"I want to be this guy" - Top AEW star credits Kurt Angle as influence in becoming a pro wrestler
AEW star Adam Cole recently cited WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle as his inspiration to become a professional wrestler.
Angle was arguably one of the best professional wrestlers during his heyday, winning championships in WWE and TNA (now IMPACT Wrestling). He became a Hall of Famer in both promotions in 2017 and 2013, respectively.
Cole, meanwhile, had a decorated career from the indies all the way to WWE NXT. He was also the inaugural winner of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament in AEW.
Speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, The Panama City Playboy claimed that he wrestled from sixth grade to high school because of Angle. Cole also stated that he followed everything from the former WWE Champion because he wanted to be a hardworking wrestler like Angle.
"Reading his book, hearing about all the training he would do, getting five hours of sleep, being involved in so many different clubs, and training twice a day, I'm like, this is what I want to do. I want to be this guy who works his tail off to get to his goals. At the end of the day, I knew that I wanted to be a pro wrestler. So I actually started wrestling in middle school, in high school because of Kurt," Cole said. [H/T WrestlingNewsCo]
"That is awesome. I heard about this before. That's why I hope that Adam treats his fans the same way I do because I've treated my fans with nothing but respect.
Adam Cole, I know he is following in my footsteps."
- Kurt Angle on being named in Adam Cole's Mount Rushmore https://t.co/L1uxsXa9cw
The AEW star also mentioned that the Hall of Famer was the first celebrity of any kind he met personally.
Adam Cole shared his experience of meeting Kurt Angle for the first time
During the same interview, Adam Cole recalled that he was initially scared about meeting Kurt Angle. Cole's mother then pushed his hand forward towards Angle for a handshake. He went on to say that Angle is one of the greatest of all time.
"I was so scared to say hello. My mother was there with me. You just had a huge smile on your [Kurt Angle] face and my mom pushed my hand forward to shake your hand. I was so nervous. As a kid, you were my favorite from that point. I'm like, 'Angle is the best. He is so nice and so cool.' Then on top of that, watching the run that Kurt has had, I think it's very safe to say he's one of the greatest of all time," Cole told.
"For the great Hulk Hogan to lose by submission to Kurt Angle was something that I don't think people saw coming."
It doesn't get much bigger than a decisive win on PPV over an icon.
#GrillingJR: KING OF THE RING 2002 is available for ad-free access on AdFreeShows.com https://t.co/JyBVtsYCOR
Cole is currently injured following the Forbidden Door pay-per-view. He reportedly had a concussion along with a torn labrum which he suffered months ago. It remains to be seen when he will be back on AEW programming and who he will face next.