Kurt Angle Talks TNA Impact Wrestling, Retirement, NXT, WWE Return and More

Kurt Angle is an Olympic gold medalist, a former WWE world champion and the face of TNA, and most wrestling fans consider him one of the best pure wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots.

Unfortunately, Angle has announced his retirement from Impact Wrestling, putting an end to one of the most decorated portions of his wrestling career. Thankfully, Angle said that while he is walking away from TNA, he does not believe his wrestling career is over.

That’s great news for fans who love his work in the ring and on the mic.

Angle recently spoke with Ring Rust Radio (quotes courtesy of the Delco Elbow Drop's Joe Arcidiacono) about Impact Wrestling’s move to Pop, his retirement from TNA, his thoughts on joining the NXT roster, possibly having one more WrestleMania moment and much more.

The biggest news in recent weeks was the announcement that TNA’s flagship show, Impact Wrestling, would make the jump from their current television home on Destination America to the Pop network starting on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Angle has seen TNA change TV networks in the past and knows the positives and negatives of the situation. When asked about his thoughts on the switch, Angle said, “This is all new territory for us. Getting into another network, this will be our third in three years. Hopefully it works out and it builds something long term. It is a new network and we are excited for it. I want to be able to sit back and see how it goes.”

When Impact Wrestling makes the jump to Pop, it will only have Angle on the roster for a short time. Angle announced earlier in December that he would be retiring from TNA after the company’s tour of the United Kingdom.

When asked about what went into the decision to step away from the business for an extended break, Angle spoke candidly about his discussions with Impact Wrestling managment and how he may eventually get the itch to step back into the ring:

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It was just the best time for me to step away. With me being able to be home a lot more this past year it helped me see what was more important to me, and that’s family. I thought it was a good move on both parts and we are both comfortable with each other.

If I feel good after I take my time off, I might want to continue wrestling. That’s why I didn’t say I was retiring from wrestling for good. It was just the last matches I had under contract with TNA. It’s more of a TNA retirement thing rather than anything else. I’m enjoying everything about retirement right now.

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Angle left the door open to a possible return to wrestling, and that leaves fans of the sport salivating at the possibility of one final run with WWE. One of the hottest brands in wrestling right now is NXT, but when asked about his interest in working with WWE’s developmental territory, he didn’t sound open to the idea:

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No. With all due respect, the talent on the NXT roster is phenomenal. They are doing something right down there as far as getting talent ready. I just don’t think it would be worth it for either side to have me go down there and work on NXT. Not saying I wouldn’t do it, but it is considered the WWE minor league. With that in mind, I think anybody would feel the same way about it.

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While many fans would love to see Angle work in NXT to help teach the younger talent to get over the way he did with the fans, he is a veteran with limited time left in the business. Angle knows what he is worth to the industry, and he wants to be booked like the Superstar he has proved himself to be throughout his extensive career.

NXT doesn’t sound like it’s something that interests Angle, but a return to the WWE main roster and another run at WrestleMania is something that certainly intrigues him.

When asked about his future and a possible return to WWE, he said, “I don’t know to be honest. It all depends on how I feel about the situation. Is there a possibility that there will be a meeting in the future? Yes, I’m not counting it out. I think anybody in pro wrestling wouldn’t mind their last match being at WrestleMania.”

Regardless of how long Angle’s retirement lasts and what comes next in his career, it’s clear that he is one of the top wrestlers in the history of the business. He was a top draw in WWE for several years and helped build TNA into a major player in the wrestling business.

If Angle never wrestled again, he would be a shoo-in for any and every Hall of Fame he is eligible. The fact that he said he does not believe he has wrestled his last match indicates there could be even more memorable moments yet to come.

With dream matches against Daniel Bryan and many other top stars in the industry still on the table, wrestling fans want to see more from Angle, no matter which company he may be working for at the time.

Angle’s run with TNA Impact Wrestling has been amazing, but time off to refocus could lead to a resurgence in his career. Whatever happens next, wrestling fans will be ready to cheer him on.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).