Top 6 candidates in WWE to retire Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle has been back with the WWE for a while now, but it's clear that the Hall of Famer's career is quickly coming to an end, and he addressed this topic on a recent social media Q&A.

When asked about what he's got left to accomplish in his career, Kurt replied:

"I have nothing that I feel I need to accomplish other than an amazing retirement match, whenever that is."

Now we aren't saying that it will be at WrestleMania 35, but it's clear that he doesn't have much left in him, so now is the time to start looking towards that final bout. From young stars to old rivals, there are many options for Kurt's final bout, and today we are going to look at who we believe the best 6 candidates for that job really are.

#6 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is the hottest male performer in the WWE today, and he's well on his way to dethroning The Beast at WrestleMania, and after that, he'll continue setting big milestones. Kurt has been a main event star for his entire career, so getting one final shot at the top belt would be well deserved. So a Universal Championship vs Career match is a big possibility in late 2019.

Kurt hasn't looked the same since coming back, due to his age and the countless injuries that have broken down his body. So having a young performer like Seth in his prime carry his final match is a necessity.

There's plenty of young options out there, because it's clear Kurt isn't the same performer he's been in his career, but given that this will be his final bout, he deserves to give people the lasting memory of just how good he is and was, and Seth gives him the best chance at that.

#5 Chad Gable

Chad Gable is one of the most talented young performers in the WWE, and alongside Jason Jordan, he was once compared to team Angle, and given that Jordan has been out for over 12 months with an injury, Chad should step into that role.

If Kurt's 'son' Jason Jordan were to be healthy, that would be the much better option, but given that Kurt is a prolific amateur wrestler, Gable is a great candidate.

Chad has all the in-ring ability and charisma in the world, and if he's given the push he deserves, he will become a big star, so being the one to retire Kurt would be a great start to that push.

Although it won't be to this level, this could play on the HBK/Ric Flair retirement type match, where someone is given the chance to be the final match in their hero's career, and this could be the match that starts a main event push for Gable.

#4 Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens debuted on the main roster as a focused, hungry prize-fighter, but over the years he's lost some of that edge, and returning from injury to take out the Olympic Champion would be a great way to get that back.

There have been rumors that KO would be returning in a few weeks as a babyface, and that wouldn't require too much change in character, but ultimately, the sadistic KO that took out Sami Zayn in NXT is the best version of him.

The other performers on this list all have some form of connection or history with Kurt, and while KO does not, going after him and taking him out is something his character would do. Owens hasn't been a singles star for almost a year now, so a big showdown with Kurt would give him the catapult he needs to get back into the main event scene, and while this is unlikely, it's certainly a great option for the WWE to consider.

#3 John Cena

John Cena is the biggest star the WWE has, and a bout with Angle at WrestleMania would be huge, but there would be a big history behind this. Back in 2002, Kurt Angle was offering open challenges on SmackDown, and it was a fresh-faced, young John Cena who answered it, bringing Ruthless Aggression to SmackDown for good.

Since that point, its been Cena rising up the ranks of the WWE, while Kurt slowly faded away to the independent scene, and John coming back to end Kurt would be a great story to tell.

At the end of the day, it looks like Cena isn't going to be around much anymore, so it would be a tough one to build, whether they want to do it at WrestleMania, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series, but purely for that part of the story, John has to be considered a top candidate.

#2 Brock Lesnar

When looking back on all of Kurt's WWE rivals, none brought the best out of him like The Beast, and despite the physicality Brock provides in the ring, it's an option WWE is definitely going to consider.

Their Iron Man match on SmackDown is still considered one of the best televised matches the WWE have ever done, and if they could both still go like that, Brock would be the only choice, but unfortunately, time has diminished both of their skills.

It's clear that Brock himself is also on the way out of the WWE, whether it be this year or next, and if they look to push the future stars in the company as champions, this would be a great way to keep him around.

Ultimately, this is likely the way WWE will go, considering what they've allowed Brock to do over the last 5 years. And given the history, it's probably the right choice. We just hope that Kurt isn't injured, given all the German Suplexes Brock likes to give.

#1 Samoa Joe

In terms of Kurt's history with people on the main roster, the only person with more is Brock Lesnar, but given his physical style, he isn't the #1 choice, that choice is his former TNA rival, Samoa Joe.

The chemistry these two men have in the ring is ridiculous, and given the current gimmick and attitude Joe possesses, it could be the biggest moment in his WWE career.

In TNA, the two worked as fantastic rivals, as well as allies with the Main Event Mafia, and with Joe being a threatening heel on the main roster, this is something he needs to do to give his character legitimacy.

It seems a little late to get this rivalry started for WrestleMania 35, but if Kurt is to retire this year with one last big angle and match, then building towards it at SummerSlam or Survivor Series with Joe is the best option.