A WWE Hall of Famer stunned wrestling fans on Saturday with a brief video on social media. Kurt Angle, who retired in April 2019, teased a comeback. He showed himself lacing up his boots and fueled speculation about a return to the wrestling ring in the near future.
The video did not initially show Angle’s face and instead opted for footage of his boots, his Olympic medal, and star-spangled tights. A slowed-down version of “America the Beautiful” served as the soundtrack. The video showed multiple shirts before flashing to Angle’s face in the waning seconds. “To be continued…” the text read.
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โ Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) March 6, 2021
“Interesting video of Kurt Angle the day before AEW’s PPV where Paul Wight said there will be a big surprise from a Hall of Famer, I wonder if this video will be important later,” one wrestling fan commented on social media. Several others weighed in and debated whether this video means that Angle is heading to All Elite Wrestling after WWE released him in April 2020.
Angle last appeared in a WWE match in 2019. He faced off with Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35 in what was billed as his final match. He lost and walked off into the proverbial sunset. Many fans expected never to see him step foot into a wrestling ring again, but his video on Twitter changed opinions.
Prior to the video, AEW promised to sign a “huge star” during Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view event. President Tony Khan called this unnamed individual a “Hall of Fame worthy” talent. There were several theories posed by wrestling fans in the aftermath of this proclamation with many hoping that Dave Bautista โ known as Batista in WWE โ was the new addition. However, he shut down the speculation with a direct tweet.
“They’re going to have to come up with another word thats used specifically for professional wrestlers who actually mean it when they say they’re retired,” Bautista wrote in response to wrestling fans. “Currently the word ‘retired’ has zero credibility by professional wrestling standards.”
Along with Bautista, many wrestling fans also theorized that former UFC star Daniel Cormier or CM Punk could be the next addition to the AEW roster. However, both men claimed that they are not the huge signing. Both are busy with other pursuits away from wrestling rings or UFC octagons. Cormier is part of the commentary “A-Team” for UFC events, while Punk recently joined Stephen Amell on the STARZ series Heels.