How Good Was Kurt Angle Actually?

Range

This is where Angle isn’t merely “actually great”; it’s the category in which he peaks higher than anybody else - with the exception of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

At Survivor Series 1999, the site of Angle’s first night as full-time member of the WWF roster, there was a glorious, collective epiphany. Oh - you’re meant to hate this guy, and the guy can’t handle it. Angle grabbed the microphone moments into his squash win over trivia question Shawn Stasiak. Kurt lashed out at the crowd for booing an Olympic gold medallist. The jeers then intensified, and a totally magic bit of crowd interaction was born. Angle was absolutely incredible at being pissed off. Booing him was a blast; his Seinfeldian rage at getting booed was even funnier. This deliriously entertaining loop cast him as an instant superstar; he’d win his first WWF title, in the company’s most competitive era ever, in under a year.

This incredible range was best crystallised during his legendary parody segment of Shawn Michaels, but Angle was hysterical in WWE at virtually all times. Kurt Angle once hit octogenarian Mae Young with the Angle Slam and celebrated like he’d just won the belt at WrestleMania. Angle could make you howl with laughter.

In terms of in-ring style, the arc on Angle’s moonsault was more graceful and awe-inspiring than the wrestlers who specialised in aerial moves. He went hold-for-hold with Chris Benoit, mastering the pulsating rhythms of intense grappling. He wasn’t much of a striker, and his punches weren’t amazing, but he’d earn a C from a Memphis expert at least.

Amid the AEW Vs. WWE culture war, the question is (too) often asked. Is it better to be great at wrestling, or to be entertaining?

Angle’s answer to this was “Yes”.