WWE News: Recently Released Legend To Return On May 27 Episode Of ‘NXT’
With over a month passed since he was released from WWE as part of its massive job cuts in response to the coronavirus crisis, it looks like Kurt Angle will be back on the company’s programming on next Wednesday’s episode of NXT.
As confirmed by WWE on Saturday in a news release on its website, Angle will be serving as the special guest referee in the Cage Fight between Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher. The former tag team partners have been feuding over the past few weeks, with Thatcher — who was brought in as a replacement for Pete Dunne due to travel restrictions — turning on Riddle by walking out on him as they lost the NXT Tag Team Championships to Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) on May 13.
Further details on the upcoming Cage Fight are not yet available, though WhatCulture speculated that the match might feature rules that make it similar to a mixed martial arts bout. Before entering the world of sports entertainment, Angle gained fame as an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, while Riddle competed in UFC’s middleweight and welterweight divisions.
At the moment, it still isn’t clear whether Angle’s return will be a one-off appearance or if he will be brought back on a more long-term basis. However, recent rumors have suggested that WWE has created a shortlist of released wrestlers and other employees who could be brought back to the company once it recovers from the financial impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This list, apparently, does not include individuals who voluntarily chose to leave WWE after rejecting contract extension offers, as well as those who may not be rehired “under any circumstances.”
Tonight, it's ONE MORE GO for @RealKurtAngle at #WrestleMania! pic.twitter.com/EO9yk4rgo9
— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2019
Following his loss to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35 last year, Angle officially retired from in-ring competition and began working full-time for WWE as a backstage producer, making occasional appearances on television but not taking part in any storylines. Unlike other producers who were merely furloughed when WWE announced its coronavirus-related job cuts last month, the Hall of Famer was apparently released by the company, as previously noted by WrestlingNews.co.
Angle isn’t the only superstar from the April 15 batch of mass releases to be used on NXT despite no longer being under contract with WWE. As WhatCulture pointed out, Drake Maverick has yet to be eliminated from the ongoing tournament for the interim Cruiserweight Championship. He will also be competing on the May 27 episode of NXT, where he will face Kushida and Jake Atlas in a three-way Group A tiebreaker match.
