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Kurt Angle

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File:Kurtangleportrait.jpg
Kurt Angle

Kurt Steven Angle is a 1996 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and now a professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Entertainment in its SmackDown! brand.

Career in amateur wrestling

Angle had a distinguished career in amateur wrestling even before winning in the Olympics. He was a 2-time NCAA Division I champion and a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American while attending Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He was also 1987 USA Junior Freestyle champion, 2-time USA Senior Freestyle champion, and 1988 USA FILA Junior World Freestyle champion. Angle reached the pinnacle of his amateur career at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, winning the 100 kg (220-pound) freestyle wrestling competition with "a broken freakin' neck".

Not long after his Olympic success, he decided to enter the world of broadcasting. He was hired to do sports commentary during the 10 PM nightly newscast on Pittsburgh television WPGH channel 53. Promoted as "The Angle on Sports", Kurt was visibly nervous and had trouble speaking on camera. His news career lasted only a few months before he turned to professional wrestling. The move brought sharp criticism from his peers in the freestyle wrestling community who regard professional wrestling as a mockery of their sport.

Career in World Wrestling Entertainment

Less than four years after earning Olympic gold, and after many months spent in developmental territories and competing in untelevised "dark matches", Angle officially wrestled in the WWF for the first time in November of 1999 at the annual Survivor Series pay-per-view event, held that year at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. He faced and defeated Shawn Stasiak in his debut match. He was heel to start out with.

1999-2001

A few months after entering the WWF, Angle won the European Title. A short time later he won the Intercontinental Championship, merging the two titles unofficially into the "Eurocontinental" title. He was the first Eurocontinental Champion except for D'Lo Brown who, as Angle put it, "doesn't count." Angle held the titles until March, where in a triple threat match held at WrestleMania 2000, he lost the titles to Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho; however, in neither fall had Angle actually been pinned or made to submit.

He also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament. Kurt Angle's crowning achievement came when he defeated The Rock at No Mercy to win the WWF Championship. Later he would also win the Hardcore Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship, WCW US Championship, and Angle was one half of the first WWE (SmackDown! brand-specific) Tag Team Champions along with Chris Benoit. In addition, many of the titles he has held multiple times, making him quite accomplished over the years.

One of his notable feuds was with Brock Lesnar, although he has feuded with most of the top names of WWF/WWE. He is also noted for his comedic angles such as his stint with Team ECK, featuring Edge and Christian and his role during the Invasion angle with Stone Cold Steve Austin. During that time he turned face by having a run in with the WCW/ECW Alliance, then turned heel again by turning his back on the WWE and joining the Alliance. He was a member of the WCW Alliance. After the Alliance broke up he was still a heel, but he was supposed to be a face, but the Rock didn't forgive him when he turned on the WWE during that time.

2002-2004

Later Kurt Angle and his former partner and former smackdown! star, then heel, Chris Benoit recent turned face by turning on Los Guerreros (Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Eddie Guerrero) This was Angle's second time as a face.

File:KurtAngleAnkleLockHardcoreHolly.jpg
Kurt Angle applying his signature move, the ankle lock to Hardcore Holly

After Kurt Angle won his third WWE championship against the then heel, Big Show he turned heel for the third time by hiring one of the most hated wreslting manjors of all time, former ECW owner, Paul Heyman. On the December 26, 2002 edition of Smackdown!, as a 'gift' to his top client, Paul Heyman gave Kurt Angle his own team, Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin debut that night under the name "Team Angle". He lost the belt to then babyface, Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 19. Angle turned face for the third time by befriending Lesnar during that time.

Angle seriously considered trying to make a comeback to freestyle wrestling for the 2004 Summer Olympics, but he abandoned that plan late in 2002, when neck problems that dated back to his past amateur wrestling career recurred. In WWF/WWE promos, he often claimed that he had won the Olympic gold medal with a broken "freakin" neck. Unlike most statements in promos, this one was largely true; he had indeed won his gold medal with two fractured cervical vertebrae.

In 2003, after the aforementioned neck problems led to an almost career-ending injury, he opted for a new type of surgery that allowed him to return in two months rather than a year. However, in March 2004, his neck problems recurred yet again, and it was feared that he would have to undergo possibly career-ending surgery. For a time, he considered having an operation similar to the one he had in 2003, but has decided against it for the time being. He also injured his knee in late 2003.

Angle returned to the ring in July 2004 at a WWE house show in Japan. He has publicly said that he will work a reduced in-ring schedule in the future, and is reportedly planning to change his wrestling style to reduce the risk of further damage to his neck.

In mid February of 2004 Kurt Angle turned heel again for the fourth time by turning his back on then WWE champion and then babyface, Eddie Guerrero. The reason for this was because he thought that Eddie was nothing but an embarrassment to the championship due to Eddie's past problems with drugs and alochol. He fought Eddie at WrestleMania XX for the championship, but Eddie retained the title by employing one of his infamous cheating techniques.

During late 2003 and the first half of 2004, Angle played the role of a disabled General Manager of SmackDown!, when he was thrown off a ledge by The Big Show. He was "fired" from that position when his career-ending injury was proven to be fake, and also by taking advantage of his status and making unneccessary decisions, but returned to the active roster during a SmackDown! taping on July 20 (aired on July 22).

He then formed a stable with Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak, dubbed Kurt Angle and his Protégés, by SmackDown! commentators. They concentrated their power on taking down the Big Show, successfully tranquilizing him, and shaving his head and depriving him of his dignity in the middle of the ring. This formed a feud which continued to such wrestling pay-per-views as No Mercy 2004, Survivor Series 2004, Armageddon 2004, and Royal Rumble 2005.

As of November 16, 2004 in Dayton, Ohio, Kurt Angle has kicked off what he refers to as the Kurt Angle Invitational. This means that, at every location where SmackDown! takes place, he will allow a "hometown hero", all of whom have been local professional wrestlers, to challenge him in a match, if there is enough time to do so. If that person defeats Kurt Angle, he will award them with his "authentic" 1996 Olympic gold medal. So far, no one has managed to defeat Angle.

2005

On Royal Rumble 2005 (January 30, 2005 in Fresno, California), Kurt Angle lost in a triple threat match against Big Show and JBL. However, later in the event, Kurt Angle bullied Nunzio and took his Royal Rumble spot, only to be eliminated by Shawn Michaels, whom he later attacked after Michaels was eliminated. Other attempts to capture the WWE Championship came when Kurt Angle and WWE US Champion John Cena were the finalists of a number 1 contenders' match. Cena defeated Kurt Angle.

As a result of what happened at the Royal Rumble Shawn Michaels issued a challenge to Kurt Angle for a match at Wrestlemania 21, which Kurt Angle accepted when he appeared on RAW to attack Michaels, later Michaels would get revenge as he would appear during one of Kurts "Hometown Hero" segments.

This feud later saw Angle say he would accomplish everything Michaels has done in his 16 year career in 4 weeks. This saw Angle compete in his first ladder match during one of his "Hometown Hero" sections (for his Olympic Gold), which of course he won with ease. After the match, Angle announced that he will face Marty Jannetty, Michael's former tag team partner. Angle claimed that since Jannetty had taught Michaels "everything he knows" while part of the Rockers, he could teach Michaels "how to tap out" by forcing Jannetty to submit on SmackDown!.

The next week, on SmackDown!, Angle made good on his promise and forced Jannetty to submit to his ankle lock submission, but only after a nearly-20 minute match and a strong showing for Jannetty which saw him nearly pin the Olympic champion. Next, Angle would bring in another "blast from Shawn Michaels past" in "Sensational" Sherri, Angle came to the ring with Michael's former manager, copying Michael's entrance exactly. The pair performed their own version of Michael's theme music before Angle turned on Sherri and made her tap out to the Angle Lock.

Kurt Angle beat Shawn Michaels by submission in the much-anticipated "interpromotional" match at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, 2005.

Personal life

Angle is married, and has a wife named Karen and one baby girl, named Kira. Angle has four older brothers and one late sister, who died due to heart complications, which have been a problem for several Angle family members. His other loved one, his father, was tragically killed in a construction accident. Angle dedicated his biography to him, because he looked up to him as a real hero.

Profile

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur Wrestling

  • Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion (1987)
  • Freshman of the Year (1988; Clarion University)
  • 2-time NCAA Champion
  • Espoir World Cup 2nd Place [1989]
  • Yasar Dogu Tournament 2nd Place [1989]
  • Canadian Cup Championship Winner [1990]
  • Olympic Games - Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medal (1996)
  • National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame (2001)

Awards

Kurt has won several Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Awards over the years. He won Rookie of the Year in 2000. He won Most Popular Wrestler in 2003. He won Wrestler of the Year in 2003. He won Most Hated Wrestler of the Year in 2000. He won Inspirational Wrestler of the Year in 2001. He won Comeback of the Year in 2003. He won Match of the Year in 2003 (vs. Brock Lesnar. He won Feud on the Year in 2000 (vs. HHH) and 2003 (vs. Brock Lesnar).


WWE Championship
Preceded by:
The Rock 		First reign Followed by:
The Rock
Preceded by:
Stone Cold Steve Austin 		Second reign Followed by:
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Preceded by:
The Big Show 		Third reign Followed by:
Brock Lesnar
Preceded by:
Brock Lesnar 		Fourth reign Followed by:
Brock Lesnar
WCW Championship
Preceded by:
Booker T 		First reign Followed by:
Booker T

Job Titles

  • SmackDown! General Manager

Template:WWEchampions Template:WWEUSchampions Template:WWEICchampions Template:WWEEurochampions

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