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Fightful Select revealed today that Kurt Angle has been contacted by both AEW and IMPACT Wrestling for a return to the ring. While Angle declined both offers, it got us wondering about possible dream matches we could see should he show up in IMPACT Wrestling.
Between 2006-2016, Kurt Angle was the biggest star in the company. A six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Triple Crown Champion, and 2013 TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, Kurt Angle is one of the most important wrestlers in the company's history.
One could argue that without Kurt Angle, TNA, now IMPACT Wrestling, would not be around today. So if we were to get one final match out of Kurt Angle in IMPACT, who would he face?
Well, the roster is loaded at this point. Chris Bey, Rich Swann, Eddie Edwards, Chris Sabin, Moose, Ace Austin. The list goes on. Still, if we have to narrow it down to three, who would make the cut?
#3. Kurt Angle and Josh Alexander may be the best technical bout we could get in IMPACT Wrestling
If you're looking for someone to mirror a younger Kurt Angle, look no further than the aggressive and dominant X-Division Champion Josh Alexander. The Walking Weapon of IMPACT Wrestling set out on his singles journey earlier this year after Ethan Page left for AEW.
Since then, he's proven himself to be a top star in the making. He's had some of the best matches of the year so far for IMPACT, including an Ironman match against TJP for the X-Division Championship.
Sporting a singlet, a mouthpiece, and some headgear, it's hard not to see a little bit of the Olympic Gold Medalist in Alexander. He even has his own Ankle Lock, and fans of IMPACT Wrestling saw him synch it in during the Ultimate X match at Slammiversary while hanging from the ropes.
Fans of IMPACT Wrestling see Josh Alexander as a more stiff, striking and reckless version of Kurt Angle. It would be a passing of the torch of sorts, and something that would be worth the price of admission alone.
#2. Kurt Angle and Moose face-off in a battle of multi-sport athletes
Kurt Angle and Moose were both highly successful in other areas before making their way to professional wrestling. Moose was a former NFL Offensive Lineman, competing for the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts between 2006-2012.
Kurt Angle's an Olympic Gold Medalist, having won gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite a broken "freakin" neck, Angle was able to defeat Iran's Abbas Jadidi to win the gold medal in amateur wrestling in the heavyweight class.
Both of these men have gone on to have great success in professional wrestling. Of course, Kurt Angle's a multi-time world champion, having conquered both WWE and IMPACT Wrestling. Angle's career with IMPACT, then TNA, saw him remain at the top of the brand for eight years straight.
Moose has become a major key player for IMPACT Wrestling in the past few years. In 2021, he was recognized as an official world champion while holding the TNA World Title, and challenged Kenny Omega for the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship.
Moose is in the prime of his life at the moment and a win against Kurt Angle would be huge for his career now.
#1. Kurt Angle faces IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Kenny Omega
You can call it cheating all you want, Kenny Omega's the IMPACT Wrestling World Champion. Therefore, he makes the cut. When it comes to wrestlers and dream matches, odds are the Best Bout Machine tops nearly every list.
For good reason. Currently holding a major championship in three different companies, looking for a forth if we get Jay White vs Kenny Omega in the near future, Omega is at the top of his game right now. What better test for someone like God's Gift to Professional Wrestling than the Olympic Gold Medalist?
Even at his age right now, Kurt Angle could put on a great showcase with most wrestlers around the world. We saw what he was capable of in his final few matches with WWE. Angle had some great matches with Chad Gable and Baron Corbin.
Imagine a competitive bout between one that many fans consider the best in the world, and someone that held that same honor from the previous generation. The Angle Slam vs the One Winged Angel. It's definitely the best we could get out of Kurt Angle in a return to IMPACT Wrestling.
Not only that, but it would give IMPACT Wrestling a major name to challenge for the title. Angle flew that flag for so long that bringing the title home would mean a lot for the company. Considering the story we're getting with everyone in IMPACT Wrestling being upset that Kenny Omega holds the gold, it would be interesting to see Kurt Angle return for one last chance to reclaim the company's prized possession.
