When it's all said and done...

[Guest Anglesault]

If Mania really is Kurt Angle's final match in wrestling, we will be able to see all of Angle's (Three Year) career.

 

Over that time, Angle has been compared to multiple big names in wrestling for various reasons. My question is, when the smoke clears, whose career will Angle be most closely linked to?

 

Will it be Ric Flair? Many people say that a lot of their traits are the same, including the ability to carry cretin people.

 

Will it be Bret Hart? There are many, many similarities in how they were booked (Including the eerie Hart 1995/Angle 2002 comparison) and some similarities in ring work?

 

Or will it be good old HBK? If Kurt retires after Mania, he will go out like Shawn did, almost copying it to a tee. Will Angle's short career be remembered for it's exit?

 

Or will it be someone else?

[Guest The Superstar]

I hope he's just thought as HIMSELF. You know Austin will, you know Rock will...Angle has just done so much, he's so charismatic, and so talented, there's no way he can be remembered as anyone but himself.

[Guest CanadianChris]

I don't think there's anyone you can really compare him to. Certainly not any of the above three...I mean, he may have a few aspects in common, but their careers in general were so different from his.

 

If anything, I might say a more successful Magnum TA.

[Guest godthedog]

i think he'll be an original as well. nobody ever got so good so fast, & i honestly can't think of anyone to step in a wrestling ring with more sheer talent than him.

[Guest TheHulkster]

Out of those 3, probably Flair. He shares certain traits with Bret and Shawn, but Angle is more of an all around package in the ring as apposed to being purely flashy or a pure technical wrestler. I'd say he's closer to Jack Brisco.

[Guest goodhelmet]

it's true, angle is the perfect example of someone "burning out" rather than fading away. i can't really compare him to any of those guys because his career was so breif. those guys all had one thing going for them... longevity. Angle doesn't have that. I think the Magnum TA comparison, while stretching it, is probably the most accurate. We will speak of what more he could have accomplished rather than what he DID accomplish.

[Guest EternallyLazy]

I agree with the Magnum TA comparison... a much more successful version, who could've easily been much much more if given some more time

[Guest red_file]

Sadly, I don't think history is going to remember Angle really all that well. His had a good three year run, but not really spectacular. How many classics did he produce in those three years? Was he a significant draw? Was he ever placed in a position to significantly draw? Was he involved in many noteworthy storylines? What kind of influence did he have on the current business/style?

 

He was a highly entertaining wrestler and certainly one of the bright spots in the last few years, but as the years progress I'm thinking that his career will lose some of its lustre. He'll probably be viewed as someone who had amazing potential, but was limited by style, booking, and injury for what he could do.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

I think Angle is and will be considered a Hall of Famer. He had all the tools to make him great and unlike a lot of people he was able to live up to the hype and surpass it.

 

Angle is a legend. Enough said.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Rick Rude. Rude was on the verge of becoming the biggest star in the industry, before he was injured and eventually had to retire.

 

Rude was also one to come out and entertain the fans at his own expense. Much like Kurt.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Rick Rude. Rude was on the verge of becoming the biggest star in the industry, before he was injured and eventually had to retire.

 

Rude was also one to come out and entertain the fans at his own expense. Much like Kurt.

^^^ Best way to say it.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

I see him as a Ricky Steamboat minus the longevity.

 

Both were fantastic workers constantly overshadowed.

 

Both were given crap at times.

 

Both put on classic(Steamboat to a higher extent though).

 

Both had to retire because of injuries.

 

Both held World titles in reigns which are very unlikely to be remembered.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

The Magnum TA comparison is about the best one I've seen. He just hasn't had the longevity in the business to be compared to bigger names like Flair, Steamboat, or Hart.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I call him The New Ric Flair for a reason, you know.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

It depends on how his last match ends.

[Guest Brian]

If it his last match, Rude. A guy that was on the verge of being big and on the verge of being a great wrestler, but fell short.

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here.

 

Angle said recently that he can go on wrestling without surgery for a year.

 

Besides that point, it is hard to compare Angle to anyone in the past due to the nature of the industry now. What I will say is that I think he represents everything a modern wrestler should be.

[Guest Brian]

Makle that a modern WWE wrestler. Eddy, as far as I'm concerned, models everything a modern wrestler should be with the depth to work any style, cut a promo and the ability to work smart even if he chooses not to.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Kurt reminds me a lot of Curt Hennig. Great technical abilities, all American look, great heel that makes you laugh your ass off.

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Point accepted Brian.

[Guest evilhomer]

I don't even want to think that we'll never see Angle again, but the possibility is a reality, so speaking hypothetically -

 

Sadly I see Angle legacy being one of a Smark God, and a mark mid-carder. We saw how great he is and know how great he will be if he can continue in a year. The fact that he's been booked as a joke for most of his career though will make marks remember him as that fella who put on a few good matches with that Ben-what fella and got lucky on a few championships. He just hasn't had a long enough career, or more specifically hasn't looked consistently strong for enough time to truly be rememebered for the legend he is.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Angle never had the depth and breadth of work to be remembered as an all-time legend, but it's his potential that will be spoken of and how he got so good so fast that will be remembered the most.

 

If his last match is at WM and he ends up getting seriously fucked up in it - that's probably how he will be remembered.

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

I'm sure if anything Angle would want to be remembered as Olympic Champion.

Charchter-wise, he should be considered a modern-day Mr. Perfect

But hopefully in the future he'll be remembered as the original Chris Benoit

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Angle isn't near Benoits level. Benoit has worked great matches in 4 different companies and has managed to produce a MOTYC in almost every year in a span of a decade.

 

Angle has worked 2 years of *very good* work in one company and really has only produced a handful of matches that would be worth mentioning.... most of which were with one Chris Benoit.

[Guest Brian]

Angle will be remembered as far more than a mid-card. In his two years, he won every title.Three-time WWE champ. Olympic gold medalist. Time will do him better than booking ever would.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

Sure, he's won every title in the WWE, but how many of those title runs have been meaningful?

 

February 2000- Wins I.C title from Jericho at No Way Out. Looses it to Benoit the next month at WrestleMania.

 

Two weeks before WrestleMania 2000- Beats Val Venis for Euro title on Smackdown. Looses it to Jericho two weeks later at WrestleMania.

 

Wins WWF title from The Rock at No Mercy 2000 and goes on to become on the worst booked champs in WWF history, never looking strong in the least. Finally and mercifully jobs WWF title to The Rock at No Way Out 2001.

 

Wins WWF title for a second time from Steve Austin at Unforgiven 2001 in a questionable style. Jobs it to Austin in his first defence two weeks later on Raw.

 

Wins Smackdown Tag Championships with Chris Benoit at No Mercy 2002. The team jobs the titles in their first defence against Rey and Edge at a Smackdown tapings two weeks later.

 

Wins WWE Championship from Big Show at Armageddon 2002. In a repeat of 2000, gets booked to look like the worlds biggest pussy.

 

Angle has NEVER looked strong as a champion, regardless of what belt he's held. His lasting impact will be his lightening-quick adaptation to pro wrestling and his ability to put on very good matches.

[Guest tank_abbott]

Pointing out all of Kurt's flaws and then backing them up with solid evidence proves nothing!

 

/sarcasm...

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Does anyone else find it funny that some people (coughMeltzercough) seem to have romanticized Kurt Angles run... and he's not even finished... and it's only been 3 years.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

A lot of people are doing that. I guess Meltzer's a big reason for it.

 

And this just came to mind, due to Benoit being mentioned here: when Benoit got a minor bicep injury a few posters here thought it cute to poke fun, even hoping it was serious. Then Angle goes down to a worse injury and because it's real, it's practically a national tragedy. A lesson should be learned here.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

I find it even more funny that guys like Meltzer will find neverending ways to suck Flairs dick regardless of how huge his suck-level has reached.

 

I also find it funny that guys like Marek and Meltzer will suck Angles dick openly and freely but will blatently ignore guys like Benoit and Eddy. I guess to them if a guy is even remotely Flair-ish then he's above Benoit and Eddy.