WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is certainly one of the greatest pro wrestlers to have ever been a part of the professional wrestling world. His rookie year in WWE is still unmatched and truly took him to the very top of the company quickly. That being said, it appears that Angle regrets missing out on huge merchandise sales like Steve Austin and John Cena.
Kurt Angle has squared off against the best of the best the pro wrestling world had to offer, including the likes of The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and more. His accolades speak for themselves.
Merchandise is a big part of pro wrestling in general, as a lot of money professional wrestlers make comes from merchandise sales. WWE is no different, as they sell all kinds of merchandise for various Superstars.
While speaking on his podcast, Kurt Angle admitted that he missed out on merchandising opportunities because he didn’t have “a business mind” when he first debuted in WWE. Angle regretted not having huge merchandise sales like Steve Austin and John Cena.
“I just never thought of it. You know, John Cena did, Stone Cold Steve Austin did. I never did, and I could have had a really cool Olympic belt. I believe Vince would have bought into it, and he would have followed through.
I wasn’t a merchandise guy. I wish I was. I wish I would have pushed the merchandise harder. You know, early on, I just didn’t have a business mind when I got into business.
I was an amateur wrestler and didn’t really market myself. You know, John Cena came in fully prepared. Stone Cold Steve Austin, same with him. They had ideas for merchandise before they even started, and they continued to have ideas for merchandise during their careers.
I didn’t start [having merchandise ideas] until, like, my fifth year in the business. Then, I was like, ‘Okay, I need to start making merchandise,’ and it was just horrible that I didn’t have a business mind at that time.”
Kurt Angle had talks with Marvel head Kevin Feige regarding a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also recently turned down a WWE Draft apperance. We’ll have to wait and see what is next in store for Kurt Angle.
What do you think of this Kurt Angle story? Do you think he needed more merchandise? Let us know in the comments!