"They wouldn't let me wrestle" - 12-time world champion explains what went wrong with his final WWE run

Many veterans and legends have returned to WWE for a final run in the promotion before they retire from active competition. However, sometimes these runs don't go as expected. Recently, Kurt Angle addressed what went wrong with his final run.

In 2017, Kurt Angle made his long-awaited return to the Stamford-based promotion and immediately entered the WWE Hall of Fame. Later, Vince McMahon made him the General Manager of Monday Night RAW before he returned to in-ring competition as a performer in the company.

During an appearance on Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the former IWGP, WCW, four-time WWE, and six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion detailed what went wrong in his final run and believes the management should've made him compete, followed by an on-screen role and finally the Hall of Fame induction. Instead, the management did the opposite.

"When I came back, I paid the price, man. I was losing left and right and doing jobs. At one point, they wouldn't even have me wrestle; they wouldn't let me wrestle. I think they thought of me as a liability because they inducted me into the Hall of Fame first, which I expected them to do that at last. Then they made me General Manager for nine months, and then they started having me wrestle. So they did everything the opposite way," Angle said.

He added:

"I'm not sure why, but whenever I wrestled, I lost 95% of the matches. They didn't have any plans to put the title on me; nothing. I was wrestling extremely well when I went there, but when I got there and became the GM for nine months, I was inactive for the whole nine months. When I got in the ring eventually, I wasn't the same person," Angle explained. (From 48:02 to 49:00)

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WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle reveals reason behind early retirement

A few years ago, Kurt Angle wanted to end his career on a high note when he left TNA Wrestling and returned to WWE for a final run. However, it didn't go as planned, and the veteran rode into the sunset after his match at WrestleMania 35 against Baron Corbin.

Unfortunately, that's not how the world champion wanted to go. In an interview with WrestleZone, the 56-year-old star stated he didn't like his run with the WWE in 2017, as he lost a step and took early retirement because of how he looked on television as a performer.

"Don't get me wrong, the WWE career was great too, but me coming back in 2017, I don't even count that because by then I lost a step and I wasn't the same person, and the reason why I retired early is because I looked at myself on television. I was like, 'This looks like an old man wrestling,' and I didn't like what I saw," Angle said.

Kurt Angle is done with wrestling and has no interest in returning to the ring.

If you use quotes from the first half, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and add an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.