Kurt Angle Discusses Time Off, Bringing Back Kayfabe, Pushed As A Heel In WWE
Former WWE and current TNA star Kurt Angle recently spoke with the Nottingham Post to promote his upcoming “Golden Truth” speaking tour of the UK. Below are some highlights, the interview can be read in its entirety here.
What he’s doing after his contract expires with TNA.
“I’m taking this year off. I want to spend time with my family, I’m at a crossroads in my life. I have a lot of options for what I can do and I want to think about that. Wrestling has been very good to me. It’s made me a lot of money. I’m blessed with the career I’ve had.”
Why kayfabe making a return could be a good thing.
“Wrestling is always changing. There is no shortage of talent out there, It’s an industry that goes in cycles. It’s a little stagnant now. Something needs to change. I was talking to my wife about it. I think it would be good to go back to kayfabe. When you lifted the curtain and showed people backstage it was new and intriguing, but if you go back to how it was, it could be the change wrestling needs.”
Why Vince McMahon pushed for Angle to be a heel in his early WWE career.
“Vince wanted me to look like somebody that was just too good to be true. I didn’t think they would boo me but Vince knew they would. He saw what happened with the Rock when they tried to push him. He wanted to do the same thing with me because this time he knew they would boo me. I had no training on the mic or anything like that. I was trained to be a pro wrestler. Vince threw me in the river and watched to see if I would sink or swim. I had a few months in Memphis and I was basically on TV. The top guys – Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Undertaker – they carried me for a year.”
Ski’s Take – Hearing Kurt talk about kayfabe and maybe bringing it back, I’m under the impression that he wants to push the genie back into the bottle. With so many fans knowing the in’s and out’s of pretty much every company’s business, how exactly is that going to work? The only companies that I know that could possibly do it are the small indy type of promotions, where the fan base isn’t that big.
With his signing and subsequent commentary with Bellator last week, maybe a run in MMA could be in his future. He was definitely teasing it while he was commentating on fellow TNA star Bobby Lashley’s fight with James Thompson at the event. Is it a good move? Personally I would like the scenario where Angle comes home to the WWE on a part time deal. Plenty of time to recover between matches, less stress. I’ve heard the rumors about HHH nixing any part time deal. Realistically it looks like he’s headed for the cage. Rumors abound that he could be facing Ken Shamrock in a battle of ankle locks. I hope he knows what he’s doing, we really don’t want to see an all time great getting seriously injured in the ring, any ring.