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Kurt Angle's return to WWE left the door wide open for a plethora of booking opportunities, provided he stays healthy. When he returned triumphantly at TLC as a replacement member of The Shield, it was an earth-shattering moment for the pro wrestling world. But now there seems to be the possibility of many more matches to come.
As Kurt Angle heads Team Raw for Survivor Series we can see the final destination of WrestleMania. After all, everything begins and ends at "The Show Of Shows".
Who will Kurt Angle be paired against at the big show in New Orleans? Let's take a look at seven people who could fit the bill as a worthy or interesting opponent for the Olympic Hero.
#1 Samoa Joe
This match wouldn't just be a treat for the WWE Universe, but for the rest of the pro wrestling world as well. Angle and Joe's famous battles in Impact Wrestling were memorable and a match between the two could be epic in a WWE ring.
It's always possible for Samoa Joe to start rubbing The Olympic Hero the wrong way which could culminate in an all-out war at WrestleMania. If WWE booked this match inside a steel cage, it could resemble their brutal contest nearly a decade ago at Lockdown.
"The Samoan Submission Machine" wasn't written into any plans for WrestleMania 33 even though he was able to compete. Therefore booking Samoa Joe against Kurt Angle in New Orleans could be a very nice way to make up for it.
#2 Braun Strowman
"The Monster Among Men" is on a warpath and has been doing just fine for himself since breaking off from The Wyatt Family. He's survived after being destroyed via ambulance, garbage truck, and Roman Reigns' spear, but his future is not too clear. However, a match against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 34 could be what he needs to reach the next level.
It would most likely be a brutal match for Kurt Angle, but a win for Strowman in this encounter would do wonders for his character. After all, he doesn't seem to pull down many huge wins in spite of his monstrous persona.
Right now, Braun Strowman is working as a killer babyface bent on destruction. But if his trail of broken bodies winds up interfering with Kurt Angle's vision for the Raw brand, these two could end up in a feud with a big match payoff in New Orleans. Imagine The Monster Among Men ending Angle's career at the show of shows? Major rub, isn't it?
#3 Shane McMahon
This match could be a possibility depending on how they settle things at Survivor Series between the Raw General Manager and the SmackDown Live commissioner. But it would also be a rematch that is a long time in the making.
King Of The Ring 2001 featured a brutal match between Angle and McMahon which saw Vince McMahon's baby boy cut to ribbons after he was belly-to-belly suplexed through a glass piece of the entrance set.
Kurt Angle followed that up by simply heaving Shane McMahon through the other piece of glass once they were in the set, in a rather brutal display that really set the bar for how intense a match can get in many respects. If anything, it taught the production crew how to pick the right kind of glass and not paint over it to create a nearly unbreakable piece of transparent danger.
With the way things are going right now, Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon's feud could be stretched until WrestleMania for a big blow-off match. After all, odds are McMahon will be competing anyway because he wouldn't miss a WrestleMania.
#4 AJ Styles
This is another match that would be a huge treat for fans of Impact Wrestling. AJ Styles has locked horns with several people in the WWE Universe so far, but few of them have the kind of history with "The Phenomenal One" like Kurt Angle.
To make this match a reality, AJ Styles would be required to make a brand jump over to the Red Team, but they could certainly pull it off by leaving some unfinished business at Survivor Series or The Royal Rumble.
Styles could always pop up on Raw every now and then just to mess up some of Kurt Angle's brilliant booking decisions. After a while, this might lead to a standoff in the ring which would lead to a match. After all, AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle has WrestleMania-worthy match written all over it.
It would certainly be an extra treat for members of the WWE Universe who remember how hard these two fought in Impact Wrestling.
#5 Jason Jordan
What better way to cap off an ill-advised father/son story than to have them tangle at the biggest show of the year? The WWE Universe wasn't very warm to the idea of Kurt Angle being Jason Jordan's birth father from the get-go and that really hasn't changed much.
If anything, WWE has just started to book Jordan separately with only a scarce mention of how he is "Gold Blooded."
But a lot can happen between now and WrestleMania season. Jason Jordan and his Papa Angle could start to butt heads on different issues which might culminate in a father vs son showdown in New Orleans.
These two could put on an amazing match if given the time. The only trick would be to convince the WWE Universe it was worthy of a spot on the Show Of Shows.
#6 Daniel Bryan
Although this match might be the most epic encounter on the list, it is also sadly the least likely to happen. Daniel Bryan has made it quite clear that he will wrestle again whether WWE likes it or not.
Therefore if WWE went along with the old standard of keeping someone just so nobody else can have him, they might need to let Daniel Bryan wrestle again so he doesn't leave once his contract expires.
If WWE built up a big match between Daniel Bryan and Kurt Angle these two could make magic in the ring. It might have already begun for all we know with Angle keeping Bryan in a locked office so Kane could appear out of nowhere and chokeslam him into the darkness.
It would be amazing to see Daniel Bryan cleared to compete again. After all, WWE seems to be okay with taking a risk with Kurt Angle at this point. Therefore, a match against Bryan might end up stealing the show if they would just let him wrestle already.
The last time Daniel Bryan performed in New Orleans' Superdome, he won WWE's top prize at WrestleMania XXX. Four years later could mean a big redemption for Daniel Bryan if he wrestled in a literal dream match against Kurt Angle.
#7 Triple H
Triple H and Kurt Angle are no strangers to each other, but it's been a long time since they squared off in the ring. The Olympic Hero's grand return to WWE might have always had a confrontation with Triple H planned in it. After all, Triple H loves working WrestleMania.
With Stephanie McMahon's return to television, it might be easy to see how Triple H could eventually step up and challenge the Raw General Manager. If Kurt Angle's job as GM was on the line it could add another layer of intrigue to this match as well.
But even if Kurt Angle loses and has to leave his role as Raw's authority figure it doesn't mean he has to stop wrestling. The remainder of Angle's WWE career could be filled with sporadic, yet exciting appearances for years to come.
After all, if Kurt Angle lost his job as General Manager of Raw a year after being appointed to the position, he'd have a better run than others before him.
If anything, Triple H and Kurt Angle would be a big marquee matchup for WrestleMania 34 and they would look great plastered all over posters, bus stops, and the Superdome itself during the week leading up to WrestleMania 34.
