5 Times WWE Was Right In Releasing Talent
WWE sent a strong message against any form of discrimination when they chose to completely sever ties with undoubtedly their biggest ever star – Hulk Hogan. The move that shook the wrestling world came after a 2007 video brought to light by gossip website Gawker showed the wrestler making unacceptable racial slurs. The debate as to whether WWE made the right move in parting ways with the man who pretty much put them on the global map over an eight-year-old video will rage on amongst wrestling fans for ages, but Hogan isn’t alone. With that in mind let’s take a look at 5 times WWE were right in releasing talent.
#1 Kurt Angle
Was WWE right in releasing Kurt Angle, an Olympic medallist, a grappler with ridiculous talent, and a crowd favourite who forged an equally successful career with rival TNA? The answer is yes! Truth be told, WWE released Angle to save him from himself. The 46-year-old’s body was worse for wear back in 2006 and his heavy addiction to painkillers and dangerous steroids would have surely made him deteriorate further.
Angle quickly became more of a liability and was released by McMahon who stated “Kurt has some issues he has to face, as we all do from time to time. We all have our demons, and as human beings, it is important for us to overcome them and become better human beings, athletes and business people.”
It's good to see that Kurt Angle would eventually overcome his demons and make a triumphant return to WWE in 2017, first as part of the Hall Of Fame and then as the General Manager of RAW.