5 Dream matches for Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 38 if he wasn't retired
On April 7, 2019, Kurt Angle wrestled his last-ever match against Baron Corbin. The match took place in front of 82,000 fans in New Jersey's Metlife Stadium at WrestleMania 35.
The Olympic hero was defeated by Corbin in just six minutes. Thereafter, the WWE Hall of Famer bowed out after competing inside the squared circle since 1998. It brought an end to the career of one of the most illustrious and gifted WWE Superstars of all time.
It was recently reported that Angle was set to make a return to the company. Reports suggested the former WWE Champion was set to return to television in the short term, but the move was ultimately scrapped. On the latest episode of The Angle Podcast, Kurt revealed more about what was lined-up for him:
"There are a lot of rumors going around that I was supposed to be booked for WrestleMania 38, which is not true at all. If you saw the posts, a lot of people thought that I was talking about WrestleMania when I was talking about what I was going to do at the Royal Rumble and have the program for a few weeks. Then the blow off would be in Saudi Arabia, where I would referee the match between RK-Bro and Alpha Academy." (h/t WrestlingNews.co)
But what if WWE had called Kurt Angle about a possible return to the ring for one night only? After all, there was a lot of displeasure from fans about Corbin being his final opponent.
A return match would be the ultimate method to make amends and compete against someone of a higher caliber. That's not to say Corbin isn't of a high standard, but the WrestleMania 35 match didn't feel big enough to warrant it being Kurt Angle's final bow.
On that note, let's take a look at five dream matches for Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 38 if he was to come out of retirement.
#5. Kurt Angle vs. Edge
May 19th 2002, Judgement Day. Edge defeated Kurt Angle in the Hair Vs Hair match. @EdgeRatedR @RealKurtAngle #WWE http://t.co/CJGpUnsZ97
A match between two of the Attitude Era's biggest stars would immediately hook the interest of the WWE Universe. Edge and Angle were rivals in the past, and seeing them collide again in 2022 would be a full-circle moment.
When Kurt Angle put on his wrestling boots for the last time, Edge was still in retirement, and had been since 2011. Had Angle's retirement held off for a short while longer, they could have grappled once again inside the squared circle.
A potential classic between The Olympic Hero and The Rated R Superstar would have already earned its place on the WrestleMania card. The pair fought during the Attitude Era, through the Ruthless Aggression Era, and could now add a final chapter in the modern era.