We recently had the unique opportunity to conduct an exclusive conversational session with the Olympic Gold Medallist and esteemed WWE Hall of Fame legend, Kurt Angle. Comedian Casey Salengo promulgated an array of enlightening questions to Angle, encompassing aspects like his comeback to WWE and developments around his retirement match. We look forward to publishing the entire conversation at a future date. Here’s a glimpse into what Angle had to share:
The moment Angle realized he needed to hang up his boots:
“I decided my time was up. My return to WWE had been driven by a desire to wrestle again. Things were on an upward swing with the wrestling, I’d wrapped up with TNA and participated in a few independent matches, my physique was in great shape. However, WWE had plans to usher me into the Hall of Fame as soon as I returned. I was okay with that, but wanted to make it clear I wasn’t ready to retire yet. They reassured me they were aware, but wished to precede my return to wrestling with the Hall of Fame induction.
Soon after, they proposed that I take on the role of the general manager. Despite my wish to wrestle again, they reassured me they’d get around to that. Consequently, I acted as the general manager for about 9 or 10 months. This period saw me detached from the ring, so that by the time I made my wrestling comeback, I didn’t pack the same punch. Physically, I appeared aged and far from prime, and didn’t move with the speed and agility I once used to. It’s like arthritis had crept up on me out of nowhere and overtaken my body. The self-reflection of my performances on film was disappointing and hard to accept. I didn’t want my fans to remember me in such a manner.”
The rationale behind Angle not competing against John Cena for his retirement match:
“Soon after, I approached Vince with a request to retire at the following WrestleMania. I had assumed he’d assign me a prominent retirement match, maybe with John Cena or another high-profile wrestler. Instead, he assigned me with Baron Corbin – a talented wrestler I have great admiration for but was considerably less experienced.
He justified this by saying it would disrupt the ongoing program if he pulled out Cena to replace Baron. He offered to set up a match with Cena the following year if I’d wrestle for another year. But I felt I couldn’t delay my retirement any longer. Despite this, I was finally comfortable retiring with Baron in the ring. He’s a fantastic wrestler and a good person, and I respect him a lot.”
We extend our gratitude to Kurt Angle for these enlightening revelations. Keep an eye out for the complete interview, and remember to credit eWrestlingNews if you decide to share this.