Kurt Angle may well be the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. You can deny it, you can offer other options and you can moan all you like - but he's definitely in the running. The Olympic gold medalist has a string of accomplishments to his name in the world of professional wrestling, but the most staggering thing is that all of his Championships pale in comparison to his actual in-ring ability.
For some Superstars, it's the character that turns you into a legend, but in Kurt's case, it was a mixture of both his character work and his wrestling talent. Everything he said on the mic had a meaning and a purpose, which meant that he was always able to back it up in the ring.
He was diverse, charismatic and genuinely cared about the business. He's the perfect choice for a Hall of Fame headliner, and the only question remaining is who will induct him in Orlando?
There are actually a number of candidates for this honour, mainly because Angle was such an influential figure. From bosses behind the scenes to fellow wrestlers, it's no surprise that we probably won't know the identity of this person until a week or so before the induction ceremony.
So without further ado, let's take a look at five people who could induct Kurt Angle into the Hall of Fame.
#5 Brock Lesnar
Come on, these guys main evented WrestleMania together for goodness sake. Over the years, Brock and Kurt were rumoured to be quite close backstage, which is saying something when you consider how many friends Lesnar tends to have.
They created magic together in the ring on more than one occasion, so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see the Beast induct Kurt in Orlando.
Obviously, Brock isn't a massive fan of speaking his mind, especially on a stage like this, but given how comfortable he was at the UFC 200 press conferences he had to attend, we think he'd be able to pull it off. Whether or not Kurt would want Brock to be the man who inducts him remains to be seen, but their bond is something that we'd like to see spoken about in more detail.
Let's move on from one end of the wrestling spectrum to the other.
#4 Jim Ross
Jim Ross is the man who first signed Kurt Angle to a contract in the WWE, and from that point onwards it was said that they had a good relationship both in a working environment and a personal one. JR has always spoken highly of Kurt and vice versa, with rumours circulating around the wrestling world as of late that this could be a real possibility.
Whilst things are a tad tense between JR and WWE right now, that doesn't mean we should rule this possibility out altogether. After all, Superstars have come back into the fold after some serious feuds with Vince McMahon and JR is a company legend.
We like the idea that JR played a big role in beginning Kurt's career, and he'd be a fantastic choice when it comes to inducting the former WWE Champion. Back over to the wrestlers for this next entry.
#3 John Cena
John Cena's first ever match on the main roster came against Kurt Angle back in 2002, with the infamous encounter still being played on WWE television to this day. It was an important moment in the history of the WWE as it saw the dawning of a new era, despite many of us not realising that at the time.
Whichever way you look at it, these two men have been intertwined for over 15 years now.
Cena helping to close the book of Kurt's legendary career would be a heartwarming way to induct him into the Hall, and at the same time, we imagine that he has a few good stories about Angle from back in the day.
Many people aren't big fans of this idea and would instead like to see Cena admiring the induction from afar, but nobody can deny that it would be a huge moment. Onto someone who had numerous run-ins with Angle over the years.
#2 Stone Cold
Can we just take a minute to remember how great the skits were between Stone Cold and Kurt Angle?
It didn't matter if they were locked in a serious feud for the WWE Championship or if they were wearing silly hats and singing songs together because the two just clicked whenever they were on screen. They had a chemistry that went beyond the ring and likely extended into a full-blown friendship.
Austin always has great things to say about Angle and given the fact they spent a few years riding down the road together and being involved in a number of the same storylines, we'd love to hear about what happened.
There aren't too many honours higher than having the Texas Rattlesnake induct you into the Hall of Fame, and that's exactly what we want to see.
To conclude, we look at a man who has been in Kurt's corner ever since day one.
#1 Vince McMahon
If you've heard the stories about how Vince used to try and wrestle Kurt Angle to the ground, then you'll know why he should be in the running when it comes to inducting him into the Hall of Fame. Vince was one of Angle's biggest fans and the two were said to be extremely close behind the scenes, which makes sense given just how talented and kind hearted Angle was and still is.
Vince rarely gets the chance to openly speak his mind to an audience like this these days, and it could be one of the final opportunities that we get to see him induct anyone into the Hall. Vince was the man who was at the forefront of giving Angle his push, and as a result, he should be the one to lead the celebrations as the man himself steps out onto the stage.
