10 Wrestlers Who Blamed Themselves For Failing In WWE
8. Kurt Angle
The first separation of Kurt Angle and WWE wasn't a pretty one. Vince McMahon reportedly cut his former Olympian loose for health reasons, with Kurt later claiming that he was working hurt and the promotion had refused to grant him time off in order to heal. Wrestling through a "broken freakin' neck" for years had taken a toll, it seemed, but Angle had signed for rivals TNA just one month later - wrestling his first match that November.
Angle would on to become the guy for Impact for a long, long time, not walking back into WWE until 2017, when a Hall of Fame induction turned into a stint as Raw General Manager and a farewell tour between the ropes. It was after re-signing that Kurt's tune on his 2006 departure changed.
The Kurt Angle: Homecoming Network special saw the gold medalist blame himself, not WWE, for developing a crippling painkiller addiction and effectively driving himself out of the company, no longer pointing his finger at the brutal road schedule and lack of time off. A new perspective born of maturity and self-reflection or a bootlicking move to placate Vince and co.? That depends on your cynicism, though Angle still owned it.