Kurt Angle left WWE in 2006 to join TNA Wrestling, just as he was dealing with a drug addiction.
Angle returned to WWE in 2017, where he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and named Raw General Manager. He later wrestled a few matches, but he knew his body was broken and he couldn’t wrestle at the same level he used to.
Angle was defeated by Baron Corbin in his farewell match at WrestleMania 35, which took place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Angle has publicly stated that he wanted John Cena to be his retirement opponent, but Vince McMahon insisted on Corbin that year due to their storyline.
Kurt spoke with Notsam Wrestling about his WWE return and why he believes he wasn’t appreciated.
“I love Baron Corbin, but I just felt that my second time in WWE, I wasn’t so much appreciated. I think it has a lot to do with me leaving the company high and dry in 2006 and going straight to TNA. I was supposed to go back to WWE in six months. Vince [McMahon] wanted me to take six months off and come back. So literally, when I left his office and I quit, I called TNA and got a contract that day. I didn’t wait a second. I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go and I think they was like, ‘Okay, well if he comes back we’re going to teach him a little lesson,’ which is fine. I understood….I love my TNA run. I think I came into my own right around 2006 when I was having my best wrestling, and that’s when I moved over to TNA.”
You can check out the complete interview below:
