10 Things We Learned From Kurt Angle: Homecoming
9. He Never Thought He'd Return To WWE
There were multiple reasons for Angle's departure in 2006. He felt he was no longer able to keep up the gruelling schedule due to his ailing health. WWE was less forgiving of part-timers at this point in their history, taking a dim view of performers who wanted to pick and choose when and where they wrestled.
Another major factor was Kurt's reliance on pain medication which had at this point had spiralled into a full blown addiction. There was no WWE Wellness Policy back then and Angle was hiding his habit from the company. He was also unhappy in his marriage, paranoid about his position on the roster and bitter about his fading abilities in the ring which were increasingly affected by his continual injury problems.
Kurt is clearly emotional as his car pulls up to WWE's Stamford headquarters, admitting to the camera that he never thought he'd come back. He admits that aside from the nature of his departure "saying a lot of bad things" in the past made him feel that he'd never be welcomed back.