Kurt Angle

* Kurt Angle '06
* Kurt Angle '01

**Kurt Angle** (born December 9, 1968) is an American professional wrestler, actor and retired amateur wrestler.

## Background

### Pre-WrestleMania

Angle's first appearance on WWE television was on the March 7, 1999 episode of *Sunday Night Heat*, where he took part in an angle with Tiger Ali Singh. This angle involved Singh paying him money to blow his nose on the American flag. Angle instead blew his nose on Singh's flag and fought him off. His first WWF match was a dark match victory over Brian Christopher on April 11. In the following months, he wrestled on house shows and in other dark matches in preparation for his televised debut. He also continued to wrestle for PPW and on July 24 he won the PPW Championship. He then lost the championship to Steve Bradley on August 7. After several weeks of vignettes, Angle made his televised WWF in-ring debut on November 14 at Survivor Series at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, defeating Shawn Stasiak.

### WrestleMania XIX (2003)

At the Royal Rumble in January, Angle defeated Chris Benoit to retain the WWE Championship, and Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match to become number one contender to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania when he last eliminated The Undertaker. The following month at No Way Out, Lesnar and Benoit defeated Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas) in a handicap match. During that pay-per-view, Edge was supposed to team up with Lesnar & Benoit to wrestle Team Angle in the scheduled Six Man Tag team match but Edge was attacked backstage and it was announced he could not participate in the match. On the March 6 episode of *SmackDown!*, Lesnar defeated Paul Heyman in a steel cage match to earn a championship match against Angle the next week. The next week on *SmackDown!*, Angle defeated Lesnar to retain the WWE Championship. Before the match began, Kurt, who was "praying" in the corner, switched with his brother Eric. Lesnar then came out and the match began. Shortly after the match began, Benjamin and Haas came to the ring and distracted Lesnar, which gave Eric time to switch back with Kurt. As Lesnar regained his focus, Kurt was able to pin him with a small package for the win.

The following week on the March 20 episode of SmackDown!, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon told Angle that if he tries to get himself counted out, disqualified or if his brother, Benjamin, or Haas try to interfere in their match at WrestleMania, he would lose the title.

### WrestleMania 21 (2005)

Their match stemmed from the Royal Rumble, the pay-per-view event two months prior to WrestleMania. At the Royal Rumble, Angle relentlessly attacked Shawn Michaels after Michaels had eliminated him from the Royal Rumble match. The next month at No Way Out, Angle lost a number one contenders match to John Cena, losing a spot in the SmackDown main event at WrestleMania.

The next night on Raw, Michaels told SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long to inform Angle that he had challenged him to a match at WrestleMania. On the February 28 edition of Raw, after Michaels defeated Edge in a Street Fight, Angle attacked Michaels and accepted his challenge.

### WrestleMania 22 (2006)

Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated Mysterio to win his WrestleMania 22 world championship match. Five days later, on the February 24 edition of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long announced that the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 22 would be a Triple Threat match involving Mysterio, Orton, and champion Angle.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Angle Slam* (Olympic slam, sometimes from the top rope)
	+ Ankle lock, sometimes while grapevining the opponent's leg – 2001–present
	+ Crossface chickenwing – 2000; adopted from Bob Backlund

* **Signature moves**
	+ Bodyscissors
	+ Double leg takedown, often transitioned into a pin or a suplex
	+ European uppercut
	+ Frog splash – TNA - adopted from and used as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero
	+ Headbutt
	+ Moonsault
	+ Multiple suplex variations
		- Bridging/Release belly-to-back
		- Bridging/Release/Rolling German - adopted from Chris Benoit
		- Overhead belly-to-belly, sometimes from the second rope
	+ Rear naked choke
	+ Triangle choke
* **Managers**
	+ Bob Backlund
	+ Daivari
	+ Eric Bischoff
	+ Frank Trigg
	+ Karen Angle
	+ Kevin Nash
	+ Luther Reigns
	+ Mark Jindrak
	+ Paul Heyman
	+ Shane McMahon
	+ Stephanie McMahon
	+ Team Angle
	+ Tomko
	+ Trish Stratus
* **Nicknames**
	+ **"The American/Olympic/Steel City Hero"** (WWF/WWE)
	+ "The Cyborg" (TNA)
	+ "King Kurt" (WWF)
	+ **"The Most Celebrated Real Athlete in WWE History"** (WWF/WWE)
	+ **"The Only Olympic Gold Medalist in Pro Wrestling History"** (WWF/WWE, TNA)
	+ **"The Wrestling Machine"** (WWE/TNA)
* **Entrance themes**
	+ **"Medal"** by Jim Johnston (WWF/WWE, independent circuit; November 14, 1999 – January 2, 2006; March 20, 2016 – present)
	+ "Medal" (Remix) by Jim Johnston (WWE; January 29, 2006 – July 11, 2006)
	+ "Medal" (Revisited) by Jim Johnston (WWE; July 11, 2006 – August 8, 2006)

### Wrestlers trained

* Eric Angle
* Steve Bradley

## Championships and accomplishments

### Amateur wrestling

* **Canadian Cup Championship**
	+ Winner (1990)
* **Collegiate/High School**
	+ Clarion University Freshman of the Year (1988)
	+ Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion (1987)
* **International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles**
	+ FILA Junior World Freestyle Champion (1988)
	+ FILA World Championships gold medal in freestyle wrestling (100 kg) (1995)
* **International Sports Hall of Fame**
	+ Class of 2016
* **National Amateur Wrestling**
	+ National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2001)
* **National Collegiate Athletic Association**
	+ NCAA Division I All-American (1990–1992)
	+ NCAA Division I Champion (1990, 1992)
* **Olympic Games**
	+ Summer Olympics gold medal in freestyle wrestling (heavyweight) (1996)
* **USA Wrestling**
	+ USA Junior Freestyle Champion (1987)
	+ USA Senior Freestyle Champion (1995, 1996)
	+ USA Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2001)
	+ Greatest Shoot Wrestler of All-Time

### Professional wrestling

* **World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE**
	+ WCW Championship (1 time)
	+ WCW United States Championship (1 time)
	+ World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural) – with Chris Benoit
	+ WWF/WWE Championship (4 times)
	+ WWF European Championship (1 time)
	+ WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)
	+ WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
	+ King of the Ring (2000)
	+ WWE Tag Team Championship Tournament (2002) – with Chris Benoit
	+ WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2017)
	+ Tenth Triple Crown Champion
	+ Fifth Grand Slam Champion