What’s the story?
Sports Illustrated caught up with former WWE and TNA superstar Kurt Angle following the announcement of his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. During the conversation, Angle spoke about who he thinks should induct him and his intention to have the WWE Universe see his TNA matches as well.
In case you didn’t know…
Kurt Angle left the WWE in order to join Total Nonstop Wrestling back in 2006 and spent close to a decade with the company. Angle enjoyed phenomenal success during his TNA run, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship a record 6 times. Apart from that, he is a one-time TNA X Division Champion and has also won the TNA World Tag Team Championship on two occasions. The icing on the cake came when the iconic wrestler was included in the TNA Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
The heart of the matter
‘The Only Olympic Gold Medalist in Pro Wrestling History” wants legendary WWE superstar ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to induct him into the Hall of Fame. The reason for this, according to him, was the fact that he shared some memorable feuds and really funny segments with Austin. This is what Angle had to say:
“That’s a no-brainer. I had just started with WWE and had a program with Austin right after I beat Rock for the world title. I had a quick skit with Stephanie and Triple H, and then it was right on to Austin. We had some memorable feuds and some very funny segments, so he is at the top of my list.”
He added that ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ is a very giving individual and allowed him to take the spotlight even when the WWE was all about the man himself. Kurt Angle referred to Steve Austin as the guy who took wrestling to unprecedented heights but never tried to stop people like him from displaying their talent. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion said:
“Steve was one of the most giving individuals. He took me in and allowed me to shine even when it was still his time. I don’t ever compare myself to Stone Cold. He is the guy who elevated wrestling to a level that nobody ever went before, but he enabled me to show my talents when he very well could have said no.”
Angle claimed to be sad about the fact that a large percentage of WWE fans had not seen the matches that he fought during his time at TNA. However, he feels it would be great if the WWE can acquire the video library for him and other former TNA superstars such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode so that the fans can take a look at their work for the promotion.
‘The Wrestling Machine’ was quoted as saying this:
“Even though I was wrestling all these great matches, most WWE fans didn’t see those matches. That makes me sad, but it would be nice if WWE somehow got my TNA library, as well as AJ Styles’s, Samoa Joe’s, and Bobby Roode’s so people can see the stuff we did. Those guys will continue to have great matches, but we also had some great ones in TNA.”
What's next?
While there is no confirmation regarding Kurt Angle’s plans with the WWE stretching beyond a Hall of Fame induction, we could see him in action against a couple of his former TNA associates if he does stick around.
Sportskeeda’s Take
With the WWE having reached out to Angle after more than a decade, it does seem that they have some creative plans on their mind for him in the days to come.
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