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After months of embarrassing losses and doubts about his own in-ring ability, Kurt Angle announced earlier in March that he will compete in a ‘farewell match’ at WWE WrestleMania 35 on April 7.
The Hall of Famer, who has picked up victories over Apollo Crews, Chad Gable and Samoa Joe over the last few weeks as part of his ‘farewell tour’, did not initially reveal who he will face at MetLife Stadium, leading fans to speculate about which dream match we could see him compete in.
Then, to the surprise of the entire WWE Universe, Angle revealed on last week’s episode of Raw that resident bad guy Baron Corbin is the man who he wants to take on in his final WWE match.
The news received an overwhelmingly negative response from fans, with many believing that the announcement would lead to yet another swerve ahead of WrestleMania 35, while Jim Ross and Angle’s wife even commented on the “underwhelming” choice of opponent.
Following this week’s episode of Raw, it really does appear as though the plan will remain the same and Corbin – one of WWE’s few legitimate heels – will be the one to face the Olympic Gold medallist.
In this article, let’s take a look at five theories why Corbin is not only facing Angle, but why he might even defeat him on “The Grandest Stage of Them All”.
#5 Kurt Angle has nothing to lose, but Baron Corbin does
If Kurt Angle defeats Baron Corbin, what will be achieved from the match? Angle will likely receive a deserved standing ovation from the MetLife Stadium crowd, while Corbin will scurry away up the ramp and he will keep his unwanted reputation as a bad guy who loses almost every time when it matters most.
On the flipside, if Corbin defeats Angle, what will be achieved from the match? Angle will still receive a deserved standing ovation as he leaves a WWE ring for the last time as a competitor, while Corbin will be able to gloat about his victory until the end of days (bad pun intended) and he will be even more despised by audiences than he is already.
Like or loathe the obnoxious Corbin character, the man behind the persona, Thomas Pestock, is doing an incredible job at getting fans to boo him wherever he goes. The only thing he needs to reach the next level is a high-profile victory over one of WWE’s big names.
Angle would gain little from winning on April 7, but a victory for Corbin would be a career-defining moment for the former acting Raw GM, making him the biggest heel in WWE in the process.
#4 Kurt Angle has already bid farewell to his career
Admittedly, the headline ‘Baron Corbin defeats Kurt Angle’ is not the ideal send-off for a legend the calibre of Kurt Angle, but this is not any ordinary WWE ‘farewell’ scenario. For example, Ric Flair bid farewell to a WWE ring once and for all when, on the same weekend that he was inducted into the 2008 Hall of Fame, he lost a match against a Superstar equally as legendary, Shawn Michaels, at WrestleMania 24.
In Angle’s case, his career has already been celebrated with one of the greatest Hall of Fame induction speeches of all time in 2017 (more on that shortly), while he has been competing in ‘farewell tour’ matches every week throughout March as he prepares to step away from a WWE ring for good after April 7.
Angle has competed so infrequently over the last 18 months that it would not have been a surprise if he slowly transitioned into another WWE role, much like D-Von Dudley or Mark Henry, without any official ‘farewell’.
This final match is a nice way to bring a definitive end to a legend’s in-ring WWE career, but is it entirely necessary? No. So does it really matter all that much if Angle wins or not? His legacy will remain intact either way.
#3 Kurt Angle is all about moments and giving back
The likelihood is that you have all seen Kurt Angle speak articulately and humbly in out-of-character interviews about his wrestling career over the last few years.
Now, without claiming to know the Hall of Famer’s real-life thoughts on his upcoming match, he comes across as the kind of person who realises the importance of not taking himself too seriously and, more importantly, he understands how much other people can benefit from somebody giving back to the business.
For example, in November 2018, Drew McIntyre defeated Angle in one of the most one-sided Raw main events of the year, and it was later reported by Sports Illustrated that the match was put together by Angle and Vince McMahon. The manner of the victory hugely benefited McIntyre, who will now face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 35.
During his Hall of Fame speech in 2017, Angle encouraged WWE Superstars to take chances and create memorable moments that fans will remember forever. Well, would fans remember an Angle win forever? Maybe, maybe not. Would they remember a Corbin win? Most definitely.
#2 WrestleMania shock
No matter how predictable a WrestleMania card appears to be before the event, WWE always has a way of producing one or two major shocks to provide fans with something to remember from the show.
Whether it’s Fandango vs. Chris Jericho, Sting vs. Triple H, Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka or The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar, no major Superstar is safe from being given the Surprising Loser of the Night moniker at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
Even last year, at WrestleMania 34, as well as the shocking end to the SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Flair and Asuka, the main event saw Lesnar defeat Roman Reigns in a match that the majority of the Superdome thought was going to go the other way.
Maybe, just maybe, Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin will be the one match at this year’s WrestleMania that everybody thinks will be won by Angle (except those who have been convinced otherwise by reading this article!) and WWE will spring a surprise by having Corbin win instead.
#1 Why else is Baron Corbin facing Kurt Angle?!
From a storyline perspective, it makes total sense for Kurt Angle to challenge Baron Corbin to a match. The Olympian has been feuding with the former authority figure for the best part of nine months and he is yet to defeat him one-on-one, so it would be a fitting way to end the storyline if they met at WrestleMania 35.
However, when you consider that this is the final match of Angle’s WWE career, is an encounter with Corbin really a fitting way to end his long and storied association with WWE as an in-ring competitor? Not exactly.
As much as Corbin has been praised throughout this article, it seems utterly bizarre that WWE would choose to have Angle take on somebody who he has already faced recently on Raw in what will be his last match for the company.
Perhaps the real reason for this will become clear after the event (e.g. if Corbin wins) and this whole ‘farewell tour’ is actually less about bidding farewell to Angle and more about making Corbin a bigger star.
