Kurt Angle: What's Next?

[hatehabsforever]

So now that Wrestlemania is over, and we all turn our attention to the post-Wrestlemania episodes of Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live and beyond, I cannot help but wonder where things are heading, if anywhere, with our milk chugging Olympic hero.

On one side of the coin, WWE seems to be more open than ever to part time talent. Bill Goldberg. Brock Lesnar. Chris Jericho. The Rock. The Hardy Boys? At one point, you were either in and going a full time schedule, or you were out, toiling in obscurity elsewhere. But now, lots of guys do the part time schtick, which could potentially suit Kurt Angle quite well.

But on the other side of the coin, it is pretty unusual to see someone get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and then return to in ring competition to a significant degree (if at all). Guy who have entered the hallowed Hall can do commentary. They may do guest referee appearances. They can be an on screen authority figure, or a behind the scenes trainer or agent or whatever. But I am struggling to think of someone get inducted into WWE Hall of Fame, and return to active/semi-active in ring competition. Generally that may be because they are older, or physically unable to go anymore, or simply because they are at peace with staying on the sidelines at this stage of their careers.

Kurt Angle seems a little different to me though. He isn't that old. I think he may have some physical limitations, but he can probably still maintain a semi active degree of in ring competition. And to me he doesn't seem mentally ready to hang the boots up yet. In recent interviews he talked freely about wanting to prove himself in the ring again, that his in ring career was not over yet. He has spoken not about if he would wrestle again, but when. That may be all well and good, but I would be surprised to see him go elsewhere now, after just coming "home". And I cannot think of anyone who has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and gone on to wrestle again. A one off novelty match perhaps (such as Bret Hart versus Vince McMahon). But that's about it.

So what do you all think. Will Angle simply be retired and that's that? Will he transition over into an on screen but non wrestling capacity (I hear RAW is looking for a new general manager)? Or will he be given an opportunity to display the three I's again in a meaningful manner as an active/semi-active competitor (either in a one off, or in something more regular and significant?

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I sincerely wish Angle and this whole TNA thing had caused him to sign with the WWE(part time or full time) YEARS ago, perhaps by 2010-2011.

I can't emphasize it enough. Because by now, we'd have seen Angle vs Bryan, Angle vs CM Punk, Angle vs AJ Styles, and Angle vs Brock Lesnar, and perhaps feuds with HHH and Cena as well.

In fact, as of this moment, we'd be hoping Angle goes one on one against Finn Balor, Samoa Joe(in WWE), and Shinsuke Nakamura before retiring.

On a similar note, I feel the same for STING.

Why couldn't he sign with the WWE in by 2010 or 2011? God. All those wasted years in TNA.

We all know how dismal both Angle and Sting's last few years were in TNA.

At any rate,

I do want to see Angle in a Wrestling capacity in the WWE against half a dozen or so wrestlers, in gruelling matches.

I don't think he's as amazing as he was even a few years ago, as far as his body conditioning goes. (He's 48, if I'm not mistaken).

I hope and wish he has 2 good years left in him, which the WWE should only use to get a couple of decent feuds and matches, as well as plenty of In-ring segments, whether as a Wrestler or a GM or both.

So he definitely should be used the way Brock is, in a part-time Wrestling capacity.

The only difference being, Angle will give us 5-star matches with AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and hopefully Shinsuke Nakamura. Whereas we know the quality of matches Lesnar gives.

Also, I wish he's not wasted on Lesnar, as they've already had many matches in the WWE and Lesnar doesn't deserve that honour. Styles, Joe, KO, even Sheamus does.

Oh, I forgot CESARO.

Kurt Angle vs Cesaro in a Wrestlemania or a Summerslam mainevent for the Universal Title!

 

[LoveReignsO'erMe]

In the short-term, I would love to see him appear tonight and confront Owens and talk about how he doesn't have the integrity to carry the UNITED STATES title. Presumably Owens would come out and cut a promo about how worthless the title is but he at least enjoyed the satisfaction of taking it from Jericho, blah blah. Then Angle's music hits, he defends the US title and runs down Owens, leading to a 2-3 PPV program between the two.

In the long-term, I definitely want to see him in a WM ring again, but I'm not sure who that opponent would be. Maybe they could do something to build to Angle/Styles? Or Angle/Balor?

 

[LBGetBack]

Ricky Steamboat wrestled a few matches against Chris Jericho in 2009, after he was already a hall of famer and 15 years after he'd last wrestled. So it has happened.

 

[Goldie]

The WWE are much stricter on physical and mental well being TNA- whereas TNA would let Angle wrestle as often as he could, WWE would be far more concerned with Angles long term neck problems, and the WWE medical team might be reluctant to clear him.

It is possible he might wrestle as a one-off.... at a big PPV show.
But a full schedule... or even part time schedule is unlikely

 

[ShinChan]

Just think of the possibilities of match-ups if Kurt Angle returns to in-ring action.

Seth Rollins
Samoa Joe
AJ Styles
John Cena
Randy Orton
Kevin Owens
Cesaro
Sami Zayn
Dean Ambrose
Roman Reigns
Braun Strowman

He should surely return to in-ring action. But not just for a random PPV. Summerslam or Wrestlemania or even Royal Rumble would be alright.

Not sure about now but he did have good matches with Drew Galloway in his farewell tour in TNA.

 

[sikkbones]

If they won't let Bryan return I highly suspect they will never ever clear Kurt angleor competition.

Last thing they need is him relapsing or worse while under wwe payroll.

Angle is a household name, like hogan, and not from anything he's done in the wwe.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Angle is doing "what's next" for the foreseeable future as Raw's General Manager. He'll appear on TV once or twice each week, maybe more often in an occasional show if there's something big looming on the horizon.

Ultimately, I see Kurt Angle wrestling at WrestleMania next year. If he's medically cleared, I fully expect Angle to join the ranks of the "part timers" and we'll all cheer and shout and proclaim all is right with the world. That is, that's what we'll do if the match doesn't suck and/or Angle doesn't get hurt, in which case many of us will suddenly behave as though we were against the idea from the beginning and we'll want to crucify WWE for such a horrible idea in the first place.

 

[TDFG]

If Angle was to somehow pass the WWE's medical testing then I think he'll wrestle a schedule similar to Undertaker & HHH.

If RAW & Smackdown were to face-off at Survivor Series this year then Angle being part of Team RAW seems logical.

Getting suplexed multiple times during a match doesn't make sense for some with neck issues like Angle but maybe somewhere down the road there could be interest in one more Angle v Lesnar match.

 

[TheCrusher]

Don't know if he'll ever go full-out in a wrestling match again, but you could still buy him getting fed-up with somebody and giving them an Olympic Slam or something.

I do know that while I missed a Raw in there he has been really funny in the role of the clueless yokel who's actually not as clueless as he seems. His first meeting with Enzo and Cass was hilarious. I was always so impressed with Angle in the ring and on the mat that I darn near forgot how talented a comic he is. He's really pretty fearless about being the butt of his own joke.

 

[chicagokmc]

Creative, I beg you, whatever you do next with Angle, please do not give us Angle vs the Authority!! We've had years of the heel Authority fighting the face GM and I don't care to see it any more. Let Angle just be the GM and keep Stephanie off screen. Please!!