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Kurt Angle Comments On WWE Hall of Fame; Who He Wants To Induct Him & More

By John Canton • Published 17th January 2017
TJR Wrestling

The news of Kurt Angle being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame was a great surprise on Monday. On Tuesday, Angle gave an exclusive interview to Sports Illustrated. They covered a lot of subjects, including who Angle may choose as the person that inducts him into the Hall of Fame on March 31 in Orlando.

Angle on who he wants to induct him into WWE Hall of Fame:

“That’s a no-brainer. I had just started with WWE and had a program with Austin right after I beat Rock for the world title. I had a quick skit with Stephanie and Triple H, and then it was right on to Austin. We had some memorable feuds and some very funny segments, so he is at the top of my list.”

“Steve was one of the most giving individuals. He took me in and allowed me to shine even when it was still his time. I don’t ever compare myself to Stone Cold. He is the guy who elevated wrestling to a level that nobody ever went before, but he enabled me to show my talents when he very well could have said no. He was a very giving individual, and he is one of the guys who had the biggest impact on my career.”

Angle on listening to the crowd at Monday’s Raw after his video played:

“I’m being totally honest—I was nervous when my music played. I didn’t know if the people would respond. Everybody went insane right when the song started, and that reminded me of the impact I had on a lot of people. I was very excited, and it actually brought a tear to my eye.”

Angle on if he has talked to Vince McMahon since the Hall of Fame news was released:

“I have yet to speak to Vince, but I did talk with Triple H. It was a great conversation. This is all about the Hall of Fame, nothing else, and I’m OK with that. WWE wanted to show their appreciation for my career there. Even though I feel it was short-lived at six-and-a-half years, I made enough of an impact that they felt I was worthy of the Hall of Fame.”

Angle on what the fans meant to him during his career:

“Without the people, I don’t know if I’d be in the Hall of Fame. I really believe that had influence on the WWE. The fans spoke, and the WWE responded. The people have always been good to me, whether they loved me or hated my guts. I have a lot of fans who say, ‘Kurt, I hated you growing up, but now I think you’re one of the best of all time.’ That’s the best compliment you can get from the fans.”

Angle will also be featured on ESPN Sportscenter this Wednesday night as well, so we’ll have an update if he says anything there as well. Angle tweeted about it because they are taping it today.

TJR Thoughts: I think Austin is a great choice. There’s no word on if he has asked officially or if Austin has said yes, but I would imagine that he does. They had a lot of fun moments together and they can probably recreate some of their classic singing moments on the guitar too. Their matches were also very memorable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-gFb-kUYE