Could Kurt Angle ever have been 'the guy'?

[dablackguy]

We have another thread going in which the question is posed as to who could be main eventing right now. In retrospect, I wonder if WWE had their 'next big thing' employed and didn't even know it.

In that thread I described the 4 criteria I believed was necessary to have someone be the top guy in the company. WOMD, weapons of mass destruction if you will. Anyways:

Wrestling ability: Kurt was an olympic gold medalist in amateur wrestling and a solid all around wrestler

Over: Certainly was over

Mic skills: Started out mediocre but got much much better over time, even in his late WWE days, I'd say he was still improving

Draw: This is where I think it gets interesting. Kurt wasn't a huge draw, but I think if WWE had played up the Gold Medalist thing, they could have gotten some mainstream attention(and maybe mainstream fans) out of it. Wrestling purists appreciated his ability.

Looking back, I think he had the tools to be the guy. Problem is that he didn't get into the company particularly young, so I assume his stay at the top would have been short. Second, looking at the landscape at the time, he couldn't have been on Smackdown and be the #1 guy. He'd have had to have been on Raw. Given the political landscape there, I think he'd have been cut down before gaining any real legs there.

Yet, WWE made him the number 1 guy on smackdown, then the number 1 guy on ECW, so they obviously thought something of him.

So what do you say? Could Kurt ever have been #1 for 3-5 years? And would the company have been successful if he were?

[Kane Knight]

I have no doubt he could have been. And could still be.

[Xero]

I consider Angle, despite all his downfalls, the best professional wrestler of all time. The man is seriously the total package - he's over, he has charisma, he can work the mic, can do everything from a goofy character to a bad ass and pull off each virtually perfectly... And his in-ring abilities are some of the best in the world, he can do just about everything from high-flying to brawling to mat/submission wrestling and he mixes it perfectly.

I think he could have easily been the top of the company for years had he not had so many neck/drug/whatever problems. But because of those reasons, he maybe could have had one or two years, but he started out his professional career destined to be taken out fairly fast. Honestly, I'm surprised he's lasted as long as he has.

[Kane Knight]

If he ever sorts his shit out, he could still be on top.

[The CyNick]

Could have been one of the biggest draws of all time IMO. Right behind Hogan, Austin and Rock.

He came around at the perfect time. They had Austin on the shelf, and needed a new top guy. He had the perfect background to be introduced as a killer. He could have ripped through the WWF and then when Austin was healthy, he could have come back and beat Angle. Then they could have probably went at least a year of an on again off again program.

Instead, they went the comedy route with him, and he was tainted for the rest of his run.

Of course even after that happened, they still had a chance to make him the top heel in the company with the whole angle between him, Steph and Trips. But that got wrecked, and they never got much out of the program, except, again for comedy.

They still had yet another chance with him coming out of the Invasion storyline and 911. That year leading up to Summerslam (I think) they pushed him hard to go up against Austin, and they made him into a serious killer. For the first time in his career, he was being booked the way I thought they should have. But for some reason, they nixed the push and he went back to comedy.

Had they kept him strong, post 911 he could have been the PERFECT poster boy for WWE. A real life American Hero. He could have been fed a bunch of guys and eaten them alive as a killer. Showing the resolve of the USA. The people then would have at that up.

I guess looking back, his biggest downfall was the fact that he was so good with the comedy stuff. And thats what led WWE to continue to give him cowboy hats, guitars and wigs. That also insured he was never taken seriously as a major draw, but he was obviously successful with what he was given.

[Rammsteinmad]

I consider Angle, despite all his downfalls, the best professional wrestler of all time. The man is seriously the total package - he's over, he has charisma, he can work the mic, can do everything from a goofy character to a bad ass and pull off each virtually perfectly... And his in-ring abilities are some of the best in the world, he can do just about everything from high-flying to brawling to mat/submission wrestling and he mixes it perfectly.

I think he could have easily been the top of the company for years had he not had so many neck/drug/whatever problems. But because of those reasons, he maybe could have had one or two years, but he started out his professional career destined to be taken out fairly fast. Honestly, I'm surprised he's lasted as long as he has.

[Jeritron]

He could have easily occupied the spot HHH took after the attitude era ended. He basically did, on Smackdown where he shared it with Brock and Undertaker. In the meantime, HHH dominated Raw and continues to and his legacy is cemented.

Not that HHH didn't deserve it too, but if it wasn't for family matters I think it's very possible that Angle could have been in HHH's situation from 02-present, while HHH would probably be top tier but not THE guy to go to for Wrestlemania main events and putting talent over, or holding the belt when all else fails.

[jindrak]

Yes.

He was king of the ring, grand slam champion, mainevented Wrestlemania, made Hogan tap out, and was super over when he was placed as the top guy of Smackdown.

Post attitude era before his release, Angle was the most valuable wrestler of the WWE. He helped elevate alot of guys, and almost always was match of the night.

Angle is the Ric Flair of our generation, imo.

[Xero]

Kurt Angle is the Kurt Angle of every generation.

He's greater than Flair and I'm not afraid to admit that.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I wish Kurt Angle was back in the WWE since TNA sucks so hard.

I would've given this a better response if almost everybody in the thread didn't have the same view as I do.

[The Optimist]

He's great.

Comparison is not necessary when he, Austin, Rock, Flair, Michaels and who ever else are all very different.

[redoneja]

I consider Angle, despite all his downfalls, the best professional wrestler of all time. The man is seriously the total package - he's over, he has charisma, he can work the mic, can do everything from a goofy character to a bad ass and pull off each virtually perfectly... And his in-ring abilities are some of the best in the world, he can do just about everything from high-flying to brawling to mat/submission wrestling and he mixes it perfectly.


Agreed. To add to this, Angle is one of the few guys that I can see being a top in-ring performer in ANY era due to his ability to work different styles. He could have made it work in any organization in the late '80s, NWA, WCCW, WWF, AWA, etc and I think he could have even been an ace at the faster paced, more hardcore style of ECW in the mid-90's.

Just by looking at the few matches he's done in Japan for NJPW and IGF over the last year or two you can see how easily he can adapt to that style of wrestling, all while retaining what makes him unique to the business.

[Mr. Nerfect]

If you could somehow lift Kurt Angle's more serious persona today, and plant it in 2000/2001, you'd have money.

There is a part of me that wants to see Kurt Angle get bored of TNA, or for Vince to buy them out, just so I can see Angle in the WWE again.

[Juan]

Yes.

In fact, I think once he gets over his 'hate' for WWE, he'll be back and actually start being entertaining again.

[Shane Michaels]

I didnt want to post another Angle thread, so i will ask this....is Angle sick or something? heavy coke? off the roids? i watched TNA for the first time in months last night and he didnt even look the same he was so small...i really hope he is not the next on the death toll list:(

[Kane Knight]

Yes.

In fact, I think once he gets over his 'hate' for WWE, he'll be back and actually start being entertaining again.

Do you by chance mean his drug addictions?

[FourFifty]

Kurt Angle drawing... He's only as big as whomever he is in the ring with. He'll either help with the draw because you want to see him beat someone up, or he'll help with the draw because you want to see him get his ass kicked.
I'm not a huge fan of the idea that one name can draw. This isn't the golden era anymore. Hogan was able to draw if he was main eventing with Barry Horowitz. All you had to say was "HOGAN" and people would be there. Today we're a more compelx fanbase. If people say "CENA" then we want to know who he's going in the ring with. If people say "TRIPLE H" we'll want to know if he's face or heel. Hell, there are times where I've heard a name and wanted to know where they were going to be wrestling so I can watch the fans. I loved watching RVD when the WWE was in Philly, Vince is always hardcore over in New York, and nothing said awesome like the response you saw when Ric Flair was in the heart of Flair Country.

One person draws these day, won't happen. Yea, they'd be trilled to see Angle, but how many peopel would really to see Kurt Angle vs El Dandy?

[Stickman]

I don't think so because he would have been. They did try and it wasn't anywhere near the level of Austin or Hogan. I think he was like Bret Hart. Great but not much of a draw.

[dablackguy]

I don't think so because he would have been. They did try and it wasn't anywhere near the level of Austin or Hogan. I think he was like Bret Hart. Great but not much of a draw.

I attribute that (ironically for a guy who was so versatile) to poor usage. I think if you play up the gold medals and use that to get some mainstream attention, you coulda have had something

I question his ability to be the man now, however, well for WWE at least. I think he turns 40 this year and for someone who already looks to be in bad shape I think his window is gone

[Stickman]

They did play up his gold medals ALL the time.

[Kane Knight]

Eventually, they started downplaying it. I think it's because the Olympics Comittee threatened to take his medals away.

[Heyman]

Kurt Angle could DEFINITELY have been the guy.

In my opinion - two big things lead to Angle not being utilized properly.

1) Too much comedy: The WWE pushed Angle too much as a comedian at inappropriate times. In Angle's case - a little comedy was a good thing. Too much however, was overkill....and worked against him.

2) If you notice - Angle was always at his best as a heel. He was EXTREMELY effective at getting the crowd to piss on him. However - Angle was SO good at being a hated heel (i.e. Those "You Suck!" chants), that he actually started getting loud cheers during his matches. The WWE misinterpreted this, and would try and turn him face. As the WWE has done with soooo many of its wrestlers, they made the fatal mistake of making Angle kiss the fans' ass. As result, Angle's charisma would go right down the tube.....and his reactions would ultimately become lukewarm (until of course, the WWE would turn him heel again....and the cycle would re-start).

As great as Angle's accomplishments were in the WWE, it's also a little sad at how GROSSLY mis-used he was.

In my opinion, Kurt Angle was the greatest WWE wrestler of all-time.....even moreso than Ric Flair, HBK, and Bret Hart.

[Kane Knight]

Yeah, Angle didn't need to be a babyface. A badass mother who didn't take no crap offa nobody would have gotten cheered as well.

[Mr. JL]

Kurt could be 'the guy' with a reduced schedule... as in like only working Television and Pay Per Views. He'd probably break his neck or die on the road if the WWE made him do house shows, touring events and autograph signings and appeaarences tho.

[Mr. JL]

The guy has been plagued with broken necks since the beginning of 2003...

[Anybody Thrilla]

He was plagued with a broken freakin' neck in 1996.

[Rob]

If Kurt Angle got the push Paul Heyman gave him in ECW character wise when he turned babyface in 2001 then he'd be 10 times the star he is now.