History Wrestling / KurtAngle

* AmbiguouslyGay: Kurt's had... strange interactions with a lot of wrestlers, namely Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr, who he called a boy and said he was going to manhandle, and Wrestling/BrockLesnar who actually kissed him. Also once kissed Wrestling/TheBigShow(although it was mostly to disarm him long enough to pick him up for the Angle Slam).

* FakeHairDama: After losing his hair vs hair match we would strap on wigs to hide his baldness.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Taz brought him to ''Wrestling/{{ECW}} High Incident'', October 26, 1996, a few months after his big win at the Olympics. Unfortunately, this was the night where, after [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] the Sandman had defeated his former tag team partner [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]], [[Wrestling/{{Raven}} Raven's Nest]] (Raven, Wrestling/StevieRichards, Wrestling/TheBlueMeanie and [[Wrestling/MikeBucci Super Nova]]) attacked the Sandman and crucified him, topped off with a crown of barbed-wire instead of thorns. On WWE's ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=], Angle said that he told Wrestling/PaulHeyman that if this got on TV and his name or face were in any way associated with it, Heyman would be hearing from Angle's lawyer. The show was released on ECW Home Video, though the crucifixion scene was excluded, and did not see the light of home video until WWE's ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=], where it was mentioned as one of, along with the Wrestling/NewJack vs. Mass Transit debacle, the two disasters that nearly killed off ECW's chances of getting on [=PPV=].

* PowerStable: TNA's Main Event Mafia. Team Angle in WWE

** Introducing then wife Karen to TNA in 2007. Whoops.

* FaceHeelRevolvingDoor: It helps that he's good at pulling off both.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Taz brought him to ''Wrestling/{{ECW}} High Incident'', October 26, 1996, a few months after his big win at the Olympics. Unfortunately, this was the night where, after [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] the Sandman had defeated his former tag team partner [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]], [[Wrestling/{{Raven}} Raven's Nest]] (Raven, Wrestling/StevieRichards, the Blue Meanie and [[Wrestling/MikeBucci Super Nova]]) attacked the Sandman and crucified him, topped off with a crown of barbed-wire instead of thorns. On WWE's ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=], Angle said that he told Wrestling/PaulHeyman that if this got on TV and his name or face were in any way associated with it, Heyman would be hearing from Angle's lawyer. The show was released on ECW Home Video, though the crucifixion scene was excluded, and did not see the light of home video until WWE's ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=], where it was mentioned as one of, along with the Wrestling/NewJack-Mass Transit debacle, the two disasters that nearly killed off ECW's chances of getting on [=PPV=].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Taz brought him to ''Wrestling/{{ECW}} High Incident'', October 26, 1996, a few months after his big win at the Olympics. Unfortunately, this was the night where, after [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] the Sandman had defeated his former tag team partner [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]], [[Wrestling/{{Raven}} Raven's Nest]] (Raven, Stevie Richards, the Blue Meanie and [[Wrestling/MikeBucci Super Nova]]) attacked the Sandman and crucified him, topped off with a crown of barbed-wire instead of thorns. On WWE's ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=], Angle said that he told Wrestling/PaulHeyman that if this got on TV and his name or face were in any way associated with it, Heyman would be hearing from Angle's lawyer. The show was released on ECW Home Video, though the crucifixion scene was excluded, and did not see the light of home video until WWE's ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' [=DVD=], where it was mentioned as one of, along with the Wrestling/NewJack-Mass Transit debacle, the two disasters that nearly killed off ECW's chances of getting on [=PPV=].

** Also in 2005, he threatened BWrestling/ookerT's wife, Sharmell Sullivan, by saying he wanted to have "bestiality sex" with her. Sharmell, like her husband, is black. [[UnfortunateImplications Bestiality is having sex with animals.]] YouKeepUsingThatWord, Kurt.

!!'''Tropes associated with Kurt Angle include:'''

* AllAmericanFace: Played straight when he's a face, such as after 9/11 and he beat then heel StoneColdSteveAustin. Subverted when he's a heel. In his first match he was played up as a face coming from an amateur and Olympic background, but during his first match the crowd was bored, he was told in the ring that he was going to be a heel and he ran with it.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Kurt's had... strange interactions with a lot of wrestlers, namely Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr, who he called a boy and said he was going to manhandle, and BrockLesnar who actually kissed him. Also once kissed the Big Show(although it was mostly to disarm him long enough to pick him up for the Angle Slam).

** One bizarre segment had Kurt Angle stumbling upon his then-wife, Karen, canoodling on a couch with Wrestling/AJStyles. Angle jumps to the conclusion that Karen has come to try to win him back. She denies this but Angle angrily tells her that so long as he's with SamoaJoe (as [[strike:tag team partners]] opponents at Lockdown, that is) that their marriage is on hold. He then chases Karen into Styles' arms. The whole thing comes across as Angle leaving his own wife in the tender loving care of AJ Styles until such time as he can be bothered to be a husband to her! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRyOS99mts&feature=related See for yourself]].
* CompanionCube: His gold medals. In 2001, ChrisBenoit stole his medals and challenged him to a two-out-of-three falls match at that year's ''Judgment Day'' PPV for them. In a 2003 promo on ''Smackdown'' Angle interrupted Benoit's promo, when he referred to his medals as "his kids" and the WWE Title as "his wife".

** Endured several brutal attacks from StoneColdSteveAustin, including kicking out of three Stone Cold Stunners at SummerSlam 2001 and taking a piledriver on the concrete floor on the ''[[WWESmackdown SmackDown]]'' before ''Unforgiven 2001''.
** Holding off neck surgery to compete at ''WrestleMania XIX''.

* GameBreakingInjury: His Ankle Lock FinishingMove. Though he did not invent it (Ken Shamrock used that move during his WWF run between 1998-1999), he made it popular. He would fall victim to the Angle Lock himself during a Wrestlemania match with ChrisBenoit, although he in turn caught Benoit with the Crippler Crossface, which was ''Benoit'''s FinishingMove.
* GoshDarnItToHeck: Early in his career, and whenever he's face.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Trusted HulkHogan when he said that Dixie Carter was aware of his wife's cheating ways. Yeah, that's right, he's trusting the ManipulativeBastard who screwed Dixie out of her company, has a vendetta against Wrestler/{{Sting}}, kept KurtAngle away from the title and employed the Jarretts to ''aid'' in his conspiracy, and is the present BigBad of the company who'd have every reason to make him hate Dixie Carter (who it's been acknowledged on-air ''suspended JeffJarrett from power'' upon learning about the affair) and join Immortal. Well, since Sting became DangerouslyGenreSavvy, someone has to be GenreBlind...

* HowMuchMoreCanHeTake: ''King of the Ring 2001'' - Kurt wrestled three matches in one night, including a 26 minute Street Fight match with ShaneMcMahon that was more violent than expected thanks to a SpecialEffectsFailure or two. (The reason he wrestled three matches in a single night? Shane, who intentionally interfered in Kurt's King of the Ring tournament matches to ensure that he would both move on to the finals ''and'' lose the tournament to weaken him up for the Street Fight.)

* LoveTriangle: Between TripleH and his then-{{kayfabe}} wife, StephanieMcMahon, in 2000.
** If not a triangle, the storyline between Kurt, JeffJarrett, and Karen Angle-Jarrett is similar.
** Before that, Kurt and Karen had an on-screen triangle-like situation with AJStyles.
* [[Memes/ProfessionalWrestling Memetic Mutation]] / MemeticBadass: Angle can do anything "[[HandicappedBadass with a broken freakin' neck!]]"

* MadeOfIron: KurtAngle the man and the character. For the uninitiated, he was in the summer Olympics with a broken neck. No, he didn't get it during the wrestling tournament, he had it before the tryouts. Not only did he convince them to let him compete, he won the gold medal. While he's at times injury prone, his neck at least is made of titanium.

** In-universe, this trope manifested in his ability to take multiple finishers and still kick out. He has taken three Stone Cold Stunners in a row, multiple choke-slams, multiple F 5 moves from BrockLesnar, and so on.
* ManlyTears: His gold medal celebration at the 1996 Olympics. On the September 18, 2000 episode of Raw, TripleH (who is later joined by MickFoley) made fun of Angle's crying.
-->'''TripleH''': "Now Kurt, forgive me if I'm wrong - that was very emotional for you, I understand that - but Kurt, maybe it's time, y'know? Maybe it's time for you to come to terms with your true feeling - maybe it's time for you to admit it to yourself, Kurt - maybe it's time to open the closet door, Kurt..."

** After being relieved of his duties of General Manager of Smackdown by Mr. [=McMahon=], KurtAngle got on his knees and begged and cried for his job back.

** At the 2003 ''No Way Out'' pay-per-view (which was taking place in Montreal, Quebec), he insulted Canadians in general and ChrisBenoit and {{Edge}} in particular, mocking their French heritage (although Edge is Anglo-Canadian, and has insulted French Canadians himself) in the CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys idiom. [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece Extremely common at the time]].
** While feuding with JohnCena in 2005, he made the point that he could say whatever he wanted and still get cheered, and proved it by remarking: "I don't really care for... 'the black people.'"
** Also in 2005, he threatened BookerT's wife, Sharmell Sullivan, by saying he wanted to have "bestiality sex" with her. Sharmell, like her husband, is black. [[UnfortunateImplications Bestiality is having sex with animals.]] YouKeepUsingThatWord, Kurt.

* TheRival: His favorite rivals are ChrisBenoit and BrockLesnar.
** In TNA, his most prominent rival has been SamoaJoe.
*** In-ring, and out, JeffJarrett has taken that role.

* SmugSnake: Angle's first gimmick in the WWF/WWE was a really, ''really'' arrogant heel that managed to put his foot in his mouth wherever he went. His first few months were undefeated which he bragged non-stop about in between oblivious swipes at the crowd. He went undefeated until he started losing tag matches wherein he would simply declare it was his partner that lost, not him. Then Taz defeated him at the Royal Rumble. Kurt whined that it didn't count since Taz used a choke (it was the Tazmission). Then Taz beat him ''again''. Kurt would then finally shut the hell up... until he won the Intercontinental and European belts.

* StalkerWithACrush: In 2005, when he was obsessed with BookerT's RealLife-wife, Sharmelle. There were some [[UnfortunateImplications negative implications]] in this, as Angle said he wanted to have "bestiality sex" with her. "Bestiality" is copulation with animals. BookerT and Sharmell were both black.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Was slated to be in {{ECW}}... but the night of his first show, Raven's Flock performed the notorious "Sandman crucifixion". Angle turned around, walked out, and refused calls from ''any'' promotion for a long time.
* WorthyOpponent: ChrisBenoit and BrockLesnar.

'''Kurt Angle''' is a professional wrestler who currently wrestles for {{TNA}}, but made his name during a seven-year tenure in Wrestling/{{WWE}}, where he was referred to as "professional wrestling's only Olympic gold medalist" (which is legit; he won gold medals for wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics [[CatchPhrase WITH A BROKEN]] [[Memes/ProfessionalWrestling FREAKIN' NECK!]]).

* AmbiguouslyGay: Kurt's had... strange interactions with a lot of wrestlers, namely ReyMysterio, who he called a boy and said he was going to manhandle, and BrockLesnar who actually kissed him. Also once kissed the Big Show(although it was mostly to disarm him long enough to pick him up for the Angle Slam).
* ArchEnemy: ChrisBenoit, BrockLesnar, StoneColdSteveAustin, [[DwayneJohnson The Rock]], EddieGuerrero, Wrestler/{{Sting}}, JeffJarrett.

* BaldOfAwesome / BaldOfEvil: This depends on his status as a face or a heel.

* CloudCuckoolander: His interviews in 2006, after he joined TNA, which is why he was known as "Krazy Kurt" by fans. Among his outrageous claims at the time was that he claimed to carry HulkHogan to a five-star match in 2002.
** One bizarre segment had Kurt Angle stumbling upon his then-wife, Karen, canoodling on a couch with AJStyles. Angle jumps to the conclusion that Karen has come to try to win him back. She denies this but Angle angrily tells her that so long as he's with SamoaJoe (as [[strike:tag team partners]] opponents at Lockdown, that is) that their marriage is on hold. He then chases Karen into Styles' arms. The whole thing comes across as Angle leaving his own wife in the tender loving care of AJ Styles until such time as he can be bothered to be a husband to her! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRyOS99mts&feature=related See for yourself]].

** Also in 2005, he threatened BookerT's wife, Sharmell Sullivan, by saying he wanted to have "bestiality sex" with her. Sharmell, like her husband, is black. [[UnfortunateImplications Bestiality is having sex with animals.]]

* [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead Wearing A Flag As A Wrestling Attire]]

* AmbiguouslyGay: Kurt's had... strange interactions with a lot of wrestlers, namely ReyMysterio, who he called a boy and said he was going to manhandle, and BrockLesnar who actually kissed him.

* AllAmericanFace: Played straight when he's a face, subverted when he's a heel.

'''Kurt Angle''' is a professional wrestler who currently wrestles for {{TNA}}, but made his name during a seven-year tenure in {{WWE}}, where he was referred to as "professional wrestling's only Olympic gold medalist" (which is legit; he won gold medals for wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics [[CatchPhrase WITH A BROKEN]] [[{{Memes/ProfessionalWrestling}} FREAKIN' NECK!]]).

* TheAce: ''Oh it's true! It's damn true!''

* ArchEnemy: ChrisBenoit, BrockLesnar, StoneColdSteveAustin, [[DwayneJohnson The Rock]], EddieGuerrero, {{Wrestler/Sting}}, {{Jeff Jarrett}}.

** Endured several brutal attacks from StoneColdSteveAustin, including kicking out of three Stone Cold Stunners at SummerSlam 2001 and taking a piledriver on the concrete floor on the ''[[WWESmackdown SmackDown]]'' before ''Unforgiven'' 2001.
** Holding off neck surgery to compete at ''{{WrestleMania}} XIX''.

* GameBreakingInjury: His Ankle Lock FinishingMove. Though he did not invent it (Ken Shamrock used that move during his WWF run between 1998-1999), he made it popular. He would fall victim to the Angle Lock himself during a Wrestlemania match with ChrisBenoit, although he in turn caught Benoit with the Crippler Crossface, which was ''Benoit'''s FinishingMove.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Trusted HulkHogan when he said that Dixie Carter was aware of his wife's cheating ways. Yeah, that's right, he's trusting the ManipulativeBastard who screwed Dixie out of her company, has a vendetta against {{Wrestler/Sting}}, kept KurtAngle away from the title and employed the Jarretts to ''aid'' in his conspiracy, and is the present BigBad of the company who'd have every reason to make him hate Dixie Carter (who it's been acknowledged on-air ''suspended JeffJarrett from power'' upon learning about the affair) and join Immortal. Well, since Sting became DangerouslyGenreSavvy, someone has to be GenreBlind...

* ImportantHaircut: Combined with GrowingTheBeard after he stopped wearing wigs to hide it.

* [[{{Memes/ProfessionalWrestling}} Memetic Mutation]] / MemeticBadass: Angle can do anything "[[HandicappedBadass with a broken freakin' neck!]]"

** This is an understandably large point of pride both for his character and in real life.

* WrestlingPsychology: Fans go back and forth over how good he actually is at this. He's technically brilliant, but his more formula matches devolve into reversal-fests.

** At the 2003 ''No Way Out'' pay-per-view (which was taking place in Montreal, Quebec), he insulted Canadians in general and ChrisBenoit and {{Edge}} in particular, mocking their French heritage [[DidNotDoTheResearch (although Edge is Anglo-Canadian, and has insulted French Canadians himself)]] in the CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys idiom. [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece Extremely common at the time]].

** One bizarre segment had Kurt Angle stumbling upon his then-wife, Karen, canoodling on a couch with AJStyles. Angle jumps to the conclusion that Karen has come to try to win him back. She denies this but Angle angrily tells her that so long as he's with SamoaJoe (as tag team partners, that is) that their marriage is on hold. He then chases Karen into Styles' arms. The whole thing comes across as Angle leaving his own wife in the tender loving care of AJ Styles until such time as he can be bothered to be a husband to her! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRyOS99mts&feature=related See for yourself]].

* {{A Hero To His Hometown}} of Pittsburgh, always