Kurt Angle has revealed the WWE gimmick that everyone wanted to have.
The Hall of Famer had multiple iterations of his character in his own right, be it an American hero, comedic kissup or wrestling machine.
As part of the Angle evolution, the Olympic Gold Medal winner got multiple chances to show off his musical abilities, most notably the iconic Sexy Kurt segment. Angle would also show off his rap talents on an episode of SmackDown while feuding with the Dr. of Thuganomics himself, John Cena.
While speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, Angle revealed what he thought of Cena’s rap persona, stating that it was just as popular backstage as it was with the fans:
“John lit it up … he was so good at this and I’m surprised he didn’t begin his career with this — what a great gimmick to have, being able to rap with a beat,” Angle said. “Everybody was like ‘holy s**t’ and nobody was like laughing, it was like this guy has something here and everybody was a little jealous, to be honest with you.”
Following an impactful debut against the Hall of Famer, Cena found himself lost in the shuffle and struggling to break out in the Ruthless Aggression Era. On the cusp of being released from his contract, Stephanie McMahon heard Cena freestyle on a tour bus and persuaded higher-ups to work it into his new persona. What followed was the meteoric rise of Cena, going on to win his first Championship at WrestleMania 20 and record his debut album “You Can’t See Me.”
More than 20 years later, Cena still makes occasional appearances on SmackDown and has competed in at least one match each year. John Cena is set to have his latest match at WWE Crown Jewel 2023.
Will Kurt Angle Return?
The former World Champion had his retirement match at WrestleMania 35, losing to Baron Corbin at The Show of Shows. However, as has been the case over the years, wrestling retirements rarely stick. In a new interview, Kurt Angle has teased one more match.
H/t to Wrestling Inc.