I don't like Kurt Angle matches anymore.

[Emmet Russell]

I blame TNA.

Kurt Angle has always been one of my favourites. It's hard to find a better pure athlete out there in wrestling. Everything he's done throughout his pro career has been stellar ... but I can't enjoy watching them anymore.

It just feels like i'm watching a car crash in motion each time he wrestles. The cage match being the best example in recent memory. I just feel he's out there to kill himself for no reason, & the moonsault off the top of the cage proves that. Doing that move in 2001 was dangerous, but was watched by a large audience & was a worthy moment (until the Chris Benoit stuff occurred & wiped that memory away). Watching that match on Impact just made me feel off; there was zero enjoyment. I can say this for most of his matches these days. The man looks like a physical wreak, ready to break down in a heartbeat. His alcohol & law issues likely has a lot to do with his body being as broken down as it is.

All that, topped off with the fact that he's completely negated the effectiveness of the Angle Slam by having everyone kick out of it, has taken more enjoyment out of his wrestling. I can't remember the last time he's beaten someone with that move & the announcers & fans react accordingly - with apathy.

Kurt was told in 2003 after he broke his neck that his career was likely nearing an end. 11 years later and he's still doing stupid shit like moonsaults off of cages in front of 100 people. I don't want to see it anymore. I don't want to see him anymore. As a fan, I want to see him retire in peace with his health.

I hope i'm not asking too much. Lockdown is in a month and a bit, I'm expecting more stupid shit from Angle.

Hopefully they fold before them.

[________ has left the building]

It has to with no one in TNA will tell Kurt to stop with the risky moves like the top rope moonsault. Plus his matches are pretty much by the numbers with no real variety. A bunch of German suplexes, tons of nearfalls with finishers reduced to transition moves, and dangerous bumps. I keep saying it but I hope he stops it before he pulls a Misawa in the ring.

[Medicinal Thunder Liger]

Jan 25, 2014 7:31:22 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

It has to with no one in TNA will tell Kurt to stop with the risky moves like the top rope moonsault. Plus his matches are pretty much by the numbers with no real variety. A bunch of German suplexes, tons of nearfalls with finishers reduced to transition moves, and dangerous bumps. I keep saying it but I hope he stops it before he pulls a Misawa in the ring.

exactly what I thought of. great great worker that just did not know when to get himself out and it ended up in tragedy.

[________ has left the building]

Jan 25, 2014 9:43:24 GMT -5 Medicinal Thunder Liger said:

Jan 25, 2014 7:31:22 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

It has to with no one in TNA will tell Kurt to stop with the risky moves like the top rope moonsault. Plus his matches are pretty much by the numbers with no real variety. A bunch of German suplexes, tons of nearfalls with finishers reduced to transition moves, and dangerous bumps. I keep saying it but I hope he stops it before he pulls a Misawa in the ring.

exactly what I thought of. great great worker that just did not know when to get himself out and it ended up in tragedy.

Watching NOAH the last 4 years of Misawa's life was hard to watch. He always had this pained look on his face and was bloated. He moved slower but still took the big bumps though not as much in his prime. When I heard that he died in the ring taking one of his trademark bumps, I wasn't shocked. I can't enjoy Angle's matches because I feel like I'm watching a snuff film.

[Deleted]

Kurt is one of those guys that's a great performer, but I can't help but feel like he has to be in there with the right opponent and have a solid match structure from the agent. Otherwise it denigrates into belly to belly suplex, german suplex, ankle lock, german suplex, ankle lock, german suplex some more, miss a stupid moonsault, no sell that, Angle slam, german suplex even more, ankle lock again. He and Roode worked hard in the cage match, but it just didn't work for me.


I still like Kurt but his various injuries, issues, and TNA's lack of match structure from the agents really hurts him these days. He's nearing the end of the line, but I'm not sure if he will accept that.

[Medicinal Thunder Liger]

Jan 25, 2014 9:49:24 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Jan 25, 2014 9:43:24 GMT -5 Medicinal Thunder Liger said:

exactly what I thought of. great great worker that just did not know when to get himself out and it ended up in tragedy.

Watching NOAH the last 4 years of Misawa's life was hard to watch. He always had this pained look on his face and was bloated. He moved slower but still took the big bumps though not as much in his prime. When I heard that he died in the ring taking one of his trademark bumps, I wasn't shocked. I can't enjoy Angle's matches because I feel like I'm watching a snuff film.

its not so much that for me but I can see why people would say that. kurt I get has always had a psychology problem in the ring, and now last 5-10 years one outside the ring too. but I still enjoy a lot of his work and am a mark for him. I respect that no matter what is wrong with his body he goes 150% every single time.

[Deleted]

I was never a huge Angle fan. Him coming to TNA didn't really draw me in any more to the show than I already was, but he just. looks. terrible right now.

I mean, he's in fine shape he just looks ROUGH. He actually puts me off to the show now. Which sucks because I'm a huge Roode fan.

[Deleted]

TNA was just never an environment for a guy like Kurt Angle. If Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle happened in TNA it wouldn't be half as memorable as it was in TNA. TNA's fast paced and inorganic presentation is just not conducive to great matches. Their disingenuous, loud and fast commentary. The Impact Zone's having a chant for everything that feels like they're so focused on chanting shit that they aren't paying attention. That second half of HBK/Angle where they're too exhausted to think and need to use each other for support just to get back to their feet would have no room to breathe whatsoever on TNA TV.

I think there is some onus on Kurt Angle, the cage match was a great example of Kurt working his ass off for the sake of working his ass off. He's doing things we've seen him do before, crazy, impressive things, but with a body that just looks like it's in constant pain and these risks are completely unnecessary.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

Holy shit, it's like TNA drained every ounce of match psychology out of Angle. People get on Davey Richards but Angle is every bit as bad. On Impact, that cage match with Roode had a finisher kick-out in LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. That's ridiculous and Angle should know better. Might as well call Angle a f***ing machine because all he wants to do is get his shit in, story be damned.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

the more time Kurt spends in TNA, the more I realize that while he's an entertaining character, his best matches were always with guys who were better than him (Michaels, Jericho, Triple H, Noob Saibot, Eddie etc.)

it doesn't help that his lifestyle and wrestling style these days make people think less "badass technician" and more "pater familiacide".

[Danimal]

I still like his matches and think he's a hell of a worker. Plus I don't mind folks kicking-out of the Angleslam. It shouldn't have been a finishing-move in the first place. Ya it's lame when Ryback finishes with it too, marching around before you do it doesn't make it any better.

[Deleted]

I hate that his gimmick in TNA has generally been serious/insane asshole. I miss goofy Kurt Angle. I hate that his matches are basically built to him needing some ridiculous spot to win because nothing else works. He hit a super Angle Slam in that match and it didn't end the match. His normal Angle Slam didn't end the match. Ankle Lock didn't end the match. He missed his super moonsault. It's ridiculous. Sometimes moves should just be match enders. Kicking out of one of his isn't a dramatic moment anymore because it happens EVERY SINGLE TIME. I hate that his promos are basically him being angry about something. He never brings anything new to the table, and what he keeps bringing doesn't taste good anymore.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Jan 25, 2014 11:28:51 GMT -5 @nichotine said:

TNA was just never an environment for a guy like Kurt Angle. If Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle happened in TNA it wouldn't be half as memorable as it was in TNA. TNA's fast paced and inorganic presentation is just not conducive to great matches. Their disingenuous, loud and fast commentary. The Impact Zone's having a chant for everything that feels like they're so focused on chanting shit that they aren't paying attention. That second half of HBK/Angle where they're too exhausted to think and need to use each other for support just to get back to their feet would have no room to breathe whatsoever on TNA TV.

I think there is some onus on Kurt Angle, the cage match was a great example of Kurt working his ass off for the sake of working his ass off. He's doing things we've seen him do before, crazy, impressive things, but with a body that just looks like it's in constant pain and these risks are completely unnecessary.

Bingo. The most telling point in this match was the fact that Angle hit the Top Rope Samoan Drop on Roode, the exact same action that knocked Kurt out at Bound for Glory. When they did it here, there was no mention of it on commentary, and the fact that Angle recovered from it this time did not seem important to anything at all. For all we know, the fact that the move was used here may have been total coincidence.

[SeVeN: #TheBadGuy.]

I disagree. That cage match was one of the first matches I watched in awhile that I didnt fast forward through. I will agree though in Kurt's condition he shouldn't be taking bumps off the top of a cage. The way he landed was just sick. And it seems he has become TnAs Mick Foley. A stuntman. He has taken so many horrible bumps in TnA its a wonder hes still able to walk. I kinda wish he would go back to the E just for the protection they would give him.

[AdamAFL was sooooo wrong]

Well considering his cage match with Roode was excellent this past week I'd have to disagree with your statement. I do think he now needs to be in there with a great wrestler - which never used to be the case. If he's in with an AJ or a Roode, Aries, Joe etc. they'll have a great match. Stick him in there with Hernandez and they'll fail, miserably.

[tropicalstormstl]

People have been saying Kurt Angle looks like a train wreck waiting to happen/looks like hes going to die in the ring every year since he went to TNA.

[Rave]

Been saying it for years: Angle's gonna end up in a wheelchair if he keeps it up.

[Mayonnaise]

Haven't enjoyed his matches in a few years now. He has no clue how to build a match outside of no selling and false finishes. He is everything that people shit on ROH, GABE, CZW and every other indie for but it is ignored because he got carried to some amazing work by Taker, HBK, Hunter, Eddie and Jericho. Not all of that is Angle's fault, TNA has got to be like WWE and tell him no or to stop doing stuff at times. They also, as was stated, have no clue how to sell a moment. Angle I have to think does a callback to the BFG match with Roode and the Angle Slam off the top, the move that cost him that match, and it is completely ignored. Stuff like that, they have to be better about pointing out. Now all of that is not to say he cannot have some good matches, his stuff with Joe and Jarrett for example, but they don't hold a candle to his WWE work.

[jimmyjames]

His matches have almost become a parody of his past matches. It's as if we started a thread titles "Create a Kurt Angle Match" and they took the wildest post and used them to create an actual match. There were numerous post in the Genesis thread about how many kickouts there would be, how many seconds would the Angle Lock last, and how long into the match and how many times he does a moonsault from the top of the cage, and instead of them being jokes, they were accurate predictions, because almost all of them occurred.

[Celgress]

I don't like Kurt Angle matches anymore, and I use to be a huge Angle mark. Matter of fact, I don't think he has had an above average match since 2010.