page_title: Kurt Angle
section_title: Final world championship reign and departure (2015–2016)
hierarchical_section_title: Kurt Angle / Professional wrestling career / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2006 – 2016) / Final world championship reign and departure (2015–2016)
caption_attribution_description: English: Kurt Angle
context_page_description: Kurt Steven Angle is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. He was most recently signed to WWE as a producer.
  While at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Angle won numerous accolades, including being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. After graduating from college, Angle won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships. He then won the freestyle wrestling gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He is one of four people to complete an amateur wrestling Grand Slam. In 2006, he was named by USA Wrestling as the greatest shoot wrestler ever and one of the top 15 college wrestlers of all time. He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 for his amateur accomplishments.
  Angle made his first appearance at a pro-wrestling event in 1996, and signed with the World Wrestling Federation in 1998. Noted for his rapid comprehension of the business, he had his debut match that August within the company's developmental system after mere days of training, and participated in his first televised WWF storyline in March 1999.
context_section_description: Angle returned to in-ring action on TNA's debut on Destination America on January 7, 2015, when he stopped a brawl, but started a street fight against MVP. On January 31, 2015 (aired March 20), Angle defeated Lashley to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for a record sixth time. He lost to Eric Young on May 1, at Hardcore Justice, in a stretcher match with the title not on the line. He successfully retained his title against Lashley once and then again against both Lashley and Eric Young. On May 8, Angle defeated Young to retain his title with Bully Ray as the special referee. On the May 29 episode of Impact Wrestling, he successfully retained his title once again against Eric Young, this time in a I Quit match. At Destination X, Angle defeated Rockstar Spud, who gave up the X Division Championship in order to challenge for the title. Later that night, Angle again successfully defended his title, this time against Austin Aries, who cashed in his Feast or Fired contract to allow him a title match. On the June 25, 2015 taping of Impact Wrestling (aired July 1), Angle lost the championship to Ethan Carter III. On the July 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, Angle faced Carter in a rematch in a losing effort.
  On October 4, 2015 at Bound for Glory, Angle defeated Young via ankle lock submission. On November 19, 2015, Angle was announced for TNA's live debut on Pop. On the November 25, 2015 episode of Impact Wrestling, Angle announced that he would remain with TNA until the conclusion of their Maximum Impact Tour of the UK on January 31, 2016, after which he would part ways with the company. Angle announced his "Farewell Tour" which took place on TNA's tour of the UK. At TNA One Night Only: Live, Kurt Angle teamed with Drew Galloway in a three-way tag team match against Eli Drake and Jessie Godderz and The Wolves for their TNA World Tag Team Championship, in a losing effort. On the January 12 episode of Impact Wrestling, he defeated Drew Galloway. On the February 2 episode of Impact Wrestling, he challenged Matt Hardy for his TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but lost the match. On the February 9 episode of Impact Wrestling, he was defeated by Drew Galloway in their rematch. On the March 1 episode of Impact Wrestling, he defeated Bobby Roode. Angle's final match was against Lashley on March 8, 2016 which ended up in a losing effort.
caption: Angle at Bound for Glory in October 2015
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