Kemo
01-22-2016, 09:42 PM
Angle recently sat down with SportsIllustrated.com to discuss his farewell matches in TNA and his future. Angle’s TNA contract expires this month, and the company is trying to keep him signed in a non-wrestling capacity.
“TNA has been really great to me, and they just offered me another contract to come back and be the face of the company and do something to teach the guys,” said Angle. “I’m taking that under consideration because they’ve always been loyal to me.”
Although he’ll be a free agent, Angle feels that now isn’t the time for him to enter contract negotiations with WWE. While he doesn’t wrestle as often, the Olympic gold medalist says when he does, “it’s a pretty damn good match.” It sounds like Angle has every intention of stepping back in the ring after his year off from competition.
“As far as WWE, I’m not going to talk to them,” said Angle. “But I know my ability is just as good as it ever was. If WWE thinks I’m too old, or my body isn’t durable or that I have a problem with medication–which I obviously don’t, I’ve been clean and sober for two years and nine months–but the issue has nothing to do with my talent. […] I don’t wrestle that often, but every time I do, it’s pretty damn good match. I have a pretty good reputation of having good matches. I’m humble about it, but I know how good I am, and I know I still have it now. I’m going to wrestle Bobby Roode and Bobby Lashley in the UK, but I need a break. It’s been a rough fifteen years, and that’s why I’m going to take a year off."
Angle acknowledges his personal problems got in the way of his relationship with WWE in the past, but doesn’t count out returning to his old stomping grounds one day in the future.
“There is a reason they passed on me last time,” Angle explained, “you’ve got to remember WWE is a publicly traded company, and they have people to answer to, and you have a person who was pretty reckless from 2008 to 2013. I got hit with four DUIs. That’s pretty irresponsible. You have to look at a company that is publicly traded, like WWE, and the reputation they have to uphold, so you really have to be careful who you hire. And TNA is the reason why I’m clean and sober, so I have to give them credit, too. They allowed me time off to go to rehab and get my life together. So it’s one of those things where I’m not going to expect anything. Is it possible I go back to WWE somewhere along the lines? Of course. I think I’ll end up in the Hall of Fame, but I just don’t know if WWE will ever want me to wrestle again. It’s up to them, and it’s up to me. I don’t know what I’m going to do. But if I do decide to do it, it would be nice. A lot of people would like to see it, so we’ll see what happens.”
“TNA has been really great to me, and they just offered me another contract to come back and be the face of the company and do something to teach the guys,” said Angle. “I’m taking that under consideration because they’ve always been loyal to me.”
Although he’ll be a free agent, Angle feels that now isn’t the time for him to enter contract negotiations with WWE. While he doesn’t wrestle as often, the Olympic gold medalist says when he does, “it’s a pretty damn good match.” It sounds like Angle has every intention of stepping back in the ring after his year off from competition.
“As far as WWE, I’m not going to talk to them,” said Angle. “But I know my ability is just as good as it ever was. If WWE thinks I’m too old, or my body isn’t durable or that I have a problem with medication–which I obviously don’t, I’ve been clean and sober for two years and nine months–but the issue has nothing to do with my talent. […] I don’t wrestle that often, but every time I do, it’s pretty damn good match. I have a pretty good reputation of having good matches. I’m humble about it, but I know how good I am, and I know I still have it now. I’m going to wrestle Bobby Roode and Bobby Lashley in the UK, but I need a break. It’s been a rough fifteen years, and that’s why I’m going to take a year off."
Angle acknowledges his personal problems got in the way of his relationship with WWE in the past, but doesn’t count out returning to his old stomping grounds one day in the future.
“There is a reason they passed on me last time,” Angle explained, “you’ve got to remember WWE is a publicly traded company, and they have people to answer to, and you have a person who was pretty reckless from 2008 to 2013. I got hit with four DUIs. That’s pretty irresponsible. You have to look at a company that is publicly traded, like WWE, and the reputation they have to uphold, so you really have to be careful who you hire. And TNA is the reason why I’m clean and sober, so I have to give them credit, too. They allowed me time off to go to rehab and get my life together. So it’s one of those things where I’m not going to expect anything. Is it possible I go back to WWE somewhere along the lines? Of course. I think I’ll end up in the Hall of Fame, but I just don’t know if WWE will ever want me to wrestle again. It’s up to them, and it’s up to me. I don’t know what I’m going to do. But if I do decide to do it, it would be nice. A lot of people would like to see it, so we’ll see what happens.”