The mystery storyline involving Kurt Angle has raised many debates across the wrestling world. The angle is intriguing because at this point, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious explanation. Fans have their theories, but when it comes to WWE, we normally have a fairly decent idea which way they’re going to go, especially considering the plethora of dirt sheets available online.
One less talked about possibility here is that Kurt Angle is secretly gay, and has been hiding it from his loved ones for a number of years. This would be quite the original storyline for WWE, who have historically not been too open about discussing homosexuality. Certain characters have flirted with same sex relationships as part of their gimmick, but always in a slightly underhanded way.
Another reason why this could be where creative is going is the fact that Stephanie McMahon recently announced that the WWE will be embracing more LGBTI angles and gimmicks over the next few years, stating that it was ‘absolutely’ the plan for the near future. Seeing as we have recently had another successful Pride month go by, what better way to represent the LGBTI community by having one of the company’s signature legends come out as gay next week on RAW?
Of course, all this would mean that the person Kurt was speaking to last week would logically be the partner in question. Here are five possibilities for who could be Kurt Angle’s mystery gay partner:
#1 Triple H
One of the more popular rumours going around concerning the Kurt Angle story is that the mystery person could be Stephanie McMahon. Most people attribute this to the fact that back in 2000, Kurt, Stephanie and Triple H were involved in a humorous love triangle. Kurt was playing the sympathetic ‘boy who’s a friend/not a boyfriend’ character while Stephanie’s husband, Triple H became increasingly jealous.
Perhaps people who have bought into this theory are only half correct. After all, Triple H’s jealousy could well have been a result of Stephanie getting close to Kurt, rather than the other way round. Plus, this was a time when the US was generally less accepting of homosexuality, especially in sport, so it would make sense for the two men to keep their love a secret, and use Stephanie as a kind of cover story.
The only issue with this angle is that it’s difficult to see where the storyline would go from here. Everyone is anticipating a Summerslam or Wrestlemania showdown between the two, but if they did announce their love for each other, why would they then go on to fight? Perhaps Triple H will refuse to leave Stephanie, even after he promised he would. They could make this idea work, but it seems a longshot.
#2 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle have a storied history together both inside and outside the ring. Their Wrestlemania 19 main event, for example, is considered Brock’s official anointment as the WWF’s next top star back in 2003. The two acknowledged their history this week on RAW when Kurt cut a promo praising Brock’s victory over Samoa Joe at Great Balls of Fire. Perhaps there is more to this pairing than just sportsmanship and mutual respect.
Some of the older fans of WWF will also remember that the two legends once shared a kiss in a WWE ring back in 2003. In a moment of shock and confusion, the Smackdown audience witnessed Brock Lesnar lean into his WrestleMania opponent and kiss the current RAW GM.
At the time, this was put down to Brock Lesnar trying to embarrass his real life friend in a rare moment of breaking kayfabe. Is this just a cover story?
If this is the direction the company are going, maybe they can utilise the story to explain why Brock takes so much time off from being on WWE television. Brock still makes very sporadic appearances on Monday Nights, despite being the Universal Champion. Now that Kurt is GM, it would take sense that Brock finds it too difficult to show up to work on a consistent basis, and only does when absolutely necessary, letting out a lot of anger and frustration in the process.
#3 Braun Strowman
If the WWE is looking for a way to cement Braun Strowman as a top guy in their company, perhaps they could incorporate him into this mysterious angle. Now that the feud between Strowman and Roman Reigns seems to be taking a backseat, making the Monster amongst men Kurt’s mystery lover will be a good way to keep him relevant.
One factor that relates to this possibility is that Kurt looked particularly concerned for Braun’s fate after Roman drove an ambulance backwards into a truck with Strowman in it. Kurt is obviously the GM, so he should show some interest in the health and well-being of his athletes.
But the look on Kurt’s face during GBOF was one of particular stress and upset. Kurt also looked visibly angry at Reigns the next night on RAW saying that he was ‘lucky to be there’ after what he pulled. Perhaps Kurt managed to cap his emotions after initially wanting to fire the Big Dog for what he had done.
Another indication is that when Kurt was talking on the phone at the end of RAW, he was asking the person on the other end to show up next week, and we do know that Braun wasn’t at the show on Monday. Whether or not this means anything, a homosexual relationship between Kurt and Strowman would certainly get the internet talking.
#4 Rikishi
Perhaps the mystery storyline involving Kurt Angle will be used as an excuse to bring somebody back from the past. One option on people’s minds is that a brand new personality could even make their debut in WWE, somebody like Dixie Carter, for example. Another option would be to bring back the father of Jimmy and Jay Uso, the legendary Rikishi.
The main reasoning behind Rikishi being a possible love interest of Angle’s is that back in 2000, the Samoan interfered in a match between Kurt and The Rock, accidentally kicking Rocky in the face and allowing Angle to bodyslam his opponent, thus winning the match. This was part of a wider angle that involved Rikishi being the perpetrator of Stone Cold’s attack at Survivor Series of that year.
The isolated incident, in that was a pretty wide ranging angle that incorporated several superstars, didn’t make a lot of sense, until it was revealed that Rikishi wasn’t working alone, but under the instructions of Triple H.
However, almost 17 years later, all this could come out as a sign of Rikishi’s love for Angle. the storyline clearly involves something from Kurt’s past, and 2000 was the year most people think of as his heydey. It’s quite likely this whole affair links back to these days, and perhaps this is the way the story is going to go.
#5 Corey Graves
The new RAW announcer, Corey Graves, has been a staple of this storyline from the very start. It was Graves who initially showed Kurt the information on his phone that clearly put the GM in a compromising position. It has also been Graves who Kurt seems most comfortable confiding in whenever the topic comes up. Perhaps then, it is Corey himself that has been having the love affair with Angle all along.
One obvious counter argument to this would be that Graves gave Kurt the phone at the end of RAW, so it’s unlikely he would be talking to him. However, if Graves wanted to keep the affair a secret, for now, it would make sense for Corey to pass his lover the phone, walk out of view of the hard camera, and continue the conversation in private. Maybe this was the pair’s way of talking without the cameras picking up what they were actually saying.
There’s also the fact that Graves seems to be getting involved in multiple angles at the moment and is generally been given a more prominent role as a commentator. He recently interviewed Bayley about her match with Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules when it is normally Michael Cole who does the backstage, sit down interviews. Maybe getting close to the GM has allowed Graves to increase his standing with the company.
Whether or not this does turn out to be a homosexual storyline, the WWE would need to handle it professionally and sensibly. The fact that Kurt was heard saying ‘we have nothing to be ashamed of’ is a good sign if this is indeed what ends up happening next week.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
