Kurt Angle Believes His TNA Wrestling Career Was Superior to WWE Stint

Kurt Angle, a decorated professional wrestler and Olympic gold medalist, has stated that he believes his career in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) surpassed his tenure in WWE. Angle, who is a six-time world champion in WWE and a six-time world champion in TNA, shared his perspective in a recent interview.

"To be honest with you, I had an incredible career in both WWE and TNA and I believe that I had a better career in TNA," Angle told OutKick. He expressed a desire for more WWE fans to have witnessed his TNA performances, acknowledging that while TNA has a global following, it historically remained a distant second to WWE in the United States, especially before the emergence of AEW.

Angle highlighted several key rivalries and matches from his time in TNA, particularly those against Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. He pointed to these bouts as essential viewing for fans unfamiliar with his work in the promotion. "Any match with Samoa Joe or AJ Styles," he recommended, specifically mentioning his debut match against Samoa Joe, which he recalled as a highly physical and enjoyable contest.

Angle also lauded TNA's creative approach to pay-per-view events, noting unique match types such as the King of the Mountain match, a contest where competitors aim to hang a title belt on a hook above the ring. He suggested that WWE could benefit from incorporating similar creative elements.

"I'm surprised it hasn't already," Angle said regarding TNA's unique match concepts potentially appearing in WWE. "WWE got really creative at a certain point in time where they were doing some really cool stuff. And it would be great advice to the WWE to use some of those things."

Angle was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2013. TNA is scheduled to induct ODB, Amazing Red, and Konnan into its Hall of Fame in October at its Bound for Glory pay-per-view event.