Why is Kurt Angle set to appear on tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown?

Tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown will be a special one. Not just because of the announced matches so far, but also because Kurt Angle will be present to celebrate a significant occasion.

For the December 9 episode of WWE SmackDown, Angle will be present once again in front of fans in his hometown to celebrate his 54th birthday. Aside from Angle, stars like Sheamus and Butch will also be present to challenge The Usos for the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship. Shotzi, accompanied by Raquel Rodriguez, will also be in a singles match against Shayna Baszler, who will have Ronda Rousey at ringside.

The Olympic gold medalist officially closed off his in-ring wrestling career at WrestleMania 35, where he, unfortunately, lost the bout against Baron Corbin. However, he was able to exact his revenge on the RAW episode the following night. Despite this, he continued appearing on some shows, one even occurring just a few months ago.

👏 WWE Hall of Famer
🏆 4-time WWE Champion
🇺🇸 Won an Olympic Gold Medal (with a broken freakin' neck!)

Happy Birthday @RealKurtAngle! https://t.co/upZBMPlMIr

On August 29, Angle returned to the Red Brand which took place in his hometown of Pittsburgh and even appeared in his old attire. He got into a backstage altercation with Chad Gable and Otis of the Alpha Academy, but Angle was fortunately backed up by The Street Profits. The Hall of Famer also reunited with Edge and relived an iconic backstage moment.

Kurt Angle will most probably not be in action for WWE SmackDown

It's common to see legends from the Stamford-based promotion return for a show and even perform for a bit here and there. But that might not be the case for Angle in tonight's WWE SmackDown.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Kurt Angle was asked if he wanted to return to action. He shared that he had had a good enough career and cited his recent surgery. Angle was also worried that if he did return, it would mostly be the younger stars who would "carry" him during the match.

“I don’t think so. I had a knee replacement five months ago. I’m good. I think I’ve had a good enough career that I’m very proud of. If it does come to be, then it will probably be a tag match like Ric Flair did so that I don’t get exposed."

He added:

"I hate to say it, but I’m not exactly the same wrestler I used to be. But if I did decide to have a wrestling match, it would be against younger guys that could carry me. And I’d make sure that it was a tag match, so I was not exposed."

When you wake up and you’re unsure what to wear at your own birthday party. 😁 #itstrue December 9th This Friday, you are all invited 🎉🥛@wwe #wwesmackdown #pittsburgh #412

1,2,3,4, or 5? https://t.co/fbHZSp517a

It remains to be seen what Kurt Angle will do for tonight's special episode of WWE SmackDown, or if any stars might interrupt his celebration.