What Kurt Angle Hopes To See From WWE Working With TNA
Kurt Angle loves seeing WWE work with TNA and is hopeful that they manage to do something regarding TNA’s past.
Many people have had successful careers in both WWE and TNA over the last 25 years, but perhaps nobody better exemplifies being a legend in both companies like Kurt Angle, who is in the Hall of Fame for both companies.
As a former Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle was a WWE rookie in late 1999 who went on to become one of the most successful pro wrestlers, winning the WWE Championship less than a year into his run with the company. During his initial seven-year run in WWE, Angle became one of the best wrestlers alive, and that run is celebrated because of his exceptional performance.
By the summer of 2006, Kurt Angle quit WWE due to its demanding schedule and signed with TNA. Since TNA had fewer events per month, Angle was still paid well and had an impressive run as TNA’s biggest star for the next decade.
Kurt Angle returned “home” to WWE in 2017 for a two-year run that ended his career as an active wrestler. It didn’t go as smoothly as he had wanted because he had envisioned his retirement match against John Cena, but Vince McMahon refused that idea. Instead, it was Baron Corbin who beat Angle in his final match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
A lot has changed over the years, with WWE and TNA announcing a multi-year partnership in January 2025. This partnership has led to many TNA wrestlers appearing on WWE TV this year, and vice versa.
The current TNA World Champion is also a current WWE NXT contracted wrestler, Trick Williams. It’s been a history-making year for Williams because when he beat Joe Hendry for the TNA World Title, Williams became the first TNA World Champion who is not under contract to the company.
Kurt Angle Wants WWE To Buy TNA’s Library
In an interview with Podstarz, Kurt Angle expressed his wish for WWE to acquire TNA’s library, allowing more wrestling fans to access it. Currently, wrestling fans can subscribe to TNA+ to watch old TNA content. If WWE were to acquire it, they could potentially share it on Peacock, Netflix, YouTube, and other platforms, depending on the terms of the deal.
“When I was wrestling for TNA, I was like, ‘You know what? A lot of WWE fans haven’t seen my work in TNA. I wish WWE would have a relationship with TNA, and possibly buy the library so that WWE fans can see my TNA matches.’ It looks like that’s eventually going to happen. Right now, they’re working together, and I never thought it would happen in a million years, but for some reason, it’s happening, and I think a lot of it has to do with TNA has a great company, they really do.
They have a lot of great talents, but it’s not a threat to WWE. Back when we were going head-to-head with WWE, we were doing 2 million viewers a week. Sting was on the roster, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair; we had a great roster, and we were giving WWE a run for its money.
Today, they’re still doing really well, but they’re not doing as good as we were doing back then, right? I think that’s the reason why WWE opened their arms and said, ‘Come on in. We’ll collaborate with you,’ and I’m just glad it happened eventually. I hope that WWE buys the TNA library.”
Whether TNA wants to sell the library to WWE is unknown, but in today’s wrestling world, anything is possible.