Kurt Angle breaks silence about major issue with Baron Corbin's WWE release
When Kurt Angle announced on an edition of RAW in 2019 that he would retire from in-ring competition at WrestleMania 35, a large section of fans wanted to see him wrestle John Cena in his retirement match at The Show of Shows. They both were part of the grand spectacle that year, but the company did not give viewers what they wanted to see.
Former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was open to giving Angle a match with The Franchise Player, but not that year. This was a deal-breaker for the Olympic gold medalist, as he was convinced that his body wouldn't last another year of wrestling. He wound up his in-ring career at WrestleMania 35, facing Baron Corbin in a losing cause. As a true veteran of the business, he went out on his back. Meanwhile, Corbin recently parted ways with WWE after the promotion didn't offer him a new deal following the expiration of his contract.
Speaking to WrestleZone, Kurt Angle touched upon the erstwhile Lone Wolf's release a few weeks ago. Angle said the former Mr. Money in the Bank was truly "underrated," and WWE did not utilize his potential. He also added that the company had diminished the relevance of their WrestleMania 35 match's result.
"For me, it makes me feel like I did that for nothing. It’s not like, ‘Sc**w you, Angle’, but it kinda is. I thought they were gonna run with the kid; I thought they were gonna make him one of the top-tier guys, and he was on his way," the Hall of Famer commented. [From 13:40 to 14:01]
After getting released, Baron Corbin confirmed that his release sort of caught him off-guard, as WWE was using him for a Netflix commercial before it happened.
Kurt Angle is not in good physical condition but wishes to face John Cena in 2025
Kurt Angle spoke to Sam Roberts on the latter's Notsam Wrestling podcast after John Cena announced his Retirement Tour earlier this year.
The WWE Hall of Famer was asked if he would come out of retirement for a match against The Greatest of All Time. Angle shot down the idea, as the veteran revealed that his body would never allow him to perform inside the squared circle even if his heart was in it.
However, Kurt wished to be one of the guys Cena would face during the latter's 12-month Farewell Tour next year.
"Listen, I'm sure if I made a call, I could make it happen. But there's no way I can do it. But I would love to, you know, be one of John Cena's retirement matches," Angle said.
Kurt Angle remains one of John Cena's most important rivals. The Doctor of Thuganomics made his televised WWE debut in a singles match against the Olympian in 2002. The two stars had several great matches during The Ruthless Aggression Era. At one point, they feuded over the WWE Championship.
If you use any of the quotes, please credit WrestleZone and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.