Kurt Angle Knew WWE Was 'Probably Gonna Stick It To Me' During Retirement Run

Kurt Angle has admitted he knew WWE were going to 'stick it to me' during his final run in the company after the manner in which he had left the first time.

Angle ended his first spell with WWE after seven years, in 2006, after demanding his release so he could focus on recovering from injuries. The Olympic Gold Medallist would wrestle in TNA for 11 years before returning to WWE, having also tackled his addiction problems.

Angle would be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame but the former WWE Champion, who retired from in-ring action at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, knew he wouldn't be on the same level within the company when he returned.

Speaking during a recent interview with The Paradox Of Sports, Angle said: "I was really surprised the way they brought me back. They brought me back and they inducted me into the Hall of Fame first, which I wasn’t retired yet. And then they wanted me to be the GM of Raw second, and then they wanted me to wrestle.

"And I thought the order should have been switched around. I should have wrestled first, then GM second, and then Hall of Fame last. But unfortunately, the WWE had other plans, and that’s the way it goes. Nothing I could do about it.

"I’m sure it had a lot to do with me leaving the company in 2006. There were some bitter words that were exchanged. So when I came back, I knew it wouldn’t be the same. But I wanted to do it for the fans, for the WWE Universe that supported me all those seven years that I was in WWE, and also supported me in TNA for 11 years. So I wanted to go back there and have my final matches and retire.

"And I knew ahead of time I wasn’t gonna get a title or run or anything like that. I actually knew that they were probably gonna stick it to me. And that was okay, I totally understood. And don’t forget, I had a painkiller problem. I had injured necks. I broke my neck four times in WWE. So, they also looked at me as somewhat of a liability, and they didn’t want to take a chance with me. So I completely understood."

H/T Cageside Seats