WWE Confirms Kurt Angle Is NOT Returning
Olympic Gold Medalist won't be part of the brand split.
In the wake of rumors that WWE is reaching out to former employees to try and fill the Raw and Smackdown rosters before the upcoming brand split and Kurt Angle acknowledging that he had been in touch with the company about a comeback, WWE has now confirmed that Angle will not be returning to the promotion.
Though no details are available regarding exactly why a deal couldn't be reached, The Wrestling Observer is reporting that officials from the company have revealed that Angle's comeback is not going to materialize.
Angle has been vocal about trying to get back to WWE in recent years. When his contract with TNA was coming to an end in early 2015, the Olympic Gold Medalist spoke about how he and Paul "Triple H" Levesque discussed a return to the promotion, but couldn't come to terms. As Angle stated, he would have needed to work a part-time schedule, and Levesque didn't seem interested in extending him that benefit.
There have also been longtime concerns about Angle's health. He was released from WWE in 2006 while nursing many injuries and addictions, and while he seems to have gotten clean in recent years, the wear and tear on his 47-year-old body has only worsened.