Kurt Angle To Be Inducted Into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame
01/18/2017 02:48 pm EST
It's true! It's damn true! Kurt Angle is coming home! ESPN has just broken that the former WWE Grand Slam champion will be inducted into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame! While rumors of Angle's return have been running rampant since his TNA contract expired last year, the Olympic Gold Medalist has not been seen in the WWE since 2006. Angle will be the headliner for the 2017 Hall of Fame!
"I was shocked. I've been out of WWE for a long time and out of touch with them so I didn't really expect this," Angle told ESPN.com. "It's a huge honor. This is the only Hall of Fame that I'm not in and probably [the one] I want to be in the most. This is the one that means the most for me. I had a lot of fun entertaining the fans for seven years with WWE, and I'm glad that my hard work paid off."
Angle, 48, spent 10 years with rival TNA after asking for his release from WWE in 2006. Angle is the only professional wrestler in history to have won the WWE, World heavyweight, WCW, TNA, and IWGP world championships.
According to ESPN, Triple H made the call to Angle Monday afternoon to give him the news.
"I figured they either decided they didn't want to do anything with me or they forgot," Angle said. "Hunter said they never forgot and he called and told me this is the first thing they want to do. And whether I wrestle or not after this -- which is irrelevant right now -- I'm just really proud to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
"I gave a lot of energy and time to WWE those first seven years, and I'm grateful that they recognized it."
When discussing a possible return to the ring, Angle said the Hall of Fame was currently the priority.
"We have not talked about any wrestling," Angle said. "Whether we do or not, that remains to be seen... There are no guarantees. I think right now the most important thing is the Hall of Fame -- and I think both sides feel that way."
Whether he steps back in the ring or not, it's great to have Kurt Angle back in the WWE fold!
Listen to Comicbook.com's Over The Ropes podcast:
MORE WWE: Iconic Moments Of Jimmy Superfly Snuka's Career / Get Ready To See A Lot More Of Brock Lesnar / Eric Bischoff Explains Why Goldberg's WCW Streak Came To An End / The WWE Power Rangers / AJ Styles On Getting The Fans To Boo Him / Is Thuganomics John Cena Making A Comeback? / Roman Reigns Is Winning The Universal Championship / Randy Orton Throws A Jab At UFC's Conor McGregor / Enzo Amore Posts Childhood Photo With Shawn Michaels / Top 5 Wrestlemania Opponents For The Undertaker / Why Dolph Ziggler Hates John Cena ... For Real / John Cena Teases Kenny Omega
Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.