Angle Released!

Prundic

'Due to personal issues, Kurt Angle has been granted an early release from his contract. WWE looks forward to establishing a new relationship with Kurt in the near future. ' (wwe.com)

J.R.HARTLEY

:eek:

Mossy Monk

must be pretty serious issues

Oh........... my........... God!

Stalfos

WOW, where did that come from?

el rabitos

he's going through a divorce, his wife is expecting their next baby, he has what i can only imagine is a constant pain in his neck, he cant take the kind of pain killers he's been taking as often as he has, because of the wellness program, he has a torn groin...plus he's got all the usual knocks and pains that wwe wrestlers that have been on the road as long as he has.

....yeah. i'm not suprised. he'll be back in less than 6 months

jongore

el rabitos wrote:

he's going through a divorce, his wife is expecting their next baby, he has what i can only imagine is a constant pain in his neck, he cant take the kind of pain killers he's been taking as often as he has, because of the wellness program, he has a torn groin...plus he's got all the usual knocks and pains that wwe wrestlers that have been on the road as long as he has.

....yeah. i'm not suprised. he'll be back in less than 6 months

Yeah, it;s a tough time for Angle at the moment, hopefully he'll sort out his problems and give his body time to heal, then maybe we'll see him back better then ever.

RebelRockChick

It's a surprise alright!! But he really needs a break, he never seems to stop! He needs time to deal with his injuries and with stuff that's going on in his personal life. Hope to see him back in the near future!

Mr.Nice Guy

WWE fired Kurt Angle today. It is known Angle and his agent met with WWE officials this afternoon. More details should be forthcoming soon.

- Dave Meltzer

I wonder what the details are surrounding this. It's a loss to wrestling but his injuries have prevented him from producing the five star matches he is capable of. I'd prefer to see him rest up and then return a la HBK four years ago and tear things up.

I_Need_a_Life

fin martin in power slam magazine has been claiming for almost a year now that angles "issues" are going to result in some kind of life-altering scenerio. hopefully hes gonna be ok.

Screw storylines and whatever, this is a guy, who has a hell of a lot of respect from all people with all kinds of interests in wrestling, wether marks, smarks or casuals. heres hoping he gets better!

seanironmaiden

Poor Kurt, it's definately for the best though. hopefully he'll be back sometime in the fututre

Vince135792003

He probably does n't agree but for his long term future it was the only decision the WWE could make. The guy has had chronic injuries particuliay his neck for close to 3 years now.

And you can only roll the dice and get lucky so many times with the neck injuries that Angle has before somthing really bad goes worng.

J.R.HARTLEY

I_Need_a_Life wrote:

Screw storylines and whatever, this is a guy, who has a hell of a lot of respect from all people with all kinds of interests in wrestling, wether marks, smarks or casuals. heres hoping he gets better!

couldn't have put it better

Winning Hand

Probably for the best. Looking forward to seeing him back.

triple h

it would be very very hard to find someone that did not like or respect kurt angle.
it is probably for the best, but what a pity. one hell of a talented guy.
i wonder if we will ever see him again. if so and i hope i am wrong it could be years. maybe 10 years. why do i say 10. well i reckon if he comes back it will be like a mick foley or rick flair role.

dinjo

OMG I DONT BELIEVE IT ! ! i hope he comes back cause that is some loss....

castagnoli

The guy needs the time off to recover (and get his head straight) so its definately the best thing for him right now. I can see him taking a few months off then doing a few big indy dates (Angle vs Danielson has to happen ) and he will return to WWE down the line. Heres hoping anyway

nacho libre

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a fracas with another wrestler or even wwe employee involved in creating storylines which brought things to a head. it's well-documented he has been unbearable back stage since his inactivity and has been pushing to get back on tv.
I think as had been said already it's a case of tough love. this is best for all concerned in the long run.

hopefully he'll be back in a year or so.

Vince135792003

From what you hear of his injuries Angle does n't need time off, he needs retirement. I see him getting a road agents job and coming back sporadically at best.

Stalfos

Well, with the shock outa the way.
Even if he has all these problems, why would WWE sack him for it. Could vince have a conscience and think about the person instead of the cash? Cause Angle could easily go to TNA, have some great matches and probably paraylze himself. Cause if WWE thought he would be back on his feet in a short amount of time, they woulda just have given him the time off. He was gone for about a year when he injured his neck before and wasn't fired. Their must be something more to this i think.

nacho libre

He is addicted to wrestling. I can't see him being contented as a road agent and not wrestling. So he'll be back wrestling at some stage. It may not be with WWE but he'll be back wrestling.

WWE.com

WWE.com wrote:

“My body is so beat up and run down, I can’t even think straight,” Kurt Angle tells WWE.com in an exclusive interview Saturday concerning his early release from his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. Angle and WWE officials mutually agreed to end Angle’s relationship with the company on Friday.

Angle says seven years of non-stop wrestling has taken a major toll on his body, his mind and his family. “I need my body to reheal and rehab, I have done this for too long without a break. I haven’t been able to really enjoy my life. I haven’t seen my family, I’ve had problems with medication - I’m just fried physically and mentally.”

Angle’s business manager David Hawk claims, “Kurt’s in a tremendous amount of pain, he’s used prescription medication to deal with it. Kurt has come to the conclusion that unless he can get in the ring without the use of pain medication then he doesn’t need to be in there. He realizes he was just endangering himself and his opponents.”

The last straw for Angle seems to have occurred on August 13th, 2006, at an ECW live event in White Plains, New York. Angle was wrestling Rob Van Dam in a match where both competitors were fueled by the passionate ECW fans. “The crowd was wild,” Angle says. “Early on in the match, I pulled my groin, but I kept going, feeding off the crowd. Then I pulled my abdominal muscle off the pelvic bone, but I kept going as the crowd grew more wild. Finally, I blew out my hamstring, but we finished the match. The crowd stood and applauded - a standing ovation and that meant so much to me.”

Ironically that would be Angle’s last match.

WWE.com asked Angle if he would ever return to competition in WWE. Angle says “I can’t tell you that right now, I need to heal up mentally and physically. Until then, I can’t even think about returning.”

But Angle says WWE Chairman Vince McMahon told him the door is always open. “Vince says when I’m ready, if I’m ever ready, to come back just sign on the dotted line. I’ll tell you if I do return I’m going back to my roots, training on the mat like my amateur days. Longevity is the key.”

Hawk seems confident Angle will be in the ring again someday.

Angle has a final message to his legion of WWE and ECW fans. “Don’t be concerned, this move was for the best. It was a privilege to be able to compete for all of you. I’d like to say thank you.”

.

AlphaMale 3OO

Stalfos wrote:

Well, with the shock outa the way.
Even if he has all these problems, why would WWE sack him for it. Could vince have a conscience and think about the person instead of the cash? Cause Angle could easily go to TNA, have some great matches and probably paraylze himself. Cause if WWE thought he would be back on his feet in a short amount of time, they woulda just have given him the time off. He was gone for about a year when he injured his neck before and wasn't fired. Their must be something more to this i think.

They haven't sacked him you fool. This is a mutually agreed upon release. Anyone would be foolish to not have seen this coming. First, the evidence of all his injuries, followed by the move to the lighter schedule of an experimental ECW wich didn't as I would have expected, yield him the ECW Championship, instead it went to the Big Show. This was on the cards and one thing is for sure, he will return.

Stalfos

forbesii wrote:

They haven't sacked him you fool. This is a mutually agreed upon release. Anyone would be foolish to not have seen this coming. First, the evidence of all his injuries, followed by the move to the lighter schedule of an experimental ECW wich didn't as I would have expected, yield him the ECW Championship, instead it went to the Big Show. This was on the cards and one thing is for sure, he will return.

You say that as if Angle came up with the idea of taking time. No chance of that, he loves to wrestle far too much. WWE convinced him leave imo. And the reason us "fools" were surpised is probably because no one thought Angle would be released even if with those injures and personal problems.

Skud

this is crazy alright... Angle is a trooper and his injuries have been well documented in the past. I hope we see him wrestle again because angle at his best is probably hands down, the best wrestler in wwe today (maybe with the exception of benoit). If it was just he needed time off dont think he would have agreed to terminate his contract. Think he's gone for a good while tbh

nacho libre

good God how did he continue to the finish of that house show match with Rob Van Dam. it's just insane.

antifyre

Because he is the Freaking Wrestling Machine!


Seriously, Best Wishes to one of the Finest Wrestlers and Performers WWE ever had on their books...... Angle could do it all...


I'm already imagining the pop he'll get if he ever comes back.....

GMoneyV1

Angle is a WWE legend. Everyone forever will remeber when he hit or didnt hit that moonsault from the top of the cage What a great Bump? he will be missed for now because he will be back. Here is a thought Angle vs. Taker wrestlemania...Well one can dream!!

Jmac24128

thats a huge blow, hopefully he will be back

Jonny Arson

An absolute wrestling legend, wow the WWE/ECW is **** enough already but without Angle... too scary to comtemplate. He's gotta put his health and his personal life first so all the best of luck to you Kurt!:)

AlphaMale 3OO

Stalfos wrote:

You say that as if Angle came up with the idea of taking time. No chance of that, he loves to wrestle far too much. WWE convinced him leave imo. And the reason us "fools" were surpised is probably because no one thought Angle would be released even if with those injures and personal problems.

I called YOU a fool, nobody else. And it wasn't meant maliciously. Anywa he'll be a great loss.

RebelRockChick

source: WWE.com

Kurt's peers, including Rey Mysterio, Batista and Mr. Kennedy, are shocked by Kurt Angle's sudden release. WWE.com posted their candid thoughts on Angle's situation, which may be a first for a wrestler's release.

Rey Mysterio: "I was shocked, I just couldn't believe it. I go back a long way with Kurt, and this has really affected me. I hope he can get his issues straightened out. We all have issues with this lifestyle because it's not easy. I hope he keeps plugging away because I'd love to see him in the ring again someday."

Paul Heyman: "This is the best thing for both parties. Kurt has spent his entire life driven to be the best at what he does. Kurt's body, however, could no longer preform to the level that he envisioned for himself. (Kurt) was prepared to drive himself into an early grave simply to live with himself striving to be No. 1. This is a recipe for catastrophe, and taking time off to get his mind and body in sync is the only way to deal with these issues."

Batista: "I know Kurt is passionate about wrestling, so for this to happen, something must be going on. I am worried about him; I hope he's ok."

Dean Malenko: "This is a big loss. Kurt is irreplaceable. He goes 130-percent every night; he's one of the best wrestlers I've ever seen. People have to worry about their life first, and Kurt needs to get his head straight and get himself happy."

Chavo Guerrero: "He's a machine; there has to be something else going on. This isn't ballet. We all get banged up, but Kurt's a different animal; he doesn't know how to downshift into a lower gear. I wish him the best, I respect him and Kurt always has the Guerreros in his corner."

Ken Kennedy: "I'm shocked, but I'm happy Kurt's doing what's right. He's been in a lot of pain, and hopefully this decision saved his life. It sucks because Kurt is good for this company. He's the most intense wrestler I have ever seen."

John Laurinaitis: "We look forward to doing business with him again. Kurt is a great athlete and an even better person. He will be missed."

Dickmcsavage

Well good luck to the auld Angle fella. Im not massively dissapointed though because im pretty sure he'll be back. He was in a kind of Wrestling limbo there for a while and hopefully with the time off he has now, he can go home, get his act together and come back to dominate! Hopefully he'll bury Test, Knox and Thorn in first match back!

fatal

my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cantg believe that he is gone.Does anyone think that his suspension had anything to do with it?I know he didnt get fired but maybe something else happened that just made him wanna walk away...
This is a HUGE blow for WWE.Angle was amongst the top 3 in the business today and he is ****in gone now
I really hope that we can see him sometime in the future doing what he did SO well-entertaining us.
On the other hand this decision is nothing but good for his health.We all know the medical problems that the guy is going through but I REALLY hope that we will in a few months see him again in the sqaured circle...
thanks angle for all the memories:(

TOPDAWG

I think Chavo Guerrero said it best when he said "he doesnt know how to downshift into a lower gear."

He'd remind ya a lot of Roy Keane on the pitch, a man who ALWAYS gave it his all and when he realised the time had come that he couldnt give it his all he decided it was time to step down.

While im shocked and saddened at this i think he's done whats best for himself and his loved ones and i respect him for his decision. We all wanna remember him as the FREAKIN' WRESTLING MACHINE not the freakin cripple who just wont go away. He's stepped down just as "maybe" he's coming to the end of his prime.

Thats not to say i dont wanna see him come back cos i hope he does but if he doesnt then i thank him for the effort and dedication he gave us all from the 1st day that he came in the door!!!

gimmick

^

We all wanna remember him as the FREAKIN' WRESTLING MACHINE not the freakin cripple who just wont go away. He's stepped down just as "maybe" he's coming to the end of his prime.

Exactly. No one wants to see a once great performer forcing himself onto TV anymore. Or indeed, no one wants to see a once great performer, performing at such a level that his entire legacy is tarnished by his unwillingness to call it a day.

Now that those digs are out of the way, obviously it is a dissapointing day for wrestling fans, and indeed, for Kurt himself. But I would be far more dissapointed if we were watching another tribute show in a few weeks time. Kurts willingness to wrestle through the pain barrier really could have led to his death, and has possibly cost him his marriage. Nothing is worth that, not the money, not the adulation....nothing.

The door for his return is very much wide open, and I dont think we have seen the last of Kurt. I think we will see him do a few once offs like Austin did after his retirement, and kind of like what Hogan is doing now. The only differnce being, Angle will always be able to put on good matches.

RebelRockChick

Vince McMahon comments on Angle's release:

Late last week, WWE made the shocking announcement on their website that Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle has been officially released from the company "due to personal issues". They wished him good luck and said they look forward to establishing a "new relationship" with the former WWE champion in the future - a sign that his in-ring career has come to an end.

Shortly after the statement was released, it was revealed by Kurt Angle himself that the reason for his release was that his body is in terrible condition and he has been struggling with a severe addiciton to pain medication. WWE.com conducted interviews with Angle as well as other WWE superstars regarding the situation. Today, WWE.com has posted comments from the boss himself, Mr. McMahon.

Regarding the Release:

“It’s unfortunate that Kurt was released, and it’s really unfortunate for the WWE fans who, for a while at least, won’t see Angle in action ... Circumstances were such that Kurt should have been, and was, granted his release.”

Regarding Kurt's Health Situation:

“It’s no secret that even when Kurt won the Olympic Gold Medal, he did so with a broken neck,” he said. “Kurt has been dealing with that pain, and the advancement of that pain, as well as other injuries. He had been dealing with that injury since he won the gold medal; he had been masking it in many ways just so he could go out and compete"

Regarding Kurt's WWE Future:

“I think Kurt has some issues he has to face, as we all do from time to time. We all have our demons, and as human beings, it is important for us to overcome them and become better human beings, athletes and business people.”

littleninja

Was completely shocked when I heard about this, hope all goes well for him though. Completely agree that he was due a break, running himself into the ground despite several major injuries, etc.

shinzon

When i read about angles release i was shocked as everyone else but then thinking about it its the right thing to do for him

He couldnt continue the way he was going, the injuries were mounting up and the wear and tear on his body from all the previous injuries were taking its toll

Powerslam predicted last year that if angle didnt stop wrestling or at least take a long sabbatical that he would end up in a wheel chair, god forbid that would ever happen

Angle sometimes was his worst enemy, as he just didnt know when to stop, hes had to drop a lot of bulk to take the strain off his neck, as a consequence of his injuries his muscles have atrophied a lot

I for one hope he stays retired, any comeback would be a danger to himself and he could risk permanent damage

I prefer to remember kurt as he was in his prime, quite simply the best wrestler of our generation, who could and did it all in the ring


Shin

Fozzy

gimmick wrote:

Exactly. No one wants to see a once great performer forcing himself onto TV anymore. Or indeed, no one wants to see a once great performer, performing at such a level that his entire legacy is tarnished by his unwillingness to call it a day.

I don't think Kurt would be able to put on crap matches. He'd be puttin on great matches forever, but obviously at the cost of his health

It looks pretty obvious that the story about the "unofficial deathwatch" was about Kurt, especially when he was the first one to ask a question at the announcement of WWE's wellness policy. I don't feel too bad about him being released, because it means he's getting a chance to get himself together. I'd rather that than him ****in himself up any worse. He's definitely a good guy who wants to get the best out of himself all the time

There's a lot of reports about him going through a divorce now. I remember about 2 years ago, maybe less, it was said he was getting a divorce. Around a year or so ago he took some time off, and it was said that it was because he was getting back with his wife and they were planning to have another child. So if it has fallen apart again that's sad news

If you're looking for someone with the mental power to beat an addiction though, Kurt's definitely the one to do it. I can see him focusing on something else for a while once he gets himself sorted out before he maybe comes back to WWE

Vince135792003

Fozzy wrote:

I don't think Kurt would be able to put on crap matches. He'd be puttin on great matches forever, but obviously at the cost of his health

Kurt matches have been far from crap. But just by judging him from his own high standards, I think the long list of injuries have took its toll on his work recently.

joe_elway

I wouldn't be surprised if he got a Mick Foley/Hogan type thing going on in a year or two.... one or two appearances a year. His name is gold now so he can turn up and people will go wild. I wouldn't be surprised if he does coach Olyimpic wrestling or something.

Every time I watch a UFC PPV, I wonder just how good he'd have been there. Strong, athletic and dedicated.... he could have ruled. All the weight classes below heavies seem to be dominated by ex collegiate wrestlers.

Mr.Nice Guy

It seems the WWE and Kurt Angle are not on the same page as was originally thought. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports:

Last night, World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following text message via their Mobile Alerts service: "Exclusive: According to sources, the meeting between WWE Execs & Kurt Angle was heated & confrontational. Angle was an emotional wreck departing WWE Titan Tower."

Although World Wrestling Entertainment had made the decision to release Angle last week, publicly, both sides had painted the situation as something that was a mutual agreement. It appears that something went down between the two sides that caused WWE to back away from that presentation of the facts.

The decision to release Angle, as mentioned last week in the PWInsider.com Elite section, came after WWE made requests for Angle to take care of issues regarding his health during their meeting last Friday afternoon, which Angle wasn't receptive to. It's possible that WWE has knowledge that Angle still has yet to steps towards dealing with the issues, so WWE is attempting to force Angle's hand by teasing they will go public with a harder-edged version of Angle's release.

I wouldn't be shocked to see a similar story or statement appear on the WWE website shortly.

I wonder is Angle contemplating staying in wrestling?

gimmick

Once his 90 days are up, I would love to see him in ROH.

Angle Vs Danielson sounds so good I could cry.

Not going to happen though.

Vince135792003

For his own sake, I hope Angle does n't wrestle for a long, long time. The wrestling observer reported that for sometime he was showing up for shows in a state comparable (but much worse) to Brian Pillman before he died .

TNA would be stupid not to make an offer though.

RebelRockChick

gimmick wrote:

Once his 90 days are up, I would love to see him in ROH.

Angle Vs Danielson sounds so good I could cry.

Not going to happen though.

People on another wrestling forum were discussing this last week, Angle vs. Danielson & also Angle vs. Aries! How amazing would those matches be! If only....

Odaise Gaelach

Extract from source:
http://www.kurtanglewwe.com/letter.pdf

It's time to rest! After 6 long years, I looked into my wife's eyes and finally saw that she, too, was severely stressed and worn out due to my livelihood that she had to endure. My 3-year old daughter Kyra basically became my nurse, thinking she had to put ice packs or heating pads on my neck, back and legs becuase she could see the pain her daddy was in.

At this point, something happened that made me realize that wrestling wasn't the most important thing in my life.

I'm only a casual fan of wrestling, but you've gotta respect Kurt Angle. He's given it his all for the past 6 years, and given us some fantastic matches, and he deserves to rest.

Kurt Angle, we salute you!

fatal

well we have heard it from the man himself in that letter that he WILL be back....Hope its soon........