Kurt Angle

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Kurt Steven Angle United StatesUnited States
TNA World Heavyweight and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Angle in 2007.

TNA World Heavyweight and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Angle in 2007.
Data
Ring name Kurt Angle
Additions to names The Olympic Hero
The Wrestling Machine
height 178 cm
Fighting weight 102 kg
birth December 9, 1968
Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Announced from Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania
Trained by Tom Prichard,
Dory Funk, Jr.
debut August 20, 1998
retirement April 7, 2019

Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania ) is a retired American wrestler and professional wrestler . As a wrestler, Angle won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta . He is also a former WWE Champion , WCW Champion , WWE World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Grand Slam Champion .

Wrestling career

Angle, who was born the sixth of seven children and was a passionate freestyle wrestler in his youth , received a lot of recognition from early success as a teenager. In 1987 he was three times US junior champion and twice US champion in freestyle wrestling, in 1988 he was junior world champion. During his time as an amateur wrestler, he graduated from Clarion University in Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in geography in 1992 . He experienced the high point of his career in 1996 at the age of 27 when he won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta . Shortly afterwards it was found that Angle had a double fracture in the neck area during the tournament.

Wrestling career

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996)

Angle used his media presence as a gold medalist to appear in various advertising appearances and other smaller roles. However, his presence diminished sharply over time and he had to look for work. Because of this, Angle was persuaded to appear on October 26, 1996 at a show of the ECW promotion as a co-commentator to comment on a match between the two wrestlers Sandman and Raven . When, in the course of the match, Raven hung the Sandman from a wooden cross and even put a barbed wire crown on him, Angle immediately left the hall in protest and threatened to sue the ECW if he were to be seen in the recording of this program on TV.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (1999-2006)

Eurocontinental Champion and WWF Champion (1999-2003)

In 1999 Angle completed a trial training at the wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and received a five-year contract. After he was built for a long time in development camps of the WWE, he made his debut on November 14, 1999 at the Survivor Series in Detroit / Michigan , defeating Shawn Stasiak . He then remained undefeated for several weeks until he was defeated at the Royal Rumble on January 23, 2000 by the then debut Tazz . Kurt was portrayed as a typical, lovable American who did not hide his country and patriotism. This gimmick was a nod to the heroic, super-good patriotic baby faces of the 80s. However, in the days of anti-heroes in wrestling, Angle was intended as a heel . In 2000 he won the King Of The Ring tournament. Angle, who was marketable because of his gold medal and was promoted accordingly by the WWE, received all of the WWE's important individual titles in his first year as a professional.

As part of a storyline in 2002, Angle lost a hair vs. at the pay-per-view event Judgment Day in 2002. Hair match against Edge . Angle had to be shaved, but remained bald even after leaving the WWE.

Grand Slam Champion and Team Angle (2004-2005)

Angle at SummerSlam 2005 .

Shortly before Wrestlemania 20 in March 2004, he was again diagnosed with a neck injury. Angle competed in Wrestlemania 20 for the title of WWE Champion against title holder Eddie Guerrero , but did not win the title. The break because of the injury explained the wrestling promotion with the fact that Kurt Angle was seriously injured in a chokeslam from The Big Show . The World Wrestling Entertainment wrote, since Angle was unable to work as a wrestler, a storyline in which they declared him the "General Manager" of their television show Smackdown . Angle performed while sitting in a wheelchair during this time. When Angle was able to contest wrestling matches again, the promotion initiated a feud with Eddie Guerrero by masked Angle intervening in a match by Guerrero and let him expose the masquerade. The storyline of the “General Manager” was ended by “firing” Angle for making wrong decisions.

In the following years, Angle was switched back and forth several times between the two WWE television shows RAW and Smackdown. As part of a storyline, there were several matches in which he used his gold medal from the Olympic Games as a prize. Regarded as one of the finest technical wrestlers due to his training as a wrestler, Angle appeared regularly on WWE's pay-per-view shows.

World Heavyweight Champion and Dismissal (2006)

Angle performs the ankle lock on Shawn Michaels .

On 10 January 2006 Kurt Angle appeared that in RAW - Roster of WWE was in WWE TV show Smackdown! . There he won the World Heavyweight Championship that was declared vacant in a Battle Royal that same evening and switched back to the SmackDown! Roster due to the storyline.

After a few title defenses against Mark Henry or the Undertaker , Angle lost his title in a triple threat match at Wrestlemania 22, in which Randy Orton was involved, against Rey Mysterio . Mysterio's title win was intended as a tribute to the wrestler Eddie Guerrero , who died in November 2005 and a longtime friend of Mysterio.

Angle then took an injury hiatus before World Wrestling Entertainment sent him to the roster of the new roster ECW. There he rarely appeared because of the long-term consequences of a neck injury. Still, Kurt Angle took part in the ECW One Night Stand 2006 show on June 11, 2006 as an active member of the ECW roster. He won by giving up against Randy Orton .

On August 25, 2006, World Wrestling Entertainment announced surprisingly that Kurt Angle had been released from his current contract. Initially, it was believed that the discharge was unilateral to protect Angle from his own negligence - he had always refused a long break to regenerate and cure his chronic injuries. In an emotional open letter Angle was a week later announced that a statement of his wife, it had serious fear for his life, and in a short subsequent match at a house show suffered further injury would ultimately moved him to a voluntary resignation. However, Angle explicitly addressed the possibility of a return to the ring.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2006-2016)

The Angle Alliance and TNA World Heavyweight Champion (2006-2008)

Angle performs the ankle lock on Jeff Jarrett .

Meanwhile, following his WWE firing, Angle was signed by Dixie Carter, president of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The agreement between Kurt Angle and TNA came as a surprise, as Angle had talked about a move to the UFC a week earlier and had long-term thoughts of a comeback at WWE. Angle has significantly fewer appearances at TNA. Angle got a feud with the previously undefeated Samoa Joe . At the TNA pay-per-view event "Bound for Glory" on October 22, 2006, Angle was special referee in the title match between TNA stars Jeff Jarrett and Sting . After the successful end of the storyline for Angle with Samoa Joe, Angle was then declared a challenger to the NWA World Heavyweight title , which was held by Christian Cage . Angle was the first to receive the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at the TNA “Slammiversary” pay-per-view event . At the same time, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at TNA was retired and no longer defended because the business relationship between the NWA and TNA ended. In the Hard Justice Pay-Per-View, Kurt Angle won the TNA X Division Championship and the TNA World Tag Team Championship , holding all of the promotion titles at the same time. Sting won the right to be Angles Tag Team Partner and Champion in a match against Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christian Cage on August 27, 2007 at TNA iMPACT! . At the following pay-per-view, Angle lost the X Division Title against “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal and the Tag Team Title held together with Sting against Team Pacman consisting of Adam “Pac Man” Jones and Ron “The Truth” Killings .

On September 28, 2007, Kurt Angle was arrested for drink driving. The problem with that was the upcoming and biggest TNA event of the year, the "Bound for Glory". The current TNA World Heavyweight Champion will be the headliner there. After a driver became aware of him, Angle was caught and subsequently failed an alcohol test. However, he refused to have a blood test. Afterward, Angle was taken to a local hospital. However, the episode had no impact on Angle's wrestling career.

The Main Event Mafia and Immortal (2008-2013)

Kurt Angle performs the moonsault on Jeff Jarrett .

On April 14, 2008 Angle lost the TNA Heavyweight title at the PPV event "Lockdown" to Samoa Joe. At the PPV event "Sacrifice" a rematch was scheduled, in which Scott Steiner was to take part in addition to the two. But due to an injury, Kurt was replaced by Kaz.

On June 21, 2009 Angle was able to become TNA World Heavyweight Champion for the fourth time. He defeated Mick Foley , Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe in a than the King of the Mountain match pay-per-view broadcast major event Slammiversary in Auburn Hills ( Michigan to be) to the new champion. Angle lost the title to AJ Styles again in September.

After several feuds in the middle combat map, he won the World Heavyweight title from Sting on August 7, 2011 at the major event Hardcore Justice 2011 . With this title win, he was the first TNA wrestler to secure this title five times. On October 18, 2011, he lost the Impact Wrestling Recorded title to James Storm .

At Slammiversary X on June 10, 2012 Angle won the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the second time with AJ Styles by Christopher Daniels and Kazarian , but lost it again at Impact Wrestling on June 28, 2012 to the same.

Admission to the Hall of Fame (2013-2015)

On June 2, 2013 at Slammiversary XI , Angle was named a second member of the TNA Hall of Fame . On January 31, 2015, he was allowed to defeat Bobby Lashley and became the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the sixth time. After 145 days of title reign, he had to surrender the title to Ethan Carter III on June 25, 2015 .

He played his last match for TNA on January 31, 2016. In this 608th edition of Impact Wrestling, he lost his last match against Bobby Lashley.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2007-2009)

On February 18, 2007, Angle made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling . He won the (IGF) IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Brock Lesnar shortly afterwards . Angle lost that in 2008 to ( NJPW ) IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura , who combined both championships. Angle played his last match for NJPW on April 5, 2009. He challenged the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tanahashi, but failed.

Independent Leagues (2016-2017)

After leaving TNA, he played a few matches in smaller promotions between March and November 2016 (WCPW, RPW, ICW and NEW). Among other things, he met in the matches on Cody Rhodes , Rey Mysterio, Zack Saber Jr. and Alberto El Patrón . He played his last match before returning to WWE on March 3, 2017. This time he met Cody Rhodes in a steel cage match at NEW, which Rhodes won.

Return to WWE 2017-2020

Hall of Famer, end of career and engagement as a producer (2017-2020)

On January 16, 2017, it was announced that Kurt Angle would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame . On Monday Night Raw on April 3, 2017, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon named Kurt Angle as the show's new general manager. On October 22, 2017, Angle played a match at WWE TLC 2017 for the first time in eleven years . At WrestleMania 34, Angle won a mixed tag team match with Ronda Rousey against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon after Stephanie retired at Rousey's armbar . Angle got into the ring one last time at WrestleMania 35 against Baron Corbin and lost, then, as previously announced, he ended his active career and moved to the production department of the promotion.

In mid-April 2020, WWE laid off Angle due to savings due to the global COVID-19 pandemic . In the match between Timothy Thatcher and Matt Riddle , Angle was used in the role of Special Guest Referee , and he appeared again on May 29, 2020 at WWE SmackDown! there to accompany Matt Riddle's rise to the main roster . However, Angle turned down a new contract with WWE.

Titles and awards

As a wrestler

TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle with his then wife Karen at Impact .
  • Inoki Genome Federation
    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship (Third Belt Version 1 ×)
  • Power Pro Wrestling
    • PPW Heavyweight Championship (1 ×)

As a wrestler

  • Canadian Cup Championship
    • Winner (1990)
  • Collegiate / high school
    • Clarion University Freshman of the Year (1988)
    • Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion (1987)
  • International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
    • FILA Junior World Freestyle Champion (1988)
    • FILA World Championships gold medal in freestyle wrestling (100 kg) (1995)
  • International Sports Hall of Fame
    • Class of 2016
  • National Amateur Wrestling
    • National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2001)
  • Olympic games
    • Gold medal in freestyle wrestling (heavyweight), 1996
  • USA wrestling
    • USA Junior Freestyle Champion (1987)
    • USA Senior Freestyle Champion (1995, 1996)
    • USA Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2001)
    • Greatest Shoot Wrestler of All-Time

Statistics in the wrestling

Result opponent date event
victory Kenan Simsek August 13, 1995 World Wrestling Championships 1995
victory Josef Glazer August 13, 1995 World Wrestling Championships 1995
victory Oleg Ladik August 13, 1995 World Wrestling Championships 1995
victory Arawat Sabeyev August 13, 1995 World Wrestling Championships 1995
victory Dolgorsürengiin Sumyaabazar July 30, 1996 Olympia 1996
victory Wilfredo Morales July 30, 1996 Olympia 1996
victory Sagid Murtazaliev July 31, 1996 Olympia 1996
victory Konstantin Aleksandrov July 31, 1996 Olympia 1996
victory Abbas Jadidi July 31, 1996 Olympia 1996

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ www.washingtonpost.com
  2. ↑ Silver Version: DVD ECW One Night Stand 2006 , 2007
  3. ↑ Kurt Angle Reveals New Role In WWE And Length Of Latest Contract , prowrestlingsheet.com, accessed April 17, 2020
  4. ↑ Which WWE superstars have been released? Vince McMahon's full cut list as Rusev, Kurt Angle and Drake Maverick react , thesun.co.uk, accessed on April 17, 2020 (English)
  5. ↑ [1]

Web links

Commons : Kurt Angle  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Angle, Kurt
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Angle, Kurt Steven
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American wrestler and wrestler
DATE OF BIRTH December 9, 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania