As my colleague Sean Reuter reported last week, Kurt Angle has become frustrated with the creative chaos and financial instability of his current employer TNA, which has led to him making it be known publicly about how he would love to wrestle the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Triple H in WWE before his career is over.
It would certainly be the perfect note for the Olympic gold medallist to go out on, after a turbulent decade marred by injuries, pain pill addiction, alcoholism and numerous arrests, but even in the fantasy world of professional wrestling reality can get in the way of the ideal script.
Clearly, Angle is in denial about the potential of him wrestling for WWE ever again, as the chances of him getting clearance to compete by their doctors are awfully slim. According to Dana White, in the summer of 2009 Angle failed a UFC medical as a prerequisite to starring in their tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, which would have seen him potentially fighting Kimbo Slice or Roy Nelson on Spike TV. By the time his TNA contract expires, it would be five years later and he's even more banged up now than he was then. Indeed, Angle is already back on the shelf again with a knee ligament tear and will be undergoing arthroscopic surgery shortly, which will keep him out of action for a few weeks.
Moreover, there's credible rumours that Angle is also suffering from numbness in his hands stemming from the neck problems he's had since 1996 and looked to be career threatening in 2003/2004 that he's never fully recovered from. Such symptoms led to Edge being diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis in April 2011 and his immediate forced WWE retirement due to the serious risk of neck-down paralysis or even in ring death from one bad bump or fall during a wrestling match. Stone Cold Steve Austin's career was also cut short in a similar manner when doctor's gave him the same advice in late March 2003.
Even if Angle's neck issues are overstated and he can pass a WWE physical, it's clear that his body would not hold up to the company's gruelling house show schedule. Like the late Mitsuharu Misawa, somehow he can still will himself to put on the expected show when the cameras are on, whilst struggling to move around when they're turned off, but that's in TNA where the demands aren't nearly so high. Angle would definitely need a limited dates schedule to survive in WWE's tough environment, but only a handful of outside attractions like The Rock and Brock Lesnar get such a privilege and he doesn't bring the mainstream drawing power to the table that they do. Thus, if he ever comes back to WWE it would likely be in a non-wrestling role such as Raw General Manager, a guest host spot or WWE Hall Of Fame induction.
In his blog post on Sunday, Jim Ross, who is more in the know than any of us here at Cageside Seats will ever be, seemed equally sceptical on the likelihood of Angle making an in ring return to WWE and hoped that if he did sign with the company this summer that it would help him transition into a non-physical role in the business that he would be better suited for at this stage of the game:
"Speaking of another Pittsburgher, been reading a great deal about Kurt Angle's thoughts on returning to WWE to end his pro wrestling career. I don't know what's accurate or not but personally it would be fun to see Kurt finish where he started as it's obvious that the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist should seriously be thinking of hanging up his boots and looking at other avenues within the business of which he can contribute. There are many for the record.
I'd surmise that for Kurt to return to in ring competition in WWE that he would have to pass an extensive physical as that particular landscape has changed drastically, and for the better, since Angle last appeared in WWE.
My only suggestion for Kurt or even Cody Rhodes for that matter is to eliminate the top of the cage moonsaults from their repertoire. The win/loss ratio attempting that manoeuvre isn't good and to me is ill advised. This is another spectacular finishing manoeuvre that has been relegated to a 'high spot' which, to me, is insanity."
That's a better idea than the alternative one that Dave Meltzer suggested in this week's subscriber only Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he could jump ship to the promotion that Jeff Jarrett and Toby Keith are trying to start up, if Angle wants out of TNA and WWE won't give him the deal he's looking for:
"Regarding Angle, the fact Angle kept putting over WWE during his interviews that were arranged to promote TNA, saying he wanted to wrestle Punk and Bryan and expected he would at some point, and tweeted about how great the Bryan vs. Orton TV match was, has pretty much indicated in the eyes of those in the company that he’s preparing for life elsewhere when his contract expires in the fall. The only question is if WWE will take him back, which is very much a question because he may not be able to pass a physical, or if he’d go with Jeff Jarrett’s group. Even though one would think Angle and Jarrett would be enemies based on Jarrett marrying the former Karen Angle, and there was very real heat about it some years back, they are actually on very good terms."
Hopefully when Angle makes his decision about his future later this year he makes the best one for his long term health and wellbeing, even if that is a bitter pill to swallow.