A Missed Opportunity?

[Leeds Guy]

So there I was watching a few Raw's and Smackdown's during the Invasion angle and I noticed how massively over Kurt Angle was. In fact his pop at the Invasion PPV was one of the biggest I've heard. All summer long he was insanely over up until Vince decided to use him as the 'mole' in the Alliance. Now Kurt Angle has been a face in the WWE twice once in the summer of 2001 and then again in the Brock Lesner era however in the Lesner feud he never acheived the level of over-ness he was back in 2001.

Now heres where the Missed oppertunity comes in. During the Invasion angle the terrible tragedy that was 9/11 happened. The WWE could have capitalized by pushing Angle to the moon here as the American hero in a time were you guys needed one. Instead we got a heel Kurt Angle that had nothing major to do until 03. With the American Hero gimmick in full force he could have ridden the waves of that to Wrestlemania, and could have been over enough to become the 1st Undisputed champion instead of Jericho and could have gone on to main even Mania x8 and who knows could have been a completly differant Kurt Angle that we remember today.

So thoughts? agree/disagree? remember to give detailed answers.

 

[supersayian]

Angle was really over here. and your right Vince messed this up. Angle could have been the hero we all wanted in 2001. He fit that gimmick perfect. him being the mole was not smart. as i thought they could have picked somebody who was not as over as a face. its a shame Vince never let Angle live up to his full potential while he was still young. now his body is battered and bruised. he can still go in the ring but Vince waited 4 or 5 years to long to push Angle to the top wwe. he has had many great matches of all time. one of my favorites was with Taker or Lesnar these two feuds were no question the best in 2003 and 2004 and 2005. Angle was a great mat technician and really could get a crowd going. in 2006 or 2007 right before he left he was massively over. Vince made a mistake letting him go. the invasion angle was good but could have been the greatest angle ever if a few kinks were twisted and turned. i admit also Angle would have been better choice for first undisputed champion. but Vince decided Y2J was the better man to carry it at the time. Angle was close but lost to Austin in the semifinals i do believe to Austin. great match though.

 

[Sean Valjean]

Um, Angle beat Austin for the WWE title at Unforgiven 2001, which was only about 2 weeks after 9/11. Sure, it was a really short reign but still, he was still pushed as the American Hero by beating the top heel during a tragic time. Even as the mole, he was still a big reason why the Alliance lost against the WWE.

The only time I've felt Angle really was misused was when they put him on ECW. I thought for sure he'd be the one to be RVD for the belt, but instead they go with Big Show. Kurt's not only a much better wrestler than Show but a better heel and it would've been huge if Kurt and aligned himself with Heyman instead.

 

[yoshi_doce2006]

Kurt Angle is so good in the ring and so intense he could make even the worst storylines interesting. Even on ECW which was actually decent at the time he made it better. Unfortunately he was released not long after being drafted to ECW but I think he did a great job there. It is hard to misuse someone who is so good they can make their own misuse look like gold which Angle can do.

 

[MrMcCool]

Well guys, I agree and disagree.

I agree because I think they should take advantage of everything that goes on in the media, and the world, just like Sgt. Slaughter back in the day with the Iraq gimmick. Its wrestling, its entertainment, everything is all good.

Here is where i disagree, the public, and mainly the media, wouldnt go for it!! Vince would be criticized for using a tragedy to make money. People have trouble looking passed the entertainment part, they come down hard on wrestling, and if they played off a tragedy, there comes bad publicity!!

 

[Leeds Guy]

Um, Angle beat Austin for the WWE title at Unforgiven 2001, which was only about 2 weeks after 9/11. Sure, it was a really short reign but still, he was still pushed as the American Hero by beating the top heel during a tragic time. Even as the mole, he was still a big reason why the Alliance lost against the WWE.

Having the title for a piss poor reign OR giving him the title as the American hero to carry to Wrestlemania? people are still upset about the tragedy today so Kurt Angle defending at Wrestlemania under the American hero gimmick could have eased people, they could have looked at Kurt as their hero who overcame steep challenges to get to Mania as the WWF Champion. Plus he was super over at that time nearly as over as The Rock. Pushing him as the Hero could have changed his career looking back on it, it was a horrible decision to use him as the mole. They could have easily replace Angle with Austin as the mole and could have come about saying 'it was all planned in the beginning' this whole mole business ruined Angles face push.

The only time I've felt Angle really was misused was when they put him on ECW. I thought for sure he'd be the one to be RVD for the belt, but instead they go with Big Show. Kurt's not only a much better wrestler than Show but a better heel and it would've been huge if Kurt and aligned himself with Heyman instead.

Not really, The ECW title is and was beneath Kurt Angle. I agree alligning with Heyman could have been good for Heel Kurt Angle but I still stand by my opinion that Angle would have had a differant career today and would probably still be a top face had the WWE pushed him harder around 9/11

I agree because I think they should take advantage of everything that goes on in the media, and the world, just like Sgt. Slaughter back in the day with the Iraq gimmick. Its wrestling, its entertainment, everything is all good.

Exactly plus like I say it was a desperate time for the Americans and having Kurt Angle as the hero they could look up to could have help American citizens get back on with their lives.

Here is where i disagree, the public, and mainly the media, wouldnt go for it!! Vince would be criticized for using a tragedy to make money. People have trouble looking passed the entertainment part, they come down hard on wrestling, and if they played off a tragedy, there comes bad publicity!!

So your telling me that the Media and the public would piss at Vince for Pushing the one man who is the epitome of American culture as his Champion. I dont agree the media surely would have seen this as a good move and the public would have looked at Kurt as the hero who can take all the negetivity (eg: beatdowns screwjobs etc) and turn it into a good thing (eg: Undisputed Champion) and they maybe would have thought to do the same.

Plus having Kurt Angle as a top face winning the Undisputed Championship would have been much more memorible than Jerichos piss poor reign.

 

[truk24]

No, not a good idea at all, and it wasn't a missed opportunity. In fact it was in good taste to not mimmick the largest attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor. I'm glad that they didn't go this route as it would have been to bold of a move to do. Angle built a great legacy in the WWE, and I don't know where any get off thinking that the WWE didn't push Kurt Angle soon enough, he was a multiple title holder. He did just fine when he was here, and it was ashame to see him go, as he was the best man for ECW. Angle made it seem important kind of like Hart did when he wrestled for the WWF.

 

[Leeds Guy]

No, not a good idea at all, and it wasn't a missed opportunity. In fact it was in good taste to not mimmick the largest attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor.

Yet the WWE went ahead with the Mohammed Hassan Terrorist gimmick anyway. Pushing Kurt as the top face American Hero would have harbored no bad publicity.

Angle built a great legacy in the WWE, and I don't know where any get off thinking that the WWE didn't push Kurt Angle soon enough, he was a multiple title holder.

Im not saying he didnt build a great legacy all I'm saying is it could have been differant. Instead of remembering the whiney cowardly heel Angle, we could have been remembering the super over American Hero Kurt Angle. Besides his career might have gone differantly, he may not have left had he been pushed as a face. He could have been on HHH face level today and not needing a fat asses help to win in the piss poor wrestling company that is TNA

He did just fine when he was here, and it was ashame to see him go, as he was the best man for ECW. Angle made it seem important kind of like Hart did when he wrestled for the WWF.

Angle was well above ECW but I agree is was a shame to see him go. Maybe if he would have gotten the huge face push his career may have been differant and he would still be in the WWE today.