5 SmackDown GMs and why WWE had to let them go

#3 Kurt Angle

WWE got the most it could out of Kurt Angle when he was hurt.

Kurt Angle is best remembered for his in-ring work as a WWE star. He rode his Olympic gold medal credential to a hellacious heel run for the second half of the Attitude Era and then became a defining star of the era to follow as he was one of the few Attitude main eventers to stay on full time for the five years to follow.

Angle did have one brief period when he was not a wrestler. Instead, he was the GM of SmackDown. It was a strategic move to keep an injured Angle, as arguably the most over the star on his brand, in the public eye, with his personality shining brightly on the mic when he couldn’t work in the ring. The move proved wise as it kept Angle fresh in the minds of the audience members so he could slide right back into the main event picture when his body allowed him back in the ring.

Little did fans know that the SmackDown GM stint would also serve as preparation for the role Angle would settle into over a decade later as the GM of Raw.