"It was brutal" - WWE Hall of Famer recalls 'literally quitting' on first day
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently recalled 'literally quitting" on his first day in developmental.
Prior to his retirement, Angle was widely regarded as one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. He was fluid in the ring, and his charisma was infectious. His amateur wrestling background certainly played a role in helping in-ring skills.
However, even an Olympic Gold Medalist like Kurt Angle had to undergo training in WWE Developmental before he could debut on television.
During a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic Gold Medalist recalled his first day in WWE Development, where he 'literally quit.'
"Starting out, you only trained five days [and] you trained all day long," Angle recalled. "You're taking 300 bumps a day. It was brutal. I literally quit after the first day because I was like, 'I can't do this.' I told my manager I can't bump around like this [because] it's like beating the sh*t out of yourself."
Angle continued:
"He said to stay until the end of the day to see if I could make it and I did, but I was ready to walk out because it was like self-abuse. [And] the thing is, I was only doing this five days a month, then I would go home and wait for 25 days." [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Kurt Angle during his TNA run was a different breed https://t.co/Gf1Oe6zKMD
What's next for WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle?
All those years of Angle putting his body on the line have finally caught up with him. He recently underwent back surgery and plans to go under the knife again soon.
During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic Gold Medalist revealed that he plans to get neck fusion surgery in 2024.
"The crazy thing is I haven't been able to really play with them the way I want to because I had my knees replaced and my back surgery. Before that, it was all bothering me. I was really messed up. My neck is messed up. Next is my neck surgery. I'm probably going to have fusion next year." [H/T Fightful]
AJ Styles counters Kurt Angle’s Olympic Slam with a Styles Clash - TNA Hard Justice (08.10.2008) https://t.co/RQ4FJKRprr
While it's sad to see the toll professional wrestling has taken on Angle's body, we hope he can live a pain-free life after surgery.
What do you make about Kurt Angle's comments on his days in WWE Developmental? Sound off in the comments section.