Kurt Angle To Retire After This Year, Unless WWE Calls

It’s strange to think that Kurt Angle has spent the majority of his professional wrestling career in TNA, as most of his memorable moments came from his time in WWE. Angle has not been a WWE superstar in nearly nine years, as he was released from his WWE contract in August of 2006, and signed with TNA Wrestling shortly thereafter.

When Angle first joined TNA, some people compared Angle’s jump to WWE’s main competitor to Hulk Hogan signing with WCW in June of 1994. Angle himself believed that his jump to TNA would shake up the wrestling business, and that TNA would be on the same level as WWE within two years. Well, that didn’t happen. As a matter of fact, TNA is in much worse shape now then when Angle signed in 2006.

Kurt Angle’s TNA contract came to an end last fall, and Angle was very interested in a return to WWE. When Angle contacted Triple H to talk about a WWE return, Triple H said that WWE wasn’t interested, and in an attempt to go over Triple H’s head, Angle called WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who told Angle to contact Triple H if he was interested in returning. Angle’s attempt to go over Triple H’s head reportedly infuriated “The Game,” and a Kurt Angle WWE return is even more a long shot.

Angle ultimately decided to re-sign with TNA, and in an interview with MMA Fighting‘s Ariel Helwani, Angle said that he’s done with pro wrestling after this year, unless WWE calls.

“If I do go one more year, I’ll hang it up. Where I am now, I’m happy going out the way I’m doing it. I’ve had a great career in WWE and TNA. I can honestly say I’ve had a better career in TNA. If I decide to go to WWE next year, that will be my last year, but I’m happy where I’m at.”

Many people believed that Angle would be the perfect opponent for WWE’s anti-American United States Champion Rusev. Angle has also said in the past that he’s interested in working with Daniel Bryan, and renewing an old rivalry with Brock Lesnar.

If Angle does eventually return to WWE, he has said that he wants a part-time schedule, similar to the one that Shawn Michaels was on towards the end of Michales’ career, where he’d only appear on RAW and the pay-per-views.

Angle, 46, has been on his last leg for the last couple of years, and only has a few matches left in him. So, if he doesn’t go back to WWE within the next year or two, chances are that he’ll probably never go back.

[Image via Impact Wrestling]