The departure of Kurt Angle from WWE in 2006 was a shock to many fans. A world-class talent who routinely delivered the goods in the ring, Angle was seemingly on top of his game. All was not as it seemed, however, as Angle was physically and, perhaps, psychologically falling apart, as well. Angle was deemed to be 'on borrowed time' as early as 2004. His major neck injuries weren't going away and he was experiencing numbness in his arms and fingers with alarming regularity. Then he started behaving erratically backstage in 2006 when performing on the ECW brand. Angle had a pill problem. WWE decided to wash their hands of Angle but the Olympic gold medalist resurfaced in TNA soon after. His TNA run was a success, as Angle was still performing to his lofty standards and his body was managing to hold up, by all accounts. WWE were keeping an eye on Angle and thought about bringing him back in late 2008. The creative team began discussing 'what if?' plans for Angle. Michael Hayes and Shane McMahon (who is good friends with Kurt) also pitched ideas for his return. It was said that were he to be brought back, it would be on a limited TV/PPV schedule with a few big house shows, similar to Shawn Michaels' deal. Of course, Angle's TNA contract didn't expire until September 2009, meaning either he or WWE would have to buy him out of it if he were to return. Others in the company were still wary of Angle due to his 'ticking timebomb' state during his last couple of years there.
