The whole Kurt Angle situation is really getting scary, as a public firing (or "mutual parting of the ways" in this case) means that he's so messed up that even the company that gave Jeff Hardy tons of chances won't give him another chance for a while. As much as I love to watch Kurt, it's time for him to hang it up and find something else to do with his career. He's a natural color commentator and would probably talk circles around Jerry Lawler at this point, for instance. JBL made the smart choice, hopefully Angle will too.
Angle would make a great commentator--perhaps he would also be a good road agent or a booker? In any event, I hope Angle can get his family and his life back together. Hopefully, he takes as much time as he needs, gets fully healed up, and then retires. He's got nothing left to prove because nobody can dispute he's one of the all-time greats. The only thing left to do, IMO, is to release a retrospective DVD Set on him. Well, 2 things, counting the WWE Hall Of Fame, but I'm assuming that's a given somewhere down the line.
ReplyDeleteKurt Angle has easily been my favorite wrestler of the decade.. It's sad to see he's gotten so bad.. but Major Respect to WWE for cutting Angle off before something VERY bad happened..
ReplyDeleteIf this is the end of the line for Kurt as a wrestler... I must say, it was a thrilling and unforgettable ride, albeit a relatively short one. I still have hope that he will return to the ring, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Kurt will choose to do next, but whatever it is, he will be great at it, no doubt about that.
I think Kurt will be fine, he just needs some time to get everythig together, then he'll be back in the ring for one last push, then he'll do the commentator or backstage thing and be around forever.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Kurt makes a decision that preserves his health, like announcing. However, he seems to be a very competitive guy, so I'm worried he'll try to rush back to the ring instead.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm a longtime reader but never bothered to register a Live Journal-account. I have to say, after the inital shock, that Angle's release is pretty reasonable, given the situation he's in. Angle gets so competetive that he would probably only stop if he's paralyzed, and Vince is afraid that he could drop dead one day just like Eddie. I hope we get to see Angle again sometime in the future, even if it is in a limited function.
Greg
Well we all know what happened to the Dynamite Kid when he pushed his body a little too hard. It would be a shame to see one of the more entertaining, do anything guys off TV but yeh get the missus back onside and reconstruct the family...and his body at the same time... and leave with some dignity.
ReplyDeleteGood choice Kurt.
I'm VERY interested to hear whatever details surface, something's majorly funky, and it's sounding worse and worse each time I get an update. This blows away RVD's grass on the hot button issue meter.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird that they won't even keep him on the payroll while he recovers. They never fired HBK while he was out. Very scary situation.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, it's hard to draw any conclusions about this yet. Best case scenario: Angle gets out of the ring for a long time, and then is healthy enough to come back to do one or two big time programs a year.
ReplyDeleteThe definite positive in all this is that WWE will probably start working on an Angle Anthology-ish DVD, which may just end up being the greatest collection ever.
According to last weeks Observer - Angels wife has left him again and he is a mess both with injuries and in his head.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they did this because it was the only way that they could stop him to take a break because everytime he went out with and injury he always returned and probably the WWE wasn’t sure if he was 100%. They can help him without a contract. I heard X-Pac that Vince McMahon was the one who helped him when he was on drugs I think and he wasn't on WWE contract. I'm positively sure that Vince is going to help him in all he can.
ReplyDeleteProbably the best thing for Angle. Don't want to see him end up like Dynamite.
ReplyDeleteGreat, mention him being a commentator and possibly replacing Lawler. Now my hopes will be up and that'll never happen. But seriously, a few years ago Angle was hilarious, especially the stuff with McMahon and Austin during the Invasion.
ReplyDeleteWWF magazines- http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110023954064&ssPageName=ADME:L:DSS:US:11
Initial post, sir. Cool format, Scott.
ReplyDeleteThis news has kind of shaken me into reality as a wrestling fan for the rest of the year, as Kurt Angle was the epitome of the enjoyment of wrestling as simple wrestling mixed in with so many other lame gimmicks and horrible exploitations by Vince and company. So to hear about a downfall this dramatic just makes me really sad that such a fantastic career had to end this way. I agree with abadguy that his Smackdown Six days in 2002 and early 2003 burned him out, and after the quick-fix neck surgery, he was simply never able to wrestle without a slew of injuries severing his enjoyment of wrestling, probably one of the reasons why his gimmick so quickly went from "dorky Olympic hero" to a legitimate raging machine. I simply hope that his family issues will improve for the better, as he admitted his wife left him on national TV in December in a way to try getting over it (not a smart move), and his Smackdown run earlier this year seemed to put Angle in greater spirits. I'm sure this decision was made in Angle's mind long before now, and even before the ECW switch, so I don't blame the lame in-ring product or bad booking for this development; Vince did the right thing here, no doubt. Shawn Michaels and Brian Pillman were completely different personalities, but they were riding the same downward spiral in 1997-98 to a drug-dependent suicidal lifestyle that would catch up with them sooner or later. Shawn found a way to save himself, but his wife was a big foundation; Pillman had a family, as well, but he succumbed because he simply couldn't kick the habit. I just hope Angle sees these two routes and takes the proper one back to a normal life. For what I saw, though, Kurt Angle was the absolute best wrestler of the 00's, a continuosly enjoyable personality and transcdent with different styles the likes of which I have only seen out of Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, and Ricky Steamboat. The DVD will rock my world, if it's done exactly right, and I have all the faith in the world in WWE's DVD department.
It's me, it's me, it's the artist formerly known as irvc.
ReplyDeleteI was greatly saddened to read about his "firing". From a fan's standpoint, Angle was this generation's Ric Flair: A charismatic personality & a tremendous worker. But from a personal standpoint, if Angle is having problems conquering his addictions, then letting him go is the first step for him to get the help he needs because being on the road would only make the problem worse. I would hate it even more if Angle joined the long list of wrestlers that left us long before their time. But Angle will get the opportunity to get better physically and mentally. And who knows? Maybe six months from now, he'll be resigned and back throwing suplexes and wrenching ankles. I wish Angle the best in his recovery.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, am very, very glad that Kurt has decided to do the right thing and hopefully retire before his name joins a list which has become way too long in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteAnd just like everyone else has said, his time in the ring is best remembered by a swanky DVD set rather than watching his gradual decline.
I hope that this is the start of companies looking after their talent instead of letting them follow the Dynamite Kid route.
Keep in mind that he did pull an HHH and injure himself a ton in a match and keep going because he's insane like that.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, arguably Kurt banged himself up through a match in a way that topped HHH's quad tear. They would be playing that up like the dickens if it hadn't of happened at an ECW house show.
Just trying to see if this works.
ReplyDeleteI hope that he can walk away and do something else with his life. It's sad to hear that his wife left him again. Hopefully he'll get the help he needs to get him back on track. A return to the ring is the last thing he needs.
ReplyDeleteHis DVD compliation should be outstanding.
Shawn didn't find a way to save himself. He was forced into retirement by a casket bump (STILL toughed it out), and then became convinced that Jesus healed his back. I'm about as anti-religious as they come, but hey, it seems like he's a better person now.
ReplyDeleteWell, let's thanks The Undertaker for saving HBK.
ReplyDeleteSupertaker asslicking in 5...4...
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to hear that we won't be seeing Angle involved in any TV in the forseeable future (and an even bigger bummer we won't be able to see CM Punk vs. Kurt Angle), but this really is for the better for his personal life and his healths sake. I'm glad that both sides decided on this as it really was the best thing that could happen in the situation. Here's to hoping Kurt takes whatever time he needs to get his life back in order and recover 100% physically. A Kurt Angle DVD will rival Flairs in pure awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteI actually just saw that Casket Match for the first time in a while on the DX DVD (which is the old '98 video with a bunch of matches added, including a great tag match brawl from No Way Out '98), and the match stands up pretty well, I would almost go **** on it. I couldn't believe Shawn still worked another 15 minutes doing his thing after that bump. And people wonder why Shawn is the greatest ever...
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Kurt show up on TNA and hand Samoa Joe his ass.
ReplyDeleteI just really hope this isn't part of some angle (no pun intended)and that some other fed like TNS doesn't step in and make him an offer. One of the things which really makes me wonder about the morality of some people in the industry is angles which exploit performers' personal problems and promotions exploiting their natural desire to wrestle when they need to rest up. Perhaps the absolute low-point of these trends was the Scott Hall drunk storyline in WCW - I really wonder how everyone involved in that slept at night. Angle has been the few gems relieving the sea of suckitude which has been the Fed's product for the last two years and I agree with the previous posters that the prospect of him ending up like Dynamite is too depressing for words. Hopefully, this time, together with the Fed and his friends and family he is strong enough to take the time out to heal-up. Because judging by his own terrifying account of his final ECW house show, if things had continued the way the way they were it was only matter of time before he crippled himself or someone else. I've had enough of sitting through ten bell salutes and tribute shows and if that means more performers like Kurt taking time off to heal up properly then that's fine by me.
ReplyDeleteI hope he show up nowhere and take the long break that he deserves.
ReplyDelete90 days and counting until Kurt Angle goes to TNA Wrestling!!!!
ReplyDeleteKurt Angle versus Samoa Joe Turning Point 2006
Huzzah!!
p.s.
ReplyDeleteI like this new site. Pretty neat.
I hope Angle is okay and comes back healthy...to TNA.
ReplyDeleteMust admit, this site has grown on me. Fear of change yada yada
ReplyDeleteWould not surprise me in the least to find out that Kurt is the 'mystery superstar' everyone in the WWE was worried about last year shortly after Eddie's passing.
Kurt has too much dignity to go to TNA
ReplyDeleteWow, I am going to miss Kurt Angle. One of my favorites of all time.
ReplyDeleteHey, Scott, I like the new site, Can I join???
I am going to miss Kurt Angle. He had a great career. Hopefully he will be healthy.
ReplyDeleteP.S.
Scott Keith, I love your work and have bought 2 of your books, Can I be added to your new site?
I agree...I hope Angle gets everything in order so he can enjoy his life. Vince did the right thing to part ways with Angle, so he can get himself together
ReplyDeleteKurt has had a stellar career and he can retire easy knowing he has nothing left to accomplish in the pro-wrestling world.
ReplyDeleteAs for the idea of him being a commentator, that could be interesting.
Godspeed Kurt! Probably see ya in TNA!
ReplyDeleteThere is not a chance in hell that he goes to TNA. I think you are seriously misunderstanding the nature of this release, Elvy. Which, by the way, is totally unlike you. Usually, your conceptual understanding of issues is spot on perfectly right, so I'm understandably amazed at your misguided idea here. But kudos for dreaming aloud.
ReplyDeleteOnly 85 days until we see Kurt Angle versus Samoa Joe in TNA Turning Point 2006!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!