Kurt Angle Disappointed Over WWE’s Treatment of Baron Corbin

Kurt Angle had high hopes for Baron Corbin’s WWE future, but things didn’t pan out the way he expected.

The Olympic gold medalist and WWE Hall of Famer recently opened up about his feelings on Corbin’s career trajectory after being his final opponent at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. This came in light of reports from November 1, where it was repoted that WWE would not be renewing Corbin’s contract. Corbin himself confirmed the news on social media, thanking fans for their support throughout his career.

Angle, speaking WrestleZone, didn’t hold back on his thoughts regarding WWE’s handling of Corbin post-WrestleMania. Reflecting on the match that closed his legendary career, Angle shared, “Baron, I think he’s underrated. I think it kinda sucks — they started utilizing him the way they should have, they had him beat me, which I was okay with, it was my last match and obviously you’re going to lose your last match when you retire. Baron, after that, he ended up winning King Of The Ring and then nothing else happened with him.”

Corbin’s victory over Angle seemed to be a stepping stone for the former NFL player, but the momentum fizzled out quickly. Angle continued, “It’s a little disappointing to know that he beat a legend at WrestleMania in the legend’s last match and they didn’t really do much with him after that. For me, it makes me feel like I did that for nothing. It’s not like, ‘Screw you Angle’, but, it kinda is.”

Angle’s expectations for Corbin were sky-high, expecting the win to catapult Corbin into WWE’s top tier. “I thought they were going to run with the kid, I thought they were going to make him one of the top tier guys and he was on his way,” Angle noted.

Despite Corbin’s apparent potential, the company shifted his character multiple times, from the brooding “King Corbin” to the upbeat “Happy Corbin.” Angle suggested that these changes might have hindered Corbin’s progress. “I do believe they changed his character a couple times, I think he was Happy Corbin and then something else. I don’t know if they found anything that really stuck and maybe that’s why they let him go because they couldn’t find a character.”

Still, Angle remains confident that Corbin didn’t need any drastic gimmicks to shine. “Baron has a great personality, he didn’t need a character, he could be him and he was entertaining as it is,” he emphasized. Despite this, WWE chose not to renew Corbin’s contract, a move that left Angle feeling disappointed. “I was just a little disappointed that they didn’t do much with him and then they let him go.”

While Corbin’s journey with WWE may have come to an end, his undeniable talent and charisma could open doors for new opportunities in the wrestling industry or beyond. Angle’s disappointment highlights the unpredictability of wrestling careers, even when victories come at the expense of legends.