Wikipedia

Kurt Angle

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by TJ Spyke (talk | contribs) at 21:20, 3 June 2007 (the article doesn't say it's true, just that Angle claims it). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9 1968) is an American professional wrestler and former Olympic gold medalist amateur wrestler, who is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Kurt Angle United States
Born (1968-12-09) December 9, 1968 (age 56)
Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Professional wrestling career
Ring nameKurt Angle
Billed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Trained byDory Funk, Jr.
Tom Prichard
DebutOctober 1998

He earned numerous accolades before winning an Olympic gold medal in heavyweight freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Between 1998 and 2006, Angle wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, where he won six World Championships.

Amateur wrestling career

Angle attended Mt. Lebanon High School, where he won varsity letters in football and wrestling, and was an All-State linebacker. Angle went undefeated on the freshman wrestling team at Mt. Lebanon High and qualified for the state wrestling tournament his sophomore year. He also placed third in the state wrestling tournament as a junior, and was the 1987 Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion as a senior.

Upon graduating from high school, Angle attended the Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he continued to wrestle at an amateur level. He was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I champion in 1990 and 1992, national runner-up in 1991, and a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American. In addition, Angle was the 1987 USA Junior Freestyle champion, a 2-time USA Senior Freestyle champion and the 1988 USA International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles Junior World Freestyle champion. In the course of his amateur career, Angle faced several future mixed martial artists, defeating Sylvester Terkay, Mark Coleman and Mark Kerr.[citation needed]

Upon graduating from college, Angle continued to wrestle. In 1995, he won a gold medal at the World Championships in Atlanta, Georgia. Following this victory, Angle began training for the 1996 Summer Olympics under Dave Schultz at the Pennsylvanian Foxcatcher Club. In January 1996, not long after Angle had begun training at the club, Schultz was murdered. While taking part in the 1996 Olympic Trials, Angle suffered a severe neck injury, fracturing two of his cervical vertebrae, herniating two discs and pulling four muscles. Angle won the trials nonetheless, then spent the subsequent five months resting and rehabilitating. By the time of the Olympics, Angle was able to compete, albeit with several pain-reducing injections in his neck. The injury led to Angle's future claim of having won his Olympic gold medal "with a broken freakin' neck." In October 2006, Angle stated that he temporarily became addicted to the analgesic Vicodin after breaking his neck.[3]

Olympic medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
  1996 Atlanta 100 kg
File:1996 Summer Olympics Olympic Gold Medal front back.JPG
1996 Summer Olympics gold medal.

Angle won his gold medal in the heavyweight (90-100 kg; 198-220 lb) weight class by defeating the Iranian Abbas Jadidi by officials' decision after the competitors wrestled to an eight minute, one-one draw. The bout saw Jadidi earn a point after two minutes and 46 seconds by turning Angle, with Angle earning a point of his own with a takedown after three minutes and 11 seconds. The officials' decision was protested by Jadidi.[4]

Shortly after his victory, Angle turned down a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a prominent professional wrestling promotion. In the same year, he became a marketing representative for Protos Foods, the manufacturers of OSTRIM, an ostrich meat based foodstuff. [5]

Professional wrestling career

Extreme Championship Wrestling

On October 26 1996, Angle was convinced to attend the taping of an Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) event named High Incident by Shane Douglas. He provided guest commentary during a match between Taz and Little Guido, but left the building after Raven "crucified" The Sandman by attaching him to a cross using barbed wire. Angle, shocked by the controversial imagery and afraid that his career prospects would be damaged if he was associated with the incident, threatened to sue ECW owner Paul Heyman if he was shown on television in the same broadcast as the stunt.

Following the incident, Angle began working as a sportscaster on Pittsburgh television.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

In October 1998, Angle signed a five-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation. He was assigned to the Power Pro Wrestling developmental territory in Memphis, Tennessee, where he began training.

Angle's first appearance on WWF television was on the March 7 1999 episode of Sunday Night Heat, where he took part in an angle with Tiger Ali Singh.[6] Angle's first official WWF match was a dark match victory over Brian Christopher on April 11, 1999. From then on through the next several months, he would wrestle on house shows and other dark matches in preparation for his televised debut.[7]

After several weeks of vignettes, Angle made his in-ring debut on November 14 1999 at the 1999 Survivor Series, defeating Shawn Stasiak. He remained undefeated for several weeks, eventually losing to Tazz at the Royal Rumble. Angle went on to win both the WWF European Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship in February 2000, billing himself as the "Eurocontinental Champion". He lost both of his titles without conceding a fall in a two falls triple threat match with Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 2000; the match had been agreed to on Angle's behalf by his mentor, Bob Backlund.

Throughout mid-2000, Angle, Edge and Christian ("Team ECK") feuded with Too Cool and Rikishi, with Angle defeating Rikishi in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. He went to feud with Triple H after a love triangle between Angle, Triple H and Triple H's wife Stephanie developed, losing to Triple H at Unforgiven 2000. Following his feud with Triple H, Angle began pursuing the WWF Championship, defeating The Rock at No Mercy. Angle retained the WWF Championship for the rest of the year in matches against with The Undertaker at Survivor Series and in a six way Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon. He retained the WWF Championship in a match with Triple H at the 2001 Royal Rumble, but lost to The Rock at No Way Out. He went on to feud with Chris Benoit, who he defeated at WrestleMania X-Seven.

When WCW and ECW formed The Alliance and invaded the WWF in mid-2001, Angle joined forces with WWF Champion Steve Austin to repel them. At Invasion, Angle and Austin captained a team of five WWF superstars against five handpicked members of the Alliance. Team WWF lost to Team Alliance when Austin turned on his team to join the Alliance. At the close of the match, Austin nailed Angle with a Stone Cold Stunner, causing him to get pinned by the other team. After winning and losing the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship and WWF Hardcore Championship in matches with Alliance members, Angle defeated Austin for his second WWF Championship at Unforgiven 2001. He lost the title to Austin on the October 8, 2001 episode of RAW when WWF Commissioner William Regal joined the Alliance by costing him the match. Angle subsequently joined the Alliance himself, but ultimately returned to the WWF by enabling The Rock to defeat Austin in a "winner takes all" bout between the WWF and The Alliance at the Survivor Series. He went on to take part in a four man tournament for the WWF Undisputed Championship at Vengeance 2001, but was eliminated by Austin.

Angle took part in the Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Triple H. After defeating Kane at WrestleMania X8, Angle began a lengthy feud with Edge. In the course of the feud, Angle lost a "hair versus hair" match to Edge at Judgment Day and was subsequently shaved bald. Following the loss of his hair, Angle began wearing a wig and insulted bald people, leading to a feud with Hulk Hogan, who stripped Angle of his wig. Angle went on to score a submission victory over Hogan at King of the Ring; Hogan's first submission loss in the WWF (which was renamed "World Wrestling Entertainment" in May 2002).

In October 2002, Angle became the fourth WWE Grand Slam Champion by winning the WWE Tag Team Championship with Chris Benoit. After losing the titles to Edge and Rey Mysterio, Angle won his third WWE Championship at Armageddon, defeating Big Show. He defeated Benoit to retain the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble before losing the title to Lesnar at WrestleMania XIX.

File:KurtAngle.jpg
Kurt Angle in 2005.

On April 11, 2003, Angle underwent neck surgery under Dr. Hai-Dong Jho to repair nerve and spinal damage, calcium buildup, bone spurs and intervertebral disc problems. Rather than have Jho remove the afflicted discs and fuse his vertebrae together, Angle opted for a less conventional surgery that saw Jho remove only the spurs and selected portions of the discs. The alternative surgery reduced Angle's rehabilitation time from one year to three months. [8]

Shortly after returning, Angle defeated Lesnar and Big Show in a triple threat match at Vengeance to regain the WWE Championship. He retained the title in a singles bout with Lesnar at SummerSlam before losing it to Lesnar in an Iron Man match on an episode of SmackDown!. Angle took part in the Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Big Show. After defeating Big Show and John Cena in a number one contendership match at No Way Out, Angle unsuccessfully challenged WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania XX.

Following WrestleMania XX, Angle began once again suffering from neck problems. As a response, he was made the General Manager of SmackDown!, with his absence from the ring attributed to injuries suffered after Big Show chokeslammed him off a ledge. Angle continued to feud with Guerrero throughout 2004, costing him a title match with John "Bradshaw" Layfield at The Great American Bash. Angle returned to the ring in July 2004 and continued his feud with Guerrero, defeating him at SummerSlam before losing to Guerrero in a Survivor Series bout at Survivor Series.

In November 2004, Angle initiated the Kurt Angle Invitational, a weekly segment that saw "hometown heroes" challenge Angle to a match, with Angle promising to give his Olympic gold medal to the first person to last more than three minutes in the ring with him. The Invitational was won by Eugene in July 2005.

Angle took part in the 2005 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Shawn Michaels, who he returned to the ring to eliminate in retaliation. After mocking Michaels by attacking both his former tag team partner, Marty Jannetty, and former manager, Sherri Martel, Angle defeated Michaels in an interpromotional match at WrestleMania 21. He continued to feud with Michaels upon being drafted from SmackDown! to RAW in June 2005, losing to Michaels at Vengeance.

In August 2005, Angle began feuding with WWE Champion John Cena. He defeated Cena by disqualification at Unforgiven, then lost to Cena in a rematch at the Survivor Series.

Angle returned to the SmackDown! brand of WWE in January 2006, winning the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a twenty man battle royal. Angle retained the title in bouts with Mark Henry at the Royal Rumble and The Undertaker at No Way Out before losing to Rey Mysterio in a triple threat match that also included Randy Orton at WrestleMania 22.

On May 29, 2006, Angle was drafted to the newly created Extreme Championship Wrestling brand. He issued an open challenge for One Night Stand which was accepted by Orton. Angle defeated Orton at One Night Stand, later losing to him in a rematch at Vengeance. Angle appeared sporadically on WWE television throughout mid-2006. On August 25 2006, he was granted an early release from his WWE contract due to "personal issues". [9]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

A few weeks after his WWE tenure had ended, Angle signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). On September 24 2006 during the closing segment of the pay-per-view No Surrender 2006, TNA President Dixie Carter announced that TNA Wrestling had signed Angle to a contract, with Jim Cornette introducing video footage of Angle training in a six-sided TNA ring.

Angle made his debut on the October 19, 2006 confronting Samoa Joe after Joe refused to relinquish the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt that he had stolen from Jeff Jarrett. The two men ended up fighting while Jarrett took the title back. Angle was then the special enforcer for the Title vs. Career match between Jeff Jarrett and Sting at Bound for Glory 2006 but took out referee Rudy Charles and assumed the referee's role for the rest of the match-up. Angle's first match in TNA took place on the November 16, 2006 airing of TNA iMPACT!. He defeated Abyss with the Ankle lock, and was attacked after the match by Samoa Joe. At Genesis 2006, Angle defeated Samoa Joe by Ankle lock submission, ending Joe's "undefeated" streak. At Turning Point 2006, Joe defeated Angle by Coquina Clutch submission.

At Final Resolution 2007, Angle defeated Samoa Joe in a 30 minute Iron Man match 3-2 to earn a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Against All Odds, but would lose the match against Christian Cage after interference from Tomko and Scott Steiner. This would lead into a feud between Angle and Steiner, with Angle pinning Steiner at Destination X. After Angle defeated Steiner, he was picked to lead a team of four other wrestlers against a team of Christian Cage's choice in a Lethal Lockdown match at TNA's April PPV event, Lockdown. Angle ended up choosing Samoa Joe, Rhino, Sting, and Jeff Jarrett for Team Angle, while Cage ended up choosing A.J. Styles, Scott Steiner, Tomko, and Abyss. The man who gained the winning pinfall would become the number one contender to Christian Cage's NWA World Heavyweight Title. Team Angle was victorious after Jeff Jarrett hit Abyss with a guitar full of thumbtacks and allowed Sting to score the pin. At Sacrifice 2007, Angle would defeat Cage and Sting in a Triple Threat match to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Though the match was originally promoted as having been for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (with the NWA belt actually being used during the event), the National Wrestling Alliance had stripped Christian Cage of the NWA Title earlier in the day, having severed its ties with TNA. But TNA still recognized Cage as their Champion, so the match was now for TNA's World Title.

Angle won the match by getting Sting to tap out to the ankle lock, while Sting was pinning Cage. Angle was announced as, and declared Champion. On the following episode of iMPACT!, after hearing complaints from Cage and Sting about the controversial finish to the match, Jim Cornette stripped Angle of the title.

New Japan Pro Wrestling

On February 18, 2007 Angle made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata to face fellow TNA wrestler Travis Tomko and fellow WWE alumnus Giant Bernard, the IWGP World Tag Team Champions. Angle and Nagata won after Nagata made Tomko submit.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

  • Canadian Cup Championship
    • 1990 winner
  • Collegiate
    • 1987 Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion
    • 1988 Clarion University Freshman of the Year
  • Espoir World Cup
    • 1989 runner-up
  • International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
    • FILA Junior World Freestyle Champion (1988)
    • FILA World Freestyle Champion (1995)
  • National Amateur Wrestling
    • National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Famer (class of 2001)
  • National Collegiate Athletic Association
    • 1990 NCAA Division I Champion
    • 1991 NCAA Division I runner-up
    • 1992 NCAA Division I Champion
  • Olympic Games
  • USA Wrestling
    • USA Junior Freestyle Champion (1987)
    • USA Senior Freestyle Champion (1995, 1996)
    • USA Wrestling Hall of Famer (class of 2001)
  • World Championships
    • 1996 gold medal in freestyle wrestling (heavyweight)
  • Yasar Dogu Tournament
    • 1989 runner-up

Professional wrestling

1Angle won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and WCW United States Championship during The Invasion storyline (shortly following WWE's acquisition of WCW). These victories make him one of three professional wrestlers (along with Ric Flair and Bret Hart) to hold the WWE Championship, WWE Intercontinental, WCW World Heavyweight and WCW United States Championships. However, it should be noted that only Hart accomplished this during the period that WCW and WWE were two separate entities. (Flair's Intercontinental Championship victory came after WWE's purchase of WCW.)

Personal life

Kurt Angle attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in education in 1993.[1] He has a Clarion University Golden Eagle tattooed on his upper back.

Angle has four older brothers (one of whom, Eric, is also a wrestler) and a sister who died due to congenital heart complications. His father was killed in a construction accident when Angle was sixteen, and Angle dedicated both his career and his autobiography It's True, It's True to him as a result. Angle claimed in an interview that, following the death of his father, he regarded his wrestling coach, David Schultz, as a paternal figure. While training Angle, Schultz was murdered in January 1996 by John Eleuthère du Pont, the sponsor of Schultz's team of Olympic prospectives.[5]

Angle has said on several occasions that he intends to pursue an acting career after retirement from professional wrestling.[4]

Angle married wife Karen on December 19, 1998, and the couple have a daughter, Kyra, who was born on December 2, 2002. They also have a son, Kody, who was born on October 26, 2006.

Steroid allegations

On March 6, 2007, Sports Illustrated reported that Angle's name was found in the client database of a Florida wellness center suspected of being a front for distributing performance-enhancing drugs.[10] The magazine alleged Angle had received prescriptions for trenbolone and nandrolone, both anabolic steroids. Angle responded on his official website: "I did not improperly receive prescriptions. It is well documented that in my career I have broken vertebrae in my neck on five occasions and each time the course of treatment was under the care and supervision of my Doctors. Any attempt to link me to the athletes in the current news accounts who may have improperly sought performance-enhancing drugs is without foundation."[11] In the months leading up to his Olympic gold medal match, Angle was also accused of using steroids. He was tested many times for steroids, with the results coming in negative.[citation needed]

On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website another article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned that 10 other professional wrestlers are implicated to have received performance-enhancing drugs from the same drug ring including four current WWE wrestlers and Eddie Guerrero. [12]

References

  1. ^ a b Kurt Angle at WashingtonPost.com
  2. ^ TNA profile
  3. ^ Angle speaks...
  4. ^ a b King, Peter "Gripping Finish", Sports Illustrated
  5. ^ a b "Kurt Angle, 1996 Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler Signs Multi-Year Deal With World Wrestling Federation", Business Wire
  6. ^ 1999 WWF event results
  7. ^ 1999 WWF event results
  8. ^ Angle ready to rumble after neck injury
  9. ^ Clevett, Jason "WWE releases Kurt Angle", Canoe.ca
  10. ^ Llosa, Luis Fernando, and L. Jon Wertheim. Inside the Steroid Sting. SI.com; accessed 6 March 2007.
  11. ^ Angle responds. kurtangletna.net. Accessed 8 March 2007.
  12. ^ Llosa, Luis Fernando, and L. Jon Wertheim. Wrestlers allegedly tied to drug ring SI.com; accessed 19 March 2007.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Kurt Angle.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurt_Angle&oldid=135636125"