By now, you may have heard that Kurt Angle will be the headliner for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. If you somehow haven’t heard about that yet, congratulations! We’re sorry you had to find out this way. And we’re flattered that we were the first thing you wanted to read upon waking from your coma. You might want to adjust the settings on your Facebook news feed.
Anyway, let’s get to why we’re all here: speculation on who’s going to be inducting everyone’s favorite Olympic gold medalist. Angle spoke to Sports Illustrated about going into the Hall (and a few other things), and he already has a solid idea of the exact person who he’d like to do the honors of inducting him. [sound of glass shattering]
“That’s a no-brainer. I had just started with WWE and had a program with Austin right after I beat Rock for the world title. I had a quick skit with Stephanie and Triple H, and then it was right on to Austin. We had some memorable feuds and some very funny segments, so he is at the top of my list.
“Steve was one of the most giving individuals. He took me in and allowed me to shine even when it was still his time. I don’t ever compare myself to Stone Cold. He is the guy who elevated wrestling to a level that nobody ever went before, but he enabled me to show my talents when he very well could have said no. He was a very giving individual, and he is one of the guys who had the biggest impact on my career.”
The tail end of the Attitude Era was pretty much about four people: Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Kurt Angle, who was the perfect main event comedy foil for the other three who could still back up everything he said in the ring. The vast majority of his career has been spent as a badass, no-nonsense wrestling machine who will absolutely destroy you, but fans will always have a special place in their heart for “tiny hat and kazoos” Kurt Angle.
Bring on Steve Austin to induct the man. And make sure he brings an even tinier hat than before.
