Kurt Angle Believes WWE Punished Him During Second Run Due to TNA Jump

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, known for his incredible career and iconic rookie year, recently shared that he felt he was punished during his second stint with WWE. Despite his legendary status, Angle revealed that his return to the company wasn’t as smooth as he had hoped.

In 2006, Kurt Angle debuted what arguably became his best gimmick, as he was simply known as the ‘Wrestling Machine.’ However, he would also end up leaving WWE that year and make his way to TNA shortly afterwards.

Kurt Angle’s first WWE run from 1998 to 2006 saw him rise to incredible heights, winning four WWE Championships and becoming one of the company’s top stars. However, the toll of non-stop competition, along with his inability to take time off to recover, led him to request his release from WWE in 2006. Shortly after, Angle signed with TNA Wrestling, where he continued to dominate, becoming a six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and cementing his legacy outside of WWE.

In 2017, Angle was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by John Cena, marking his official return to WWE. Upon his return, Vince McMahon named him the General Manager of RAW, a role he held while transitioning into semi-retirement. Angle had his final match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, where he lost to Baron Corbin, officially ending his in-ring career.

During a recent appearance on Notsam Wrestling, Kurt Angle reflected on feeling underappreciated during his second stint in WWE. He believes this feeling stemmed from his sudden departure in 2006, when he left the company to join TNA Wrestling.”

”I just felt that my second time in WWE, I wasn’t so much appreciated. I think it has a lot to do with me leaving the company high and dry in 2006 and going straight to TNA. I was supposed to go back to WWE in six months. Vince [McMahon] wanted me to take six months off and come back. So literally, when I left his office and I quit, I called TNA and got a contract that day.”

Angle had originally planned to take a six-month break from WWE, with Vince McMahon expecting him to return afterwards. However, immediately after leaving the company, he signed a contract with TNA. This quick move may have led to WWE holding some resentment, as Angle suspects they “taught him a lesson” upon his return.

“I didn’t wait for a second, I knew what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to go, and I think they were like, ‘Okay if he comes back, we’re going to teach him a little lesson.'”

Kurt Angle previously shared that he remains under contract with WWE and believes the company will eventually find a role for him. Despite this, he hasn’t made any appearances since the special RAW XXX episode in January of last year. While his future involvement in WWE remains uncertain, Angle seems confident that his time with the company isn’t over just yet.