4 Superstar Shakeups that ruined careers

#2 Kurt Angle demoted to ECW

By the time 2006 rolled around, Kurt Angle had transformed into a ruthless wrestling machine, and went on to win the World Heavyweight Title on an episode of SmackDown, after winning a battle royal.

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After losing his title at WrestleMania, Angle was drafted to ECW, in one of the most head-scratching decisions WWE had ever taken. Soon after, he was released from WWE. Angle stated in his documentary that he had asked for his release because he was working hurt and wasn't being able to take time off, due to WWE's grueling schedule. Angle went on to claim that he was on the top of WWE's payroll when he quit the company.

Angle's 'Wrestling Machine' gimmick had tons of potential that could have been tapped, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. A Superstar of the caliber of Kurt Angle had no place on a brand like ECW, which was basically WWE's developmental territory at the time.

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About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Amar Anand