10 Wrestling Heels That Were Pure Chickensh*t

Kurt Angle debuted as a twisted spin on the Patriotic Face trope. In the Attitude Era, where a wrestlers often won fans over with promos peppered with four-letter expletives, risqué storylines, and increasingly violent matches, the conservative Angle arrived to dispense shame and disapproval.

Pre-debut, Angle riled fans with pompous vignettes, taking precious screen time to extol his accomplishments and his three Is (Intensity, Integrity, and Intelligence). He debuted at Survivor Series 1999 billed as “the only Olympic gold medallist to grace a [WWE] ring” and “the most celebrated real athlete in [WWE] history”. He defeated Shawn Stasiak and was showered with boos for his effort.

The Olympic gold medallist may have been one of the greatest raw talents on the roster, he would regularly remind fans and the locker room of this, however, he kept his undefeated streak alive through a mixture of capitalising on accidents, often outside distractions, and conscious cheating, aided by unlikely ally Steve Blackman.

Angle’s undefeated streak was ended by a debuting Tazz at Royal Rumble 2000. In defeat Angle only became a more sneaky and conniving heel. A gimmick he mastered both in the ring and on the mic.