10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Kurt Angle
7. The 2014 Rejection
Kurt Angle's WWE return benefited both parties, and he was welcomed like a returning hero at the 2017 Hall of Fame ceremony, but the company weren't always enthused by the idea of bringing him back. In fact, the promotion went as far as straight up rejecting their former champion in 2014, when Kurt's TNA contract had expired.
According to Angle himself, Kurt reached out to WWE with the aim of securing a part-time deal, but Triple H told him "no." 'The Game' decided that the company "had enough talent," and the Olympian wasn't welcome in a wrestling capacity, so he opted to re-sign with Impact instead.
Triple H's explanation is plausible, but probably doesn't represent the whole story. Kurt's declining physical condition, long injury record, and checkered personal life aren't exactly in-line with the company's PG-enforced safety-first approach, and thus, bringing him back represented a significant risk. It has paid off in 2017, but WWE's trepidation is completely understandable, though the company would love you to forget all about this while they continually present the Raw General Manager as a cherished wrestling institution.