You've got to stay in pretty good shape to be a pro wrestler, and all the TNA wrestlers get a bit nervous when I wrestle them because they're afraid I'll tire them out, but the Olympics is a whole different level. Kurt Angle afraidbitegood share on social
I'm not going to be a guy that retires and keeps coming back. When I'm gone, I'm gone. Same thing as amateur wrestling; when I won the world championships in Olympics, I left and I never went back. Same for pro. Kurt Angle amateurbackchampionship share on social
Amateur wrestling, you can go by instinct. Pro wrestling, you have to memorize, and you have to go by what moves you said you were going to do. Sometimes you have to feel the crowd and do the moves at the right time and know the timing and tell a good story. Kurt Angle amateurcrowdfeel share on social
It took me a few years to explain to my colleagues and my mentors and the people that I looked up to and I wrestled that I'm not in wrestling anymore. I'm in sports entertainment. Pro' wrestling doesn't mean that we're saying we're a step up above amateur wrestling, because there's nothing above Olympic wrestling. Kurt Angle amateuranymorecolleague share on social
I'm in professional wrestling, which is what I do for a living. I coordinate stunts. I memorize them. Kurt Angle coordinatelivememorize Change image and share on social
The hard part for me was being an Olympic gold medalist and having that persona; you don't see too many Olympic gold medalists go into acting. It's actually even more difficult. You're not taken very seriously, and you're looked at in a different light, so it was kind of hard for me to go straight from Olympics into acting. Kurt Angle actdifficultgold share on social
I teased Randy Orton because he started using my finish, the Angle Slam. I said, 'Hey, I don't mind you using it, but at least give it a name.' When he hits it, the announcers just say, 'Well, he just hit that... thing.' Kurt Angle angleannouncerfinish share on social
The cool thing about pro wrestling is we do a lot more acting as far as characters in general than MMA. I know a lot of people like the MMA fighters because they like the rugged look. Kurt Angle actcharactercool Change image and share on social
Pro wrestling is not fake; it's sports entertainment. We go out there and we perform, and a lot of what we do out there is real, but we're not going to insult anyone's intelligence - there is a predetermined winner. It's just the fans don't know who it is, and that's what makes it so intriguing. Kurt Angle entertainmentfakefan share on social
I love Vince McMahon. He came up with the Kurt Angle character. He ran with it, and then I was able to run with it. I thank him for the opportunity he gave me. Vince McMahon was one of my best friends, period. Kurt Angle anglecharacterfriend share on social