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Kurt Angle to headline WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017
Kurt Angle, the 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medalist who performed for WWE from 1998 to 2006 as a six-time WWE world champion, will headline the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Angle received the news Monday afternoon that he'll be inducted as part of a ceremony to be held on Friday, March 31, as part of the WrestleMania 33 weekend festivities, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
While the news is likely to catch many pro wrestling fans off guard, considering Angle's standing with WWE since his departure, no one was more surprised than the decorated former amateur who also won two NCAA Division I national championships during his time at Clarion University.
Kurt Angle's Olympic miracle in Atlanta
Former WWE star Kurt Angle tells his amazing story of a broken neck, the death of his wrestling coach and Olympic gold glory, 20 years on.
"I was shocked. I've been out of WWE for a long time and out of touch with them so I didn't really expect this," Angle told ESPN.com. "It's a huge honor. This is the only Hall of Fame that I'm not in and probably [the one] I want to be in the most. This is the one that means the most for me. I had a lot of fun entertaining the fans for seven years with WWE, and I'm glad that my hard work paid off."
Angle, 48, spent 10 years with rival TNA after asking for his release from WWE in 2006. His post-WWE career was littered with legal issues and well-documented problems with substance abuse, though he's been clean for the last three years.
Asked to describe his relationship with WWE executives Vince McMahon and Paul "Triple H" Levesque over the past decade, Angle laughed before saying, "There wasn't one." But he went on to describe their breakup as mutual.
"It was one of those things where when I left WWE, it wasn't on bad terms," Angle said. "It was just that I couldn't do anything for them anymore because I was banged up and they couldn't do anything more for me. I never felt ill will against them. It wasn't like a nasty parting, it was just our time is up. You go your way, and I'll go mine."
One of Kurt Angle's biggest career highlights was his WrestleMania 21 match with Shawn Michaels. John Shearer/WireImage for BWR Public Relations
Angle said he spoke briefly with Levesque last May, where the seeds were planted for an eventual reunion of some kind with the company. But an immediate follow-up call never came, causing Angle to doubt his chances.
On Monday afternoon, Levesque made the call himself to break the news regarding the Hall of Fame.
"I figured they either decided they didn't want to do anything with me or they forgot," Angle said. "Hunter said they never forgot and he called and told me this is the first thing they want to do. And whether I wrestle or not after this -- which is irrelevant right now -- I'm just really proud to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
"I gave a lot of energy and time to WWE those first seven years, and I'm grateful that they recognized it."
Angle admitted he had difficultly watching the current WWE product in recent years, not knowing if he was going to one day return. Although his WWE contract runs through the Hall of Fame ceremony, Angle said Monday that his new deal does not include a WrestleMania match.
"We have not talked about any wrestling," Angle said. "Whether we do or not, that remains to be seen... There are no guarantees. I think right now the most important thing is the Hall of Fame -- and I think both sides feel that way."
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DaKen B.D.N. (Boycott, Divest & Neg) Movement 2017
Fred.
Kurt Angle to headline WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017
Kurt Angle, the 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medalist who performed for WWE from 1998 to 2006 as a six-time WWE world champion, will headline the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Angle received the news Monday afternoon that he'll be inducted as part of a ceremony to be held on Friday, March 31, as part of the WrestleMania 33 weekend festivities, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
While the news is likely to catch many pro wrestling fans off guard, considering Angle's standing with WWE since his departure, no one was more surprised than the decorated former amateur who also won two NCAA Division I national championships during his time at Clarion University.
Kurt Angle's Olympic miracle in Atlanta
Former WWE star Kurt Angle tells his amazing story of a broken neck, the death of his wrestling coach and Olympic gold glory, 20 years on.
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Former WWE star Kurt Angle has revealed in a candid interview on the Dan Le Batard show that he was taking 65 extra-strength Vicodin a day at the height of his addiction problems.
"I was shocked. I've been out of WWE for a long time and out of touch with them so I didn't really expect this," Angle told ESPN.com. "It's a huge honor. This is the only Hall of Fame that I'm not in and probably [the one] I want to be in the most. This is the one that means the most for me. I had a lot of fun entertaining the fans for seven years with WWE, and I'm glad that my hard work paid off."
Angle, 48, spent 10 years with rival TNA after asking for his release from WWE in 2006. His post-WWE career was littered with legal issues and well-documented problems with substance abuse, though he's been clean for the last three years.
Asked to describe his relationship with WWE executives Vince McMahon and Paul "Triple H" Levesque over the past decade, Angle laughed before saying, "There wasn't one." But he went on to describe their breakup as mutual.
"It was one of those things where when I left WWE, it wasn't on bad terms," Angle said. "It was just that I couldn't do anything for them anymore because I was banged up and they couldn't do anything more for me. I never felt ill will against them. It wasn't like a nasty parting, it was just our time is up. You go your way, and I'll go mine."
One of Kurt Angle's biggest career highlights was his WrestleMania 21 match with Shawn Michaels. John Shearer/WireImage for BWR Public Relations
Angle said he spoke briefly with Levesque last May, where the seeds were planted for an eventual reunion of some kind with the company. But an immediate follow-up call never came, causing Angle to doubt his chances.
On Monday afternoon, Levesque made the call himself to break the news regarding the Hall of Fame.
"I figured they either decided they didn't want to do anything with me or they forgot," Angle said. "Hunter said they never forgot and he called and told me this is the first thing they want to do. And whether I wrestle or not after this -- which is irrelevant right now -- I'm just really proud to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
"I gave a lot of energy and time to WWE those first seven years, and I'm grateful that they recognized it."
Angle admitted he had difficultly watching the current WWE product in recent years, not knowing if he was going to one day return. Although his WWE contract runs through the Hall of Fame ceremony, Angle said Monday that his new deal does not include a WrestleMania match.
"We have not talked about any wrestling," Angle said. "Whether we do or not, that remains to be seen... There are no guarantees. I think right now the most important thing is the Hall of Fame -- and I think both sides feel that way."
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Views in stores now
DaKen B.D.N. (Boycott, Divest & Neg) Movement 2017
Fred.
