10 Wrestlers Who Should Have Stayed Retired
3. Kurt Angle
Realistically underrated considering how few greatest-of-all-time lists he features in, Kurt Angle was and is a contemporary wrestling icon that has the matches, the promos and the numbers to back up one of the most legendary runs in the history of the industry. It stood to reason then, that - when finished with TNA and a celebrated run on the UK independent scene during its boom - he'd explore one last run in WWE.
What materialised simply couldn't live up to expectations, even if it started magnificently with him subbing for Roman Reigns as one-night member of The Shield. The wear and tear had understandably caught up with the 'Olympic Hero', and it mattered not that fans were willing to forgive the ravages of time - Vince McMahon and others around him weren't.
Kurt's 2019 (and, as of writing, in-ring career) ended with a whimper rather than a bang. He lost to Baron Corbin deep into an over-long WrestleMania in front of a crowd too tired to get up for only-okay action.