10 Alternative Views On Wrestling's Biggest Scandals

8. ECW Crucifixion Gifted The WWF Kurt Angle

The Summer of 1996 was a huge one for Kurt Angle. At the Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Angle won a Gold Medal in wrestling. Quickly, Kurt became the talk of America, and the pro-wrestling world wanted a piece of his star power. According to Scott 'Raven' Levy, Angle had already turned down a deal with the WWF by the time he agreed to attend an ECW show in '96. Angle was there to make a quick speech and provide commentary for a match or two - he was under the impression that ECW was more 'legitimate' and featured more real wrestling, as opposed to the cartoonish WWF. The Olympic Hero would be horrified by what he witnessed that night. As part of the epic storyline involving Raven and The Sandman, the beer-drinking babyface was 'crucified' by his rival. Looking on, Angle was completely disgusted, and any apparent agreement to bring him into the ECW mix was cancelled immediately. Angle threatened legal action, should his name and likeness appear on the show. Just a few short years later, he signed a WWF contract. Admittedly, there's a good chance Angle may have eventually ended up in the WWF anyway. Even if he had signed with ECW, the promotion would have expressed interest at some point down the line. That said, it cannot be forgotten that Paul Heyman almost got him first. The crucifixion angle pretty much soured Angle on pro wrestling, and only the top company could convince him to sign.