Ahhh, the sweet smell of victory.
I read dozens and dozens of emails almost a month ago when I wrote about how I believed it was inevitable that Kurt Angle would end up in TNA. That his whole departure from the E was a work and TNA and WWE were in cahoots to keep business good. I had people tearing me a new one for not believing that Angle was gravely injured and should retire. I stood my ground, and held my breath. And now it has come to fruition, as I knew so long ago it would. Kurt Angle is the newest TNA Superstar.
August 26, 2006 and September 2, 2006.
I was the VERY FIRST online columnist ANYWHERE to predict Angle’s arrival in TNA. Not Scherer or Keller or any of the other fan sites. Right here at Inside Pulse. Of course, Angle’s sudden departure from the WWE had occured only hours earlier, and I was just lucky enough to be online and writing my column on that particular night at that exact time. But my gut reaction, right from the get-go was that our beloved Olympic Gold Medalist was just fine and was headed straight for Florida.
Our own Jeremy Botter reported on TNA’s interest in Angle and WWE encouraging him to go to their rival in his September 1 column, but The Gospel of Wrestling was the first written word on Angle going to TNA. I predicted, I saw it a mile away and I’m just glad I wrote what I was literally thinking.
Below is an excerpt from my column on August 26th:
Kurt Angle Released from WWE Contract
This story just broke earlier today from what I understand, and it’s a damned shame. No word yet on why he was granted an early release, but one has to think it’s got something to do with drugs or women. I’m going to go ahead not comment any further until something of substance comes to light. Kurt Angle is a future WWE Hall of Famer, and the E must of had some damn good reason to release Kurt for the time being. The way wwe.com made it sound in their press releae, it looks like Angle should be back in the not so distant future. It seems like Angle has missed more time in the last few years than most other wrestlers other than Mark Henry. Now that’s just a wild shot in the dark. But with all the neck surgeries and his latest resting period last month things seem a little fishy.
Here’s my best guess. And this is coming from a very educated wrestling smark. Over twenty years and counting, folks. Okay – To the shock of everybody looking on from outside the WWE Curtain, Angle is in fact healthy. Has been all along. His nagging injuries and whatnot have just all been a big work. Angle is being released so that he can go over to TNA and wrestle there. Just like ECW was Vince’s little farm territory back in the 90’s so is TNA here in present day. I mean their are far too many connections to simply dismiss it.
That’s for another column, another day.
Anyway – Angle will go over to TNA and once there become the NWA champion. A title that would go perfectly with his essence. Matches like Angle vs. Jarrett, Angle vs. AJ, Angle vs. SAMOA JOE would go over Big Time. It’s actually the perfect thing Kurt could do that would rejuvenate his career. There has been alot of talk lately about Angle not really fitting in within the ECW mold, but I think TNA and NWA wrestling in general has Kurt Angle written all over it. Plus, even if his health was in question, his schedule in TNA would be a helluva lot lighter.
One thing everyone needs to understand is that from top to bottom just about every single thing we see on WWE TV is a complete work. From the Hulkster slamming Andre to Vince screwing Bret to Shawn Michaels’ “back” injury that kept him out of action for a few restful years. I think Angle is just fine, the WWE media machine the PR people have all the marks believing he’s all beaten up, but he’s most likely far from it. And at the same time there is almost no one on any WWE roster that he hasn’t already worked with and beaten. Nothing fresh for the former Olympic Gold Medalist. What he needs is TNA and today when the WWE released him of his contract they also may very well have handed The Wrestling Machine over to Dixie Carter, Panda Energy and the Jarrett Clan. And that’s exactly what Vince either already knows is going to happen or at least hopes. For the well being of the business. This is Evolution folks and Kurt Angle is about to become the top star for TNA wrestling.
I wrote that the night of his dimissal from the WWE and stood by what I thought. I got tons of emails over the course of the ensuing week labeling me a “non smart fan” or shit like that. Here’s what I wrote in my column from September 2nd:
Delving Deeper – Angle to TNA
In last week’s column I wrote about the possibility that Kurt Angle’s sudden departure from the WWE was all part of a larger plan. A master plan, if you will. That Angle was in fact not injured at all, and that his release by WWE was just an oddly convienent way of The Olympic Hero making his way over to a new, fresh territory to ply his trade. I mean, he’s literally beaten and been beaten by everybody whose anybody in the E by now anyway.
Needless to say I got alot of email from readers telling me how screwed up they thought my ideas were. And a couple of emails in agreement with me too.
Let me just add a little more to the subject now that I’ve had over a week to digest Angle’s dismissal. To all those fans who think Kurt’s arrival to the Impact Zone is such a far fetched idea, to you I say…
Suck it!
Pro Wrestling is a big ruse. Everything – every SINGLE thing we see on the TV whether spoken or performed is predetermined and usually well thought out in advance. Here’s the deal with Angle, and I’m going to break this down for all of you non-believers.
The man is real, he has a large, caring family and is quite possibly the greatest performer this sport has ever seen. Over the course of the last 7 plus years he has steamrolled through the competiton in the WWE, and has never decisively lost a feud to anybody. Sure he’s beaten up, but that neck surgery he had a few years ago actually supposed to make said neck stronger than EVER.
When one looks out upon the landscape of the current WWE product, I have to say that there’s nothing for Kurt to really do anymore that he hasn’t already done. Is it so far fetched to think that Creative really doesn’t have anything more for Kurt? At least not until around 2010.
Possible WWE feuds? Cena, Booker, RVD, Edge, Triple H, HBK, Orton…Kurt has wrestled them all a million times. What I’m trying to say is Kurt is honestly all dried up in the E. At least for now.
A little break from the business will undoubtedly be great for Angle. But a trip down to Florida would be even better and again, I believe that’s exactly the plan.
See, what many don’t quite know yet is this: TNA is the WWE. Just another brand, or extension of the product. WWE is the silent partner to TNA just like ECW and to a certain point WCW were back in the 90’s. Someday Vince McMahon will announce the purchase of all the TNA video library and all will be right with world.
Once down in TNA, Angle would have a plethora of new talent that he hasn’t really worked with before and titles he has yet to win. He’s a marquee name who still has alot he could prove in the ring, but that ring has to be a TNA ring.
Sure, Kurt may eventually return to the E. But so will Christian and the Dudleys and Kevin Nash. Jeff Jarrett will even be on RAW again someday – that day is a long ways off, but it will happen. See, TNA is just a little stop on the freeway of life for a wrestler of Angle’s stature to breathe new life into his career, add some dimensions.
Face it, “The New ECW” and Angle wouldn’t have worked out long term. Kurt Angle is a mat wrestling machine and should be programmed to wrestle in a company or dare I say territory that truely does exemplify his in-ring skills. ECW is for the most part garbage wrestling and in the end Angle’s gimmick, his own true self in fact, just don’t mesh with the Extreme stylings of Paul E and the Extremists. But he’d fit right in as a viable opponent for Jeff Jarrett, Samoa Joe or anyone on the TNA roster. And what better person than Angle to help along the young guys in TNA like AJ Styles, Eric Young and Chris Sabin?
Send me all the emails you want people! It won’t change my mind. Kurt Angle is surely off WWE TV for now, but he’ll be spending his winter in Florida having 5 star matches with AJ. And that’s exactly how the WWE planned it. So says the Gospel.
And so it came to pass.
This now makes TNA waaaay f*cking cooler in every way, shape and form. Let the fantasy booking begin, and I would also like to think that Kurt Angle’s participation in TNA Wrestling may bring about the NEW GOLDEN AGE OF WRESTLING.
I want to thank the few people out there that did send me emails supporting my beliefs about Angle going to TNA. Now, let’s all just sit back and enjoy!
RAW should be off the hook tonight, what with Johnny Nitro defending his IC title against Kane and Johnathan Coachman putting DX in the ever dreaded Guantlet Tag Jobber Match. Lemme guess: Cade and Murdoch, Vis and Haas and the Spirit Squad. Sounds thrilling.
NOT!!
Seeing Kurt Angle versus Samoa Joe is going to be pretty f*cking thrilling, though. I can’t wait!
Vote McMahon in ’08
