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Kurt Angle's sacrificed a lot to have one of the most successful wrestling careers in the industry. Regarded as one of the best wrestlers of all time, Kurt Angle is highly regarded for his in-ring ability while showcasing oozing charisma, helping him garner many championships throughout his career in WWE and TNA Wrestling. However, Kurt Angle's real-life injuries are well-documented as he's got a history of neck-related problems, becoming a roadblock throughout his wrestling career. But despite suffering career-threatening neck injuries, Kurt Angle wrestled for two decades before retiring in 2019.
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Kurt Angle's Decorated Professional Wrestling Career
Despite not having much wrestling experience when making his WWE debut in late 1999, Kurt Angle quickly adapted to becoming a well-rounded performer. Someone who could wrestle circles around people while showing a humorous side, Kurt Angle was everything a wrestling promoter wanted in a superstar. And Kurt Angle delivered on his potential, becoming a wide success for WWE during the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era.
Less than two years after making his professional wrestling debut, Kurt Angle had a breakout year in 2000. He won multiple championships, including a victory over The Rock to win his first WWE Championship at the No Mercy 2000. His success continued from there, becoming an established main event superstar along with fellow Attitude Era stars like The Rock, The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Triple H, and more.
As Kurt Angle quickly became a decorated WWE superstar after only a few years on the roster, his success expanded after the launch of the Ruthless Aggression Era, taking on a more serious demeanor. Becoming the original "Smackdown Six" during the beginning stages of the brand split, Kurt Angle revolutionized the Smackdown brand through the many classic matches he's wrestled. From his series of classic bouts with Brock Lesnar, including defending the WWE Championship against him in an exciting main-event contest at Wrestlemania 19, to the classic matches with Shawn Michaels on PPV. These are only a few examples of the many classic bouts Kurt Angle had in the Ruthless Aggression Era, becoming one of the best in the world.
During that era, Kurt Angle continued winning many championships throughout his run in WWE, including winning the world title on three separate occasions. For instance, his World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2006 received universal praise from fans and critics, as it was around when he adopted the "Wrestling Machine" persona to his character.
For the seven years Kurt Angle spent on the WWE main roster, he could've walked away from wrestling in 2006 and still would've been considered an all-time great. Even with a history of neck-related problems, he continued wrestling in TNA Wrestling for almost a decade, garnering a successful career as he's won multiple world championships in that promotion.
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Grinding Through Severe Neck Injuries
Kurt Angle's neck problems go back to his days as a freestyle wrestler while partaking in the 1996 Olympic Trials. And the fact that he managed to win a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games with a fractured neck is an impressive feat of physicality. His neck problems would catch him multiple times throughout his professional wrestling career, as Kurt Angle had to grind through severe adversity.
Perhaps Kurt Angle's first noted neck injury in WWE was in early 2003, almost missing the Wrestlemania 19 PPV. It was so severe that Chris Benoit almost replaced him in facing Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at that PPV. However, because Kurt Angle's as tough as it gets, he decided to go through the main event with Brock Lesnar and had one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever.
Kurt Angle eventually resumed his active in-ring career after taking two months off rehabbing his neck. The following year after Wrestlemania 20, after losing to Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship, Kurt Angle's neck problems caused him again to miss a couple of months of in-ring action, taking a heel general manager role on the Smackdown brand in the process. Kurt Angle being out of action was a massive blow to the Smackdown brand in mid-2004, especially with Brock Lesnar leaving the company. However, much like his comeback from his first neck-related injury in the WWE, Kurt Angle returned to action in late 2004 and showed no signs of slowing down.
Fast-forward to when he wrestled for TNA Wrestling, as Kurt Angle took on a lighter schedule, neck problems were still an issue despite performing for the company for over a decade. However, that didn't stop him from tearing the house down with the quality of matches he wrestled against AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and many more fellow TNA legends.
Twenty Years In The Business
Kurt Angle stated in a 2007 blog post that he fractured his vertebrae five times, but it didn't stop him from wrestling into his 50s until retiring in 2019, almost twenty years in the business. The story behind Kurt Angle's sacrifices to succeed in both Olympic and professional wrestling is overwhelmingly inspiring. Kurt Angle's toughness isn't going to let multiple severe neck injuries get in his way of doing want he wants.
