Kurt Angle, former multi-time WWE Champion, Olympic gold medalist and TNA Wrestling Hall of Famer, recently confirmed the news that he is returning to the ring for TNA Wrestling. Angle will appear at their annual Bound for Glory pay-per-view event in October.
Angle had been out of action for most of this year, making the announcement of his return a big one for wrestling fans. Angle will perform on TNA Wrestling’s live event in Salem, Virginia, on October 3 before appearing at Bound for Glory the following night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kurt Angle noted on Tuesday that he does not intend to re-sign with TNA Wrestling when his contract expires in December. During a radio interview with Mark Madden, Angle indicated he’d take time off from professional wrestling to reevaluate his options moving forward.
Wrestling fans, of course, are hoping otherwise.
Kurt Angle has been with TNA Wrestling since 2006, signing there after his WWE release. He had previously spent seven-years with professional wrestling’s largest company. Angle has been responsible for many memorable moments during his career, including his WrestleMania 21 classic with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.
Kurt Angle made his professional wrestling debut in 1999 against Shawn Stasiak at the WWE (then WWF) Survivor Series three years after winning his Olympic Gold Medal.
A return at the 2016 WWE Royal Rumble would be a huge surprise, given the return of several legendary performers to the WWE in the past 12-months.
Legendary performer Sting returned to the WWE at the 2015 Survivor Series, and went on to face Triple H at this year’s WrestleMania 31. Beloved tag team The Dudley Boyz returned to the WWE, full-time, the night after SummerSlam 2015. Bubba Ray Dudley made a surprise Royal Rumble appearance himself as well, pleasing the Philadelphia crowd in January.
If Kurt Angle does return to the WWE, the Royal Rumble match itself would be a top candidate for his first appearance. The match is known for surprise returns, including Dudley, Booker T, Kevin Nash, and famous returns from injury by John Cena and Edge.
Angle has gone on record in the past, stating that Daniel Bryan and Brock Lesnar are both opponents he’d like to face in a WWE return. Bryan, a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion himself, has also shared a mutual desire to wrestle Angle.
Time will tell if wrestling fans will get the “dream match” between Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan, or if the former Olympic champion will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
[Image via Sportskeedia.com]