Kurt Angle is recognized for his achievements in WWE, where he won six world titles and became the fifth Grand Slam champion. His Olympic gold medal added to his impressive resume, making him a standout in the company.
Fans who follow professional wrestling know about Angle’s remarkable career in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). In TNA, Angle secured six world championships, two tag team titles, and even an X Division championship during his near-decade tenure.
In an interview with OutKick Dropkick, Angle shared his views on his career, expressing that he had a “better career” in TNA. He believed that although he had an incredible career in WWE, his TNA performances were largely unseen by many WWE fans. Angle noted that TNA had a strong fanbase worldwide, but was far behind WWE in the United States before AEW’s emergence.
Angle emphasized that some of his best matches in TNA were with wrestlers like Abyss, Samoa Joe, and A.J. Styles. For WWE fans who missed his TNA performances, he recommended his matches against Joe and Styles, describing his debut match against Samoa Joe at a pay-per-view as a standout event.
Angle stated that he enjoyed working with Joe, whose ground-and-pound style complemented Angle’s freestyle wrestling. He also praised Styles for his athleticism and ability to blend seamlessly in the ring.
During his time in TNA, Angle won two King of the Mountain matches, a unique format where competitors try to hang a title belt on a hook above the cage. This concept, compared to a reverse ladder match, showcased TNA’s creativity.
When asked by OutKick Dropkick why these distinctive matches haven’t appeared in WWE, Angle expressed surprise. He mentioned WWE’s past creativity and suggested they could incorporate similar styles by changing names and formats if not patented. Angle highlighted TNA’s creativity during pay-per-views.
In 2013, the Olympic champion was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame, joining notable wrestling figures like Sting, Jeff Jarrett, and Gail Kim, among others.
At the upcoming Bound for Glory pay-per-view, TNA plans to induct ODB, Amazing Red, and Konnan into its Hall of Fame, recognizing their contributions to the wrestling world.
Ryan Gaydos serves as a senior editor for Fox News Digital.