Kurt Angle's WWE Regret Is A Disservice To One Of The Most Underrated WrestleMania Moments In Decades

There's no denying that Kurt Angle will always be remembered as one of the greatest pro wrestlers ever. The legend and WWEHall of Famer rose up the ranks from tiny Clarion University to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. After winning the gold medal in freestyle wrestling while competing with a broken neck, he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in late 1998.

Over the next two decades, Angle forged an unforgettable pro career. He's the only star ever to have won the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, WCW Championship, TNA World Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and an NCAA Wrestling Championship.

Years before WWE's crossover deal with TNA became a strange reality, Angle returned home to WWE in 2017, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His final match was a loss to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35, but it was not how he wanted to go out, and he's expressed his disappointment with the last few years of his career - including how it all ended. But, that ignores just how great at least one big part of that return was.

Kurt Angle Says He Wishes He Retired A Decade Earlier

Former Multi-Time Champion Said He Didn't Want Fans To See Him Slowing Down

In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Kurt Angle said he wishes he had retired from the business 10 years before he did. During their conversation, the multi-time world champion cited his multiple injuries and surgeries - and the toll they've all taken on his body.

"I wish. you know what, my quality of life right now, Chris, isn't so good," Angle told the interviewer. "I had my knees replaced about a year ago. I had back surgery about four months ago; I had to have my shoulder replaced. I still have another neck - the same surgery - coming up. That will be my fourth neck surgery. I really paid the price for wrestling as long as I did. I wrestled amateur wrestling for 20 years and then pro for 20."

Angle continued, saying that the injuries he has racked up have affected his day-to-day activities now. It's the product of putting his body on the line for two decades and working through the pain. The former Olympic gold medalist says that he struggles just attempting to do his daily duties as a Dad.

"And looking back, sometimes I regret maybe I should have retired five years earlier. Because you know, it comes to a point in time in your life when you're older, and you want to play with your kids. And here I am having these surgeries, [and] I can't really do anything with them. I can't pick them up. I can't play with them. I can't run with them. So it gets to be a little disgruntled thing that I'm not able to be the father that I want to be... Because these kids are growing up quickly. And I don't want to miss it."

Angle's WWE Return Wasn't Perfect, But It Had Its Moments

WWE Fans Always Enjoyed His Time Onscreen

While Angle may not have enjoyed his WWE return eight years ago, the fans certainly did. It only seemed right that the Olympic Hero would return to where it all started. The crowd was overjoyed to melodically chant the famous "You Suck!" catchphrase when his entrance theme would play.

It was during those last few years when he was a part of the famous Jason Jordan paternity angle, and his feud with Corbin certainly ran for quite a while. While it never compared to his battles with Brock Lesanr or his instant classics with AJ Styles, the storyline made sense. The two performers made the most out of it they could, up until Angle's retirement match at 'Mania.

While Angle still wanted to wrestle in those last few years, he realized that he had lost a step in the ring. At the same time, WWE CEO Vince McMahon viewed him as an onscreen authority figure, and not an active wrestler anymore. He settled into that role before ultimately departing, but before he stepped away from the squared circle, the Master of the Anklelock was part of one of the greatest moments (and debuts) of the modern era.

Without Angle, WrestleMania 34's High-Point Wouldn't Have Happened

Olympic Hero Added To Ronda Rousey's Dynamic Debut

One of the brightest moments during Angle's second tour with WWE was his involvement in the debut of former MMA star Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34. He would tag with the judoka against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a bout that practically blew the roof of the Superdome in New Orleans.

The pairing of Angle and Rousey - two legitimate combat sports fighters - was great, and a huge surprise, and no one could have imagined that The Rowdy One's initial outing would have gone that well. Many pundits and critics called it the greatest debut in WWE history.

Angle was a huge part of the buildup and the match, and there's no doubt that the skilled veteran helped to guide Rousey along. While Ronda would shoot to the top of the industry only to later come crashing down? No one would have predicted it in that match. On that night, she looked like she would be a WWE sensation for years to come.

In the end, Kurt Angle's final stint with WWE was not overly magical, and he's right in pointing out the mistakes in the way his character was handled. But along with some hilarious vignettes, one of his finest achievements to close out his time with the company was helping to make Ronda Rousey into a WWE Superstar.

His contributions to the business were laid out under a huge spotlight that night, and he deserves plenty of praise for what he brought to that one shining moment... It's true. It's DAMN true.