Kurt Angle

Who is Kurt Angle?

Kurt Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and actor. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He is also known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, and for being the only Olympic gold medalist in the history of professional wrestling.

Angle was involved in amateur wrestling during both high school and college. In college at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, he won numerous accolades, including being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I champion. After graduating, he won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships. Angle then competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he won a gold medal in heavyweight freestyle wrestling. He is one of only four people to complete a Grand Slam in amateur wrestling. He was named the greatest shoot wrestler and one of the top 15 college wrestlers of all time by USA Wrestling.

Initially turning down an offer to join the World Wrestling Federation, Angle signed a multi-year contract with the company in 1998, and made his debut the following March. His first big push in the company was in February 2000, when he held both the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship at the same time. A few months later he won the King of the Ring tournament. Not long after, Angle began pursuing the WWF Championship, which he went on to win later in the year, capping off a rookie year which the company has referred to as the greatest in WWE history. He continued to be a part of main event matches until August 2006, when Angle was granted a release from his contract. Throughout his tenure in the company, he was a six-time world champion, he also held the United States Championship, Intercontinental Championship, European Championship, Hardcore Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship once each. In addition, he was the winner of the King of the Ring tournament in 2000, the tenth Triple Crown Champion, and the fifth Grand Slam Champion. Professional wrestlers and critics alike have cited Angle to be one of the most decorated and technically gifted in the history of the sport.