Kurt Angle Doesn’t See In-Ring Return For AEW
Kurt Angle recently shared his thoughts on a potential return to the ring or a jump to AEW, admitting the move doesn’t seem very likely.
During a recent episode of ‘The Kurt Angle Show’, the Olympic gold medalist discussed the recent debut of Paul Wight in AEW. The signing of Wight sent shockwaves throughout the world of professional wrestling, as the seven-foot performer had become a mainstay in WWE as The Big Show. His signing with AEW in February marked the end of a 21-year relationship with WWE.
Discussing the recent move with host Conrad Thompson, Angle admits he was surprised to see Paul Wight jump to AEW, but feels that perhaps frustrations with WWE led to the move:
“I always thought Paul would be with the WWE the rest of his life. They treat him really well, they did a lot for the Big Show. When he quit and went to be a boxer, he lost a bunch of money and Vince helped him out a little bit and got him back in the game. There are a lot of things that occurred where Vince McMahon showed his loyalty to Big Show and Big Show showed it back.
I thought he was in the company forever. I think Big Show probably felt a little bit under appreciated in WWE the last couple of years, they humbled him quite a bit. Had him job out here and there, I understand why he was frustrated but I thought he would be with the WWE forever. If he’s happy, I’m happy.”
Kurt Angle retired from in-ring competition at WrestleMania 35, following a losing effort against Baron Corbin. Recently, Angle posted a video online showing him lacing up his famous red boots, and wearing the singlet he would perform in. This led fans to speculate a potential return to the ring for the WWE Hall of Famer. However, the video was later revealed to be an advertisement for Angle’s weekly podcast.
Tune in. Oh, it’s true! It’s damn true! pic.twitter.com/sYKfPIdCQD
— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) March 7, 2021
When asked about a potential return to the ring in AEW, Kurt admits that he doesn’t think he’ll be stepping into the squared circle any time soon. However, he does feel that Paul Wight may have a match or two still in him:
“I don’t think so. I texted Big Show and said congratulations on signing with AEW and he said ‘Oh man, I feel like I’m 25.’ I was like holy shit, you’re going to wrestle? He didn’t answer me, but he said he felt like he was 25 again, I guess that means he’s going to wrestle, I don’t know.”
Similar to alleged frustrations felt by Paul Wight toward the end of his WWE tenure, Kurt Angle has also expressed his disappointment with the company at the tail end of his career. During an interview with Steve Austin on ‘Broken Skull Sessions’ in 2020, Angle revealed his original plan for an in-ring return. However, WWE had other ideas:
“What I wanted to do was, I wanted to do what Goldberg did. Have a quick title run, to do a main event. That wasn’t in the plans because whenever I did wrestle, I was getting my a*s beat, or it was a tag match with Ronda. It was to promote her, it wasn’t me. It was me, Triple H, and Stephanie highlighting Ronda […] And when I wrestled Baron Corbin, I would’ve preferred Stone Cold or The Rock or [John] Cena but… you know, Baron was a good kid, he was a tough worker, great guy. But to have that as my retirement match, it was a little bit, you know. They never treated me the same as they did the first time.”
Although Kurt Angle was released from WWE in 2020 following the Covid-19 budget cuts, the legendary performer has made sporadic appearances for the company.
Credit for Interview: The Kurt Angle Show