Kurt Angle Says ‘It Would Be An Honor’ To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame
Kurt Angle has been away from WWE for a decade, and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like he’ll be returning to the company any time soon. But, that doesn’t mean that the former WWE and TNA World Heavyweight Champion isn’t interested in reuniting with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
As of today, Angle is a free agent, and he’s claiming that he plans to take a year off from professional wrestling so he can pursue other opportunities outside of the business, mainly in Hollywood. There’s also been some talk of Angle doing an MMA fight in Bellator against someone like Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock, or Royce Gracie.
No matter what Angle ends up doing over the next year, he’s hoping that WWE will eventually come calling, because he wants to finish his career in World Wrestling Entertainment.
It’s extremely rare that someone leaves WWE and never comes back, no matter how bad the circumstances surrounding their exit were. Guys like The Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, and Bret Hart all left WWE on bad terms. But they were all eventually welcomed back with open arms and inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame.
Will Kurt Angle wrestle in a WWE ring ever again? Well, that remains to be seen. But, due to all of the injuries that he’s suffered over the course of his 17-year career, the chances of him wrestling in WWE again seem slim.
Will Angle ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? Well, we don’t know the answer to that question right now, but it’s probably pretty safe to say that it’ll happen at some point.
During a recent Q&A on his Facebook page, Kurt Angle talked about possibly being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at some point. He said that it’s completely up to Vince McMahon, while adding that he would be honored if WWE decided to induct him into their Hall of Fame.
“I don’t know. I don’t control what WWE does and doesn’t do. It would be an honor to be inducted, but I’m not expecting anything from anyone. I’m taking my break one day at a time. This year is my year off.”
On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer was asked to explain why WWE hasn’t shown any interest in Kurt Angle since he became a free agent earlier this year. Meltzer’s answer was short, as he just said “Vince McMahon just doesn’t want him back in the company.”
Earlier this year, Angle explained why WWE hasn’t been interested in bringing him back, saying that their lack of interest in him almost certainly stems from his own personal and substance abuse issues.
From 2009 to 2013, Angle was arrested four different times for driving under the influence. Since then, he’s claimed that he’s been completely sober for the last two years, and that if WWE were to take him back, they wouldn’t be risking anything.
Angle does understand why WWE doesn’t want him back in the company, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not going to try to get back in the good graces of Vince McMahon.
Next year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will be taking place in Orlando, Florida, and Daniel Bryan, who retired earlier this year, will almost certainly be the headliner at next year’s Hall of Fame. So if WWE were to induct Angle next year, he’d probably have to accept the fact that he won’t be the biggest act on the show that night.
The city of Philadelphia has put in a bid for 2018’s WrestleMania 34, and Angle is from the state of Pennsylvania. So, if WWE were to induct Angle, that would be the time and the place to do it.
[Image via WWE]
