What’s the story?
Legendary WWE commentator Jim Ross discussed Kurt Angle’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017 and the recently concluded U.K. Championship tournament in his latest blog on the website, Jrsbarbq.com.
In case you didn’t know…
This past Sunday, the WWE crowned their first ever United Kingdom Champion in the form of 19-year old British wrestler Tyler Bate. The two-day tournament for the new championship began with 16 men from different parts of the U.K. competing in the first round of matches covering the first day.
On Day 2, it eventually boiled down to Bate and Pete Dunne in the final after both of them had won their respective quarter and semi-final matches. In a hard-fought match which lasted over 15 minutes, Tyler Bate pinned Dunne after hitting him with the Tyler Driver ’97 and became the champion.
The heart of the matter
Ross expressed his pleasure over Kurt Angle being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and felt that he thoroughly deserved it. He also made reference to Angle’s efforts to help out those who have been facing substance abuse problems. On chances of the former WWE superstar having a match at WrestleMania, he said he had no idea but was confident about his ability to compete against the best.
Here’s what ‘Good Ol’ JR’ wrote in his blog:
“Happy that one of our most distinguished signees Kurt Angle is going into the WWE Hall fo Fame this year in Orlando. Deserving to say the least. Plus, Kurt seems to be on a positive journey in his life and is helping others who have had substance abuse issues. I love Kurt Angle and am so happy that he's getting his well deserved ring.
Now the endless litany of questions will commence on whether Kurt will wrestle at the April 2 event. For the record< I have no idea but I do know that he can still 'go' with the best of them when called upon.”
Giving his thoughts on the inaugural U.K. Championship tournament, Jim Ross said that he enjoyed watching it and was particularly pleased with the commentary from Michael Cole and Nigel McGuiness. He praised the way the tournament was conducted overall including the TV production, the live audience and the fact that the underdog won the tournament. Ross stated:
“I watched both days of the WWE's UK tournament on the WWE Network and enjoyed both shows. I especially enjoyed the broadcast team of Michael Cole and Nigel McGuinness who were stellar both Saturday and Sunday.
Enjoyed the underdog winning the tournament, the interactive and jacked up live audience, the TV production was excellent and the overall in ring product was solid and at times stellar.”
Speaking about the newly crowned U.K. Champion, Tyler Bate, Jim Ross opined that he is a bright prospect with strong basics and a sound understanding of the business at such an early age. He also appreciated finalist Pete Dunne for having a memorable tournament and claimed that he is another wrestler that the WWE should keep. This is what Ross mentioned:
“19 year old Tyler Bate is the first champion and is a fine, young prospect who seems to be fundamentally sound and understanding of the basic psychology of the biz well beyond his teenage years. Pete Dunne who many thought would win the tourney is a natural villain and had a distinguished tournament. He's another keeper IMO.”
What next?
Although it appears at present that Kurt Angle’s Hall of Fame induction may be the only reason for his WWE return, it may not come as a surprise if we see him compete in the ring soon enough.
Sportskeeda’s Take
It is a great gesture on the WWE’s part to acknowledge Kurt Angle’s efforts during his brief yet highly successful run in the company, which saw him win nearly all possible titles that he could at the time.
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