Is Kurt Angle Taking A Back Seat?

[FitFinlay4Life]

In the last few months Kurt Angle has put Jeff Hardy over cleanly helping a great deal in the Charismatic Enigma's rehabilitation in fans eyes. Next he turned face and played a supporting role in AJ Styles ongoing issues with Chris Daniels and Frankie Kazarian. Just last Sunday at Destination X, not only did he put over Samoa Joe - he put him over BIG, allegedly passing out to the Samoan Submission Machine's Coquina Clutch. Strangely, he is the only top TNA star who didn't have a chasing WHC storyline with Roode prior to the casting of the BFG Series.

Kurt will be 44 by the time this year comes to a close but (as anyone who witnessed DX can attest) he can still put on a show that few can match so here are the thought provokers...

Do you think he has any pushes still ahead of him? How much longer do you think he will go? How would you use him (firstly in the current BFG Series and then beyond)?

These are just feelers with the intention of uncovering how everyone thinks the road ahead paves out for our Olympic hero. Please share your feelings!

 

[RawIsJericho]

These sorts of things are what makes Angle one of if not the best in the business. For all of the fantastic things about Angle, perhaps his greatest asset is his ability to make everyone that becomes involved with him look great and that's how he has been utilized in recent times. His Olympic ambitions also meant it was best for him to be used this way for the time being.

His character is always one to get tied up with other things but after being away from the title long enough come out and make it quite clear that he will now be chasing after the title again.

I really don't see Kurt going anywhere any time soon so I'm sure he will come after the title again eventually. I imagine he'll be near the top of the BFG series come the end of it, something will play out with Roode/Aries/Storm and come the end of the BFG series and once all that is cleaned up, then Angle will come out and say right, it's time for me to get the belt again thanks.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Angle has said repeatedly he has NO issue putting over young talent, if the moment calls for it. He's also said repeatedly that he wants to do everything he can to get guys like Joe, Styles, etc. over, so I'm not shocked at ALL that he's being used the way he is at the moment.

Is he taking a back seat? I guess, but I'd never label it as such. He's simply helping to get the "young guys" over.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

Kurt Angle is the best TNA wrestler. I don't care what anyone else says. He's proven time and time again as not only TNA World Champion, but as a legit competitor who has taken every risk in the book to outperform everyone. He also has a history of putting others over in TNA. It was great seeing Samoa Joe get the victory, because it made him look devastating again (shades of 2006). Kurt Angle is just taking a step back for others to advance ahead of him. He does that from time to time before winning a few matches here and there to keep himself in the game. He's done it with AJ Styles, Christian Cage, James Storm, Mr Anderson, Jay Lethal, Desmond Wolfe and Jeff Hardy. I don't think this is the last time Kurt Angle is gonna be in the Championship hunt. I'm pretty sure at his age helping others get over is one of his top priorities. Hopefully he puts over Austin Aries should they encounter each other in the near future for the World title. That would boost Aries with the best in TNA, despite many thinking otherwise.

 

[Jatkuva]

I don't think Kurt Angle is really focused on having the title at this point in his career. When he talked about wrestling Hardy at Lockdown he said he wanted to put on a match better than HHH & Undertaker, a match of the year so to say. I think he realizes it's better for the company for him to not be the champion, but to go out there and wrestle the best match possible every night, and he has been delivering The DX ppv match was a 5 star match, the match were him and AJ lost the titles was great as well as the match where they won. I can't remember since he wasn't in the best match on the card(although Destination X I will say it wasn't better than Roode/A double , or AJ/daniels, cause they were all 5 star matches)

 

[Pera]

Kurt Angle is the best TNA wrestler. I don't care what anyone else says. He's proven time and time again as not only TNA World Champion, but as a legit competitor who has taken every risk in the book to outperform everyone. He also has a history of putting others over in TNA. It was great seeing Samoa Joe get the victory, because it made him look devastating again (shades of 2006). Kurt Angle is just taking a step back for others to advance ahead of him. He does that from time to time before winning a few matches here and there to keep himself in the game. He's done it with AJ Styles, Christian Cage, James Storm, Mr Anderson, Jay Lethal, Desmond Wolfe and Jeff Hardy. I don't think this is the last time Kurt Angle is gonna be in the Championship hunt. I'm pretty sure at his age helping others get over is one of his top priorities. Hopefully he puts over Austin Aries should they encounter each other in the near future for the World title. That would boost Aries with the best in TNA, despite many thinking otherwise.

Angle is certainly not TNA's best wrestler anymore. He has slowed down quite a bit in the last 24 months and his last great match (excluding the Slammiversary Tag Team) was Lockdown 2010. There are plenty of other guys who have now gone past him, and it's now his job as a legend, to put these guys over.

He has still got another World Title run in him, no doubt, but the days of getting a five star classic guaranteed from Kurt are long gone. He is playing the perfect role for a man his age and I hope TNA continue to utilise him in a similar manner.

 

[IT Factor]

Is Kurt Angle taking a back seat? Simply put, no. Kurt debuted in TNA and won every major title[except for the Legends/TV title] and also had some killer matches with Joe, Christian Cage, Sting, Jarrett, so on.....

I think Angle is in the best position on the roster, honestly. He's able to put over others on a regular basis, without it hurting his credibility to do so. He could also start winning at any point and fans wouldn't think less of it. The thing TNA needs to do is pick a role for Angle. Stop turning him heel and then back face. Pick one or the other and stick with it.

 

[Kizzani]

Kurt can't take a back seat but should. This would help him avoid DUI's, Now if we can find away to keep him away from twitter while he is drunk.

I think Kurt is just in a bad spot right now, I am sure he wasn't written into any stories because of him idea of joining the wrestling team. I am guessing he was pretty sure he wouldn't be on TV and instead wrestling for the Olympic team. So instead of just tossing him in there, TNA is doing something smart ( damn that was a first) and having him help the talent that needs to get over more get there. He has done a lot in the Business and he realizes it is all about timing. Or the more realistic reason, he has found some one he loves and is planning a wedding and honeymoon and being away for a little while. Plus he has a 1 1/2 old baby. As a father I love spending time with my kids (2) so staying off the radar but still wrestling and staying relevant is a good idea.

 

[multiverseman.com]

He's supposed to take a backseat. That's what you do at this stage of his career.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I think really he is being used perfectly, I would've liked him to be tagging with AJ longer as some unstoppable team but alas Styles seems to have moved on. Was very happy he put over Samoa Joe.

 

[Skinsley]

Kurt Angle is one of, if not the best in ring performer wrestling has ever seen. And to be putting over talent in TNA is exactly what he needs to be doing with his career right now.
I am shocked that a man who should have the biggest Ego in the company, is doing the best thing he could possibly do to build for the future of the company rather than go after the Heavyweight Title, like we all know he has the backstage presence to get if he wanted.

Kurt will almost certainly get a title run before he retires. But for now he is doing a great thing for the future of the company, and that is giving the right rub to the guys who will be around for another 5 -10 or so years from now. (if Daddys money does'nt run out by then)

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I guess you could call it that. As he's no longer at the center of things, or really anywhere close to it, isn't a realistic threat for the title at this point in time, isn't going after the title then I guess he could be "taking a back seat". And, in my opinion, that's exactly how it should be right now.

Angle's great, I don't think anybody can consider themselves to be a wrestling fan without at least liking Angle at least some. He's a great athlete that reached the pinnacle of amateur wrestling then came to pro wrestling and took to it like a fish takes to water. He was a huge success in WWE, he's done just about everything that can be done in TNA while becoming, probably, the most dominant guy in the history of the company. All that being said, however, Kurt Angle is not the future of TNA and I'm pleased as punch that TNA finally came to realize it.

As someone already mentioned, Kurt Angle is almost 44 years of age. He's still in great shape and can still go despite the fact that he's not what he used to be because of the wear & tear on his body. Relying on former WWE guys to build the company is something that really hasn't worked. In the eyes of a lot of people, it's made TNA look second rate. It's really only been within the last 10 months or so that TNA has actually started putting focus towards guys who aren't former WWE wrestlers, to build them into stars to potentially carry the company for several years. The three top guys in TNA right now are Bobby Roode, James Storm and Austin Aries. While none of these three guys are "young" in the sense that they're fresh faced, they're still young men in the grand scheme of things and the fact that TNA is using them as top guys instead of putting nearly all their attention on former WCW and WWE guys has been one of the several substantial improvements TNA has been over the course of the past year. If TNA wants to build itself then, in my view, this is a strategy it needs to stay with instead of relying on already made big names from much bigger companies.

As far as Angle and pushes go, I'm sure he'll get another one before it's all said and done. Remember, Kurt Angle is basically beloved in Dixie Carter's eyes. Anything Angle wants, he gets. That's how it's been since he came to TNA and there's no reason to believe that's changed. If Angle goes to Dixie and tells her that he wants a push, Dixie will find a way to make it happen.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

Angle is certainly not TNA's best wrestler anymore. He has slowed down quite a bit in the last 24 months and his last great match (excluding the Slammiversary Tag Team) was Lockdown 2010. There are plenty of other guys who have now gone past him, and it's now his job as a legend, to put these guys over.

Of course he's gonna slow down at his age. The same applies to Sting. That hasn't really deterred his risk-taking or fluidity in the ring. Kurt Angle doesn't always need to deliver 5-star classic matches in order to be considered the best. He's dedicated, has the willingness to go the extra mile in any capacity, has the veteran experience and is the overall package. The only two other guys that come close are AJ Styles and Bobby Roode. In due time, they'll certainly surpass Kurt Angle, but as long as Angle is around there is something special that I can't really describe about him. He just stands out as a guy that has done everything in wrestling and continues to build his success today going toe to toe with any TNA wrestler. He makes everyone he wrestles look double-awesome unless the opponent is a booked-to-be-squashed Robbie E.

 

[Vintage]

Angle should always be 1 win away from title contention. He's a great feather in your cap to solidify a title reign. He's also good for a transition champ to put heels over on major PPV's. That said, he is being used pretty well right now putting the right people over. He would be better off helping out the tag division right now with someone who's lost in the mix and has no real program going on like Mr Anderson or Sting.

 

[IT Factor]

Kurt Angle will go down as one of the best in-ring performers of all time. He has done alot to help TNA establish itself and he's done so willingly. Angle is the textbook example of how former WWE stars should be helping to put over TNA talents to make them seem on the level. Like I said before, Kurt could keep putting over guys and still be just another storyline away from being in World Title contention if TNA so chooses. Not a bad place to be......

 

[The Talon]

Absolutely yes. He's just drifting through TNA, waiting for Crearive to give him something. I thought they might do something with the championship reign with AJ, but that went nowhere and just ended up being useless entirely. But really, Angle's been in TNA for 6 years now. He's done everything he could do for the company & fans of TNA worldwide. It would be a good move for him to retire because of these facts & the fact that he's in his mid-40's. He can still go in the ring, it would just be a hell of a lot harder for him to go in the ring. But fans of wrestling all-over will recognize the fact that Kurt Angle is one of the greatest pro-wrestlers of all time

 

[TheWrestlo]

Kurt Angle is indeed one of the best, and him putting over talent is just making him even better.

Kurt as been wrestling for 13 years and since his debut has done so much to revolutionize wrestling, back in the WWE he was European champ, IC champ, one of the 3 "EuroContiental" champions, Tag champion, WHC, King of the Ring, HC champion, and last but not least, 4 time WWE champion.

Now his achievements in TNA have been less, but only because the world title and X division title are the only relevant titles and now hes to heavy to compete in the X division, but he still held that back in 07 and is also a 2 time tag champ, and 5 time world champ.

Doing all of this has kept wrestling fans entertained for the past 12 years, and we have enjoyed Kurt, as a face or a heel, but sooner or later he will have to leave, and im sure Kurt wants to leave knowing that he helped build dome of the best in the biss and he did such as AJ, Edge, Brock, and Joe among others.

Although I would like to see Kurt Angle get another push, this is just a phase of wrestling that every superstar as or will go through, even super cena will start a losing streak to younger guys when hes in his 40s

 

[HBsam31]

I like where Kurt is right now. He is one of the best to ever lace up the boots, and has won his share of titles. Kurt has done a lot to help TNA, and right now he is helping to get other guys over. I think him taking a backseat is a good thing right now, but Kurt is always just a few wins away from title contention. I for one would love to see Angle and Aries go at it. I am sure he will get one more push before his time is done, but I would think he is happy helping the younger guys now.

 

[whoopin' ass]

he is doing what he should be doing, getting the next batch of guys ready. he knows his time in the ring is limited and in order to make the guys coming up seem like champs, he has to put them over. i am fine with how he is being handled. he isn't the center piece of the show yet if he won the title tomorrow, no one would be surprised.

 

[midgensa]

Kurt Angle is simply turning into Shawn Michaels. He is someone who DOES NOT NEED THE STRAP to sell tickets, merchandise and boost ratings.

He is being used perfectly. He is putting over solid talent ... and single handedly made Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe relevant again (hell, he has us wondering if Joe can win BFG instead of James Storm). He can easily be thrown into the World Title mix at any point and be believable, but as long as the company does not HAVE to have him there, then they might as well use his drawing power elsewhere on the card.

I think he is wrestling damn near perfectly. His matches still steal the show on almost every PPV and he works his ass off. Everyone knows he is a little bit of a headcase sometimes, but in the end, he is a professional and one of the best we will ever see.

People comment on the constant heel and face turns (which honestly have followed him his entire career, not just in TNA) ... but it is because he is SO good when he is a heel, but his wrestling style, Olympic glory and OBVIOUS in-ring work ethic make him so difficult to cheer against.

I think it is unfair to say he is taking a backseat ... he is just simply doing what he has always done. Being the best he can be ... right now that is putting others over.