Kurt Angle has always been one of my favorite wrestlers. The 1996 Olympic Gold medalist in freestyle wrestling brought an heir of legitimacy with him never before seen in WWE when he debuted in 1999. From the moment he stepped inside the squared circle he was a natural, going on to become one of the most gifted in-ring performers in the history of the business. On top of that, he was great on the microphone, capable of cutting some of the funniest and most intense promos ever. Angle had tremendous success in a relatively short time with WWE. In seven years, he managed to capture every title there was to win in the company, including the world title four times. He was the workhorse, having the ability to put on a good match with anyone. Unfortunately, his 2006 exit from Vince McMahon’s company was not a pretty one. Opting to leave when Vince refused to give him time off when he was dealing with a serious painkiller addiction (according to the WWE, it was due to personal reasons). After a year hiatus, the “wrestling machine” popped up in TNA. Where he became the stalwart of the organization, having tremendous matches with the likes of Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles.
Now, however, with TNA seemingly on its last legs for the what seems like the 20th time in the last two years, Angle has announced his retirement from the company. Rumors have been floating around for months regarding a potential Angle return to WWE. I know there must be some reservations about his in-ring capacity at age 47, but as I will go through in this article, there are SO many other potential opportunities for him in WWE.
Wrestler
Obviously the most enticing choice. A Kurt Angle addition to the current WWE roster is indeed very tantalizing. He could do what Chris Jericho has been doing in recent years. Having great matches with the young guys while making them look good in the long run. Even if he does not work a full-time schedule, he could still be a major attraction. Him along with Brock Lesnar renewing their feud from Wrestlemania 19 at Wrestlemania 33 could be money. In a time when a major problem with Brock is that no one seems believable in beating him, Angle could be seen as a legitimate threat and could even topple the Beast.
Manager
Remember Team Angle? If not, they consisted of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, two very accomplished amateur wrestlers. They had the same ring attire as Angle and wrestled like him too. Well it seems WWE has that once again in their current NXT tag team champs. Jason Jordan and former Olympian Chad Gable could benefit immensely from Angle in a manger/mentor role. You have a tag team that’s gimmick is completely based on their amateur wrestling experience down to their ring attire, why not have the greatest amateur wrestler to ever set foot in WWE act as mentor to them? The NXT faithful seem open to the idea based on their recent chants of “Gable…Gable” in tune with Angel’s old theme “Metal.” The NXT tag champs and the only Olympic Gold medalist in WWE history would be a match made in heaven.
Commentator
Almost every wrestling purist appreciates Kurt Angle’s in-ring prowess. But, what people seem to forget was how comfortable he was with promos. Early in his career he was absolutely hilarious as a comedy heel. Later, on when he became the more intense Kurt Angle we know today, he was capable of mixing it up with the best of them. WWE is in desperate desperate need of new color commentators. JBL is grating, the King is just collecting a paycheck at this point, and I am still astounded why Byron Saxton is even there. Fans would salivate at the idea of a Mauro Ranallo/Kurt Angle combination in the booth. Two guys who really understand and appreciate the art of in-ring mastery. Ranallo’s tremendous play-by-play skills have already added some legitimacy to Smackdown broadcasts, an Angle addition could only further that.
NXT Trainer
Speaking of in-ring prowess, this is an absolutely no-brainer position for Angle. Throughout his entire career he was unbelievably smooth in the ring. He was the perfect combination of power and agility. Able to administer beautiful German and Belly-to-Belly suplexes, while also being able to hit a perfect moonsault and run up the turnbuckles with ease. This was reportedly an offer given to Daniel Bryan following his retirement, which if Bryan doesn’t take it, Angle would be an extremely beneficial mind in training the next generation of WWE stars.
So, will WWE sign Angle in any of these capacities? I do not know. Circumstances could dictate it. Maybe, Angle only wants to wrestle. Maybe Vince is still holding a grudge from when Angle bolted for TNA. Maybe, the rumored heat with Triple H is real? We may never see Angle in a WWE ring again, but I would sure love to see the Wrestling Machine return.
