WWE News: Kurt Angle reveals which WWE Superstar inspired him the most

What's the story?

Well, Kurt Angle is undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. An Olympic gold medallist who successfully transitioned into sports entertainment and now boasts another accomplishment in being a WWE Hall of Famer.

But who inspired the RAW General Manager the most? Well, he recently told Grappz the name of the wrestler he watched on TV the most before getting into the business.

In case you didn't know...

Well, at this point in time, there probably isn't a great deal you don't know about Kurt Angle so I'll keep this quick.

There aren't many people in WWE you would think the Olympic Gold Medallist would look up to. Not in a sense of arrogance, as he has always been very humble about his pro wrestling career, but just because of his incredible achievements.

I mean, there isn't a load Kurt Angle hasn't won. He held the WWE Championship four times, the World Heavyweight Championship, the WCW Championship, the Tag Team Championships with Chris Benoit, the Intercontinental Championship, the European Championship, the Hardcore Championship, the WCW United States Championship, and he even won the King of the Ring.

Kurt Angle was the fifth ever Grand Slam Champion and the tenth Triple Crown Champion. And that's just in WWE - he's also a six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and we're still just scratching the surface.

The heart of the matter

In an interview with Grappz, Angle opened up about who inspired him and how he got into the business - and his answer was none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin!

The Olympic Gold Medallist speaks about how Stone Cold had the fans in the palm of his hand but also had "very underrated" in-ring skills as well.

In the interview, Kurt also said he was inspired by The Rock and Triple H, but says Stone Cold was THE guy.

You can see the full clip below.

What professional wrestler do you think inspired me the most?https://t.co/E8crNnwirZ @Grappzofficial #Grappz #Notape #itstrue #WWE #inspiration pic.twitter.com/5eujQw2BZ3

— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) February 1, 2018

Kurt Angle and Stone Cold actually have a very storied history.

Kurt Angle and Stone cold shared the ring many times, and not just in competition

Well, it isn't a huge surprise to hear this, although the fact that Stone Cold was known more for being a larger than life character than a great technical wrestler may make Angle's revelation that bit more surprising to some.

Then again, maybe not. Angle was obviously confident in his actual wrestling ability. A good amateur background often sets you up for success in the pro wrestling business - and, well, "good" is a massive understatement when speaking about Kurt Angle as an amateur wrestler.

This isn't the first time Kurt Angle has spoken about Austin in high regard, though.

"I don't ever compare myself to Stone Cold - he is the guy who elevated wrestling to a level that nobody ever went before, but he enabled me to show my talents when he very well could have said no.

The current RAW GM even said it was a "no-brainer" for 'The Rattlesnake' to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame as they had several run-ins in WWE between 1998 and 2006, including one for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam in 2001. He was, of course, inducted by a man he paved the way for, John Cena.

What's next?

Well, Kurt Angle is still on television in a non-physical role. You can see him every Monday on WWE RAW, and you never know, after competing twice in WWE last year, we may even see a return to singles action before long.

Author's take

This is awesome to see. Kurt is a true pro and one of the best the business has ever seen. It's always great to see talented guys praise talented guys. Kurt Angle seems to be one of those people who had no ego and just fell in love with pro wrestling - so it's great to hear his insight about people he looked up to.

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