astounding $3 million to return for his tag team match, in which he teamed up with Triple H against The Undertaker and Kane.

“I’m not a WWE lifer,” Angle said. “Shawn is, so his loyalty is still with the WWE, and they paid him very well for it.

Angle has since had double knee replacement surgery, and is in no condition to wrestle at this point in his career. However, when asked if he’d step back into the ring for $3 million for a Saudi Arabia show, Angle didn’t hesitate to say yes, whether he has good knees or bad ones.

“What are you talking about? I’d do it in a second,” Angle said. “Good knees or bad knees, I’d do it in a second.”

WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia may be a highly-controversial one, but the checks are certainly worth it according to Kurt Angle.

The decade-long deal between WWE and the middle-eastern nation began in 2018 and sees WWE be paid a small fortune to host shows.

WWE’s relationship with the country has been a source of controversy given Saudi Arabia’s restrictive views on women and approach to LGBTQ+ people.

Angle in Saudi Arabia

After returning to WWE in 2017, Kurt Angle would compete at some of WWE’s earliest shows in Saudi Arabia prior to his WrestleMania 35 retirement.

Speaking on his podcast, Angle was asked for his reaction to learning that WWE were working with Saudi Arabia.

“I loved it! And the main reason is money, money, money. When you go to these places they spend a lot. These were bought shows. Saudi Arabia… You’re talking 200 million dollars for two shows a year. That’s incredible.”

When asked if he ever thought he’d compete at such a unique event, Angle reiterated how well he was paid.

“No, [I didn’t think I would be part of a show like this.] But I was glad I was. I mean, the paychecks are very generous.”

Kurt Angle.

Unhappy

Angle may have been well-paid for his work in Saudi Arabia, but WWE’s use of him did not sit right with the Olympian.

On his show, Angle said he wasn’t a fan of his booking, but understood why WWE didn’t give him more prominent spots.

“What I will say is this. They didn’t put me in great spots as you know. I think I did I did a Royal Rumble [2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble.] I also did a seven-minute match with Dolph Ziggler [WWE Crown Jewel 2018.]

“They didn’t put me in great spots.”

Kurt Angle on his Saudi Arabia booking.

“The match wasn’t [good.] Dolph was great, don’t get me wrong but me at this point in time I wasn’t so great. I had really started to lose a step at this particular time in my career. The match wasn’t where I wanted to be. I was hoping more for the main event status, but still, the money was still really good.”

Tangling with the Dragon

Angle may not have had the prominent spots he was hoping for in Saudi Arabia, but he did get to lock horns with Bryan Danielson.

Danielson (then Daniel Bryan) also competed in the Greatest Royal Rumble, and nearly won the 50-man match.

Speaking about a spot where he locked up with Bryan, Kurt said it was a delight to do something in the ring.

“We wanted to do something special. So Daniel actually came up with it and it was a great little spot. I enjoyed working with him. Man he’s so talented and he’s not just an incredible high flyer he’s a great technician too. Daniel Bryan could be one of the best overall workers in the business today.”

Speaking about the expected Iron Man match between Danielson and AEW World Champion MJF, Kurt had doubts that the holder of the Big Burberry Belt will be able to keep up.

Who would have won in a dream match between two of the greatest technical wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots?

For years, Bret Hart was the standard-bearer for excellent wrestling in WWE, becoming the promotion’s World Champion on five separate occasions.

At Survivor Series 1999, two years after Bret’s departure in Montreal, Kurt Angle would bring his amateur wrestling background to the promotion and become a huge star.

Dream Match

Kurt and Angle never had the chance to wrestle each other in any promotion, but the Olympic Gold Medalist tried to make that happen over 15 years ago.

Speaking in an interview with The A2theK Wrestling Show, Angle said that he always hoped to face the Hitman during his career.

“Bret Hart was always my dream match from when I started in WWE. I always thought I’d have a match with him… He went to WCW, and unfortunately, he got knocked out and had the concussion and then he had a stroke.”

Kurt Angle.

Hart’s in-ring career ended after a concussion during a match at Starrcade 1999 but he would perform in a handful of matches in 2010 for WWE.

WrestleMania

Even after Hart’s retirement, Angle was hopeful that he could pull off a match with the Excellence of Execution.

On the show, Kurt recalled pitching the match which was promptly declined.

 “I tried to get Bret to wrestle at WrestleMania, I believe, 21 (in 2005). I understood why he said no because where I am in my life now, I know I can’t have the Kurt Angle match that fans expect and Bret was trying to tell me at that particular time ‘I’m not the Bret Hart I used to be and I’m not gonna go out there and embarrass myself.’

“I’m not the Bret Hart I used to be and I’m not gonna go out there and embarrass myself.”

Bret Hart’s response to Kurt Angle when offered a match.

“That’s where Bret Hart always was. And if he can’t do that, he’s not gonna do it at all.” 

Instead of Hart, Angle would have a match-of-the-year candidate with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21, getting a victory over HBK.

h/t – Sportskeeda

WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle has nothing but great things to say about Triple H’s love for professional wrestling.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and was asked who he believes has a good mind for the professional wrestling industry. He didn’t hesitate to name former in-ring foe and current head of WWE creative Triple H.

“For me personally, Triple H. He’s always had it,” Kurt Angle said. “He’s not just from a wrestling standpoint, but from a creative standpoint, from a psychology standpoint, from a promo standpoint. Triple H is one guy that is so well-educated.

“He loves pro-wrestling like it’s his wife. Okay? He cherishes it, and he’s really good at it. He has a great mind for it. In the past, I would say somebody like Hulk Hogan, who was able to bring the fans in at a time when wrestling was not so hot, but Hulkamania actually made wrestling so much bigger.

“And he has a great mind for the business as well. I worked with Hulk Hogan, and he definitely is well educated with the wrestling aspect.”

After Vince McMahon was forced to step down as WWE CEO, and later retire as head of creative for the company, Triple H stepped in to fill the void of creative head for the professional wrestling juggernaut.

Since, “The Game” has made a multitude of changes that have been positively received for the most part. His love for the industry has certainly shined through on multiple occasions since assuming his new role.

Quotes via WrestleZone

Kurt Angle has worked with some of the most influential people in wrestling history. However, there’s one person who stands out to him as having the highest wrestling IQ.

Angle spoke about this topic and much more on the latest ‘Ask Kurt Anything’ edition of his Kurt Angle Show podcast.

Throughout his runs in WWE and TNA, the Olympic gold medalist collaborated with the likes of Vince McMahon, Paul Heyman, Stephanie McMahon, Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Bruce Pritchard, Pat Patterson, Dixie Carter, Vince Russo and countless others.

They’ve all made immeasurable contributions to the industry, Angle is convinced one name surpasses them all.

Triple H’s Wrestling IQ

Kurt Angle says Triple H has a grasp on the wrestling business better than anybody he’s ever worked with. The Game is an all-time-great in-ring performer, but also understands the psychology, creative and business aspects of wrestling as well.

Angle says he previously may have named someone like Hulk Hogan, who was a master at drawing business and holding crowds in the palm of his hand.

He went out of his way to praise Hogan, who helped blast wrestling’s popularity into the stratosphere during the 1980’s expansion period. Nobody would argue against the fact that Hogan was a bigger star than Triple H as an active competitor and pop culture phenomenon.

However, the topic at hand is ‘highest wrestling IQ’ and best mind for the business, and Angle says Triple h is number one.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle may be retired, but the Olympian is ready to make a return to the ring with the right opponent.

Angle returned to WWE in 2017 after a near-eleven-year absence and competed in a handful of matches in that time.

The Olympic Gold Medalist last competed at WrestleMania 35 in a loss to Baron Corbin.

One More Match

Despite it being years since Angle’s most recent match, the former WWE World Champion has never been shy about teasing a return.

Speaking on the most recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Angle said he would have to work with a younger talent to ‘carry’ him through a match at WrestleMania.

“I’m not that stupid. So I’m going to make sure it’s a young guy because I’m a little bit older. I lost a little bit of a step. I would have to say someone like AJ Styles or Ricochet, I really liked that kid. I think I would have an incredible match with him.”

Kurt Angle.

While Angle and Styles faced off several times in TNA/Impact Wrestling, the Olympian has yet to face off with the One and Only.

Braun Strowman

It wasn’t just Ricochet and Styles that Angle had praise for, as he also highlighted the career of Braun Strowman.

The Olympian also named the Monster Among Men as someone he’d love to wrestle again if he returned to the ring.

“He is so athletic for his size. He reminds me a lot of Brock Lesnar with his athleticism. He’s not as athletic as Brock, he’s pretty close.”

Kurt Angle.

Strowman was released from WWE in June of last year and returned to WWE TV this past September.

h/t – eWrestlingNews

Kurt Angle was one of the top stars of TNA. He got to wrestle with some of the best in-ring talent there. This list includes none other than AJ Styles, who Angle credits for making him a better wrestler.

The Olympic Gold Medallist talked about his time in TNA on the latest episode of his podcast. He specifically discussed the Aces & Eights storyline and the problems with it.

Angle was involved in a story with AJ Styles at the time where the two formed a team. Commenting on his experience of sharing the ring with AJ, Kurt said that everyone who gets in the ring with him becomes better:

“Whether I was alongside him as a tag team or working with him, he made me better. Every time I wrestled with him or against him, he made me better.

That’s the kind of guy AJ is, that’s the kind of athlete he is. Everybody he gets in the ring with, he makes the match better and the other person better.”

-Kurt Angle

The former world champion was involved in a storyline with AJ Styles in mid-2012. They faced each other on a couple of occasions before forming a tag team.

The team of Angle and Styles even held the TNA World Tag Team Championship for a brief period. The two stars then went their separate ways after being unsuccessful in recapturing the titles.

You can check out the full episode of The Kurt Angle Show below:

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If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

From uninspired storylines to older stars taking the spots of younger talents, there were a number of factors that led to the downfall of TNA after a historic rise. One such factor was sideling top stars such as Kurt Angle when factions like Aces & Eights dominated the TV programs.

The Olympic Gold Medallist talked about this time in the company’s history on the latest episode of his podcast. He was asked if the officials ever invited him to be part of the infamous faction. Angle replied negatively saying that he is glad he was never asked to join the group:

“No. no, they didn’t. I’m glad they didn’t. I don’t think I would have liked being [a part of it]. I know this – if I would have went in, I wouldn’t have been one of the top guys. I would have been hanging out in the mid card somewhere so that it wouldn’t [have] help me at any point in time.”

-Kurt Angle

‘It Grew Out Of Control’: Kurt Angle

When Aces & Eights were running roughshod at the TNA roster, top stars such as Kurt Angle and AJ Styles were working a meaningless programs. Speaking about the time, the former TNA champion discussed how they were just trying to stay relevant and figure out what their position in the roster would be once the storyline was over:

“That was the problem, the Aces & Eights storyline took over TV. It got so big. Same exact thing happened with the nWo in WCW. It was a cool little faction, then all of sudden it grew and out of control. They were just too many. At this point in time, there were a lot of members of Aces & Eights.

We were just treading water just trying to get through the storyline and see where our places were going to be afterward. It’s really difficult when they’re doing a storyline [and] they’re not trying to involve you. You’re not really involved in the storyline. That’s the main storyline going on TV and you got your top two guys – AJ Styles and Kurt Angle, that’s no part of it.”

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If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

What do you think about the Aces & Eights storyline? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle celebrated his 54th birthday on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

The Olympic gold medalist recently appeared on an episode of RAW from Pittsburgh and shared some milk with the Street Profits after they defeated Alpha Academy. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown also aired from Angle’s hometown of Pittsburgh and Kurt was at the show to celebrate with the WWE Universe.

Angle had a party backstage throughout the show and had a family reunion with his storyline son, Jason Jordan. Jason presented Angle with a card and the two shared a hug backstage. Gable Steveson was also with Angle for most of the show.

At the conclusion of WWE SmackDown, Kurt Angle made his way to the ring alone to celebrate with the crowd. There was a giant cake already set up in the ring and Alpha Academy interrupted. They were not on Angle’s guest list for the backstage party and they got revenge by bulling the WWE legend out of the ring.

Gable Steveson made the save in a milk truck and Kurt spayed Otis and Chad Gable down to end this week’s edition of SmackDown.

After WWE SmackDown went off the air, Kurt Angle’s birthday celebration continued with Triple H, Rey Mysterio and the SmackDown locker room in the ring.

Kurt addressed the crowd and told them to have a great night. Rey Mysterio grabbed the microphone and said that Angle’s night isn’t over yet. Mysterio joked that no matter what, Kurt Angle will always suck before leading the WWE Universe to sing him a happy birthday. Triple H then posed with Kurt Angle on the entrance ramp.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle appeared on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown to celebrate his 54th birthday.

SmackDown aired live from the PPG Paints Arena in Angle’s hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kurt held a party throughout the show backstage and seemingly everyone could get in besides Alpha Academy.

At the end of the show, Kurt told fellow Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson that he was going to head to the ring alone. Angle made his way to the ring where there was a giant cake already set up for him.

Alpha Academy immediately interrupted and Chad scolded Angle for not inviting them to his birthday party. Gable added that if Kurt doesn’t get out of the ring he’s going to suffer another broken neck.

Kurt exited the ring but stopped on the entrance ramp. Gable Steveson showed up in a milk truck and they started throwing milk cartons at Alpha Academy. Angle then sprayed Otis and Chad with the hose and posed with Gable Steveston to close the show.

After SmackDown went off the air, Triple H took to Twitter and posted a photo with Kurt Angle. The Game said they had to bring back the milk truck for his birthday.

Kurt Angle also reunited with his long-lost son, Jason Jordan, during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Jason presented his storyline father with a greatest dad greeting card and they shared a hug backstage.