'This guy is close to retirement' - Vince McMahon's opinion about a top Superstar after WWE PPV match
Kurt Angle's first WWE match since his return in 2017 was at the TLC PPV, where he teamed up with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose of The Shield for a handicap match.
It was great to see Kurt Angle in the Shield outfit as he laced up his boots to compete again in the WWE.
Kurt Angle opened up about the experience of wrestling with The Shield for one night in WWE during the latest episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show' on AdFreeShows.
The Olympic gold medalist said he looked like a fan when he made his entrance with the Shield at the 2017 WWE TLC PPV. Angle was very excited to be a part of the 'legendary stable,' and he had a memorable time on the show.
"I was a fan. You know, if you saw me come out in the arena and I was behind Seth and Dean, I just looked like a fan. I was so excited to be a part of the Shield. The Shield is a legendary team, and I have a lot of respect for all three of those guys. So, being a part of it for that night was so much fun. I had a blast."
I just couldn't hide it: Kurt Angle on the difficulties he faced during his first WWE match after the return
There was, however, a problem with how Vince McMahon perceived Kurt Angle's performance. Angle explained that he had injured his left leg while training for the match, and he looked like he had lost a step during the contest.
While Angle was not in his physical prime for years, he still managed to hide it for a long time. However, the leg injury at WWE TLC could not be concealed, affecting his in-ring performance.
Kurt Angle believed that Vince McMahon saw the match and concluded that the veteran wrestler was close to his retirement.
"The problem was, and I think this is where Vince saw, this was the first time he would see me compete. I was training for the match. I had a good like three weeks, and I was training for the match, and I was doing hill sprints, and I pulled a muscle in my leg. I couldn't push off my left leg. So, I had to use my right leg the whole time, and I had to favor my left leg, and it just looked like a lost step, and even though I did the last few years of my career, I lost a step, I was able to hide it. But with an injury like that, a leg injury in my quad, I just couldn't hide it, and I think Vince was like, 'okay, this guy is close to retirement, he is almost done."
Kurt Angle would wrestle several matches until his retirement at WWE WrestleMania 35, but the Hall of Famer was not happy with his final run as he couldn't reach the lofty standards expected of him. Kurt Angle was eventually released from WWE in 2020.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit 'The Kurt Angle Show' and give a H/T to SK Wrestling