Marc Raimondi, ESPN Workforce Essayist
Kurt Angle were given on a aircraft in 2006 sure for Las Vegas. The previous Olympic wrestling gold medalist used to be probably about to embark on a pristine occupation trail. He used to be completing up upcoming an finest run with WWE that made him a chief nationwide title. And upcoming a decade in professional wrestling, Attitude used to be excited by leaping to MMA.
Attitude’s supervisor reached out to the UFC and promotion president Dana White flew Attitude out to Las Vegas to satisfy with him. The UFC put the wrestling celebrity up in a penthouse suite and rolled out the pink carpet for him. An deal used to be made throughout a gathering, however Attitude needed to flip it ailing.
Proper ahead of the assembly, Attitude signed a trade in with the wrestling promotion General Nonstop Motion (TNA). It will have let him compete in MMA {and professional} wrestling, if he so selected to take action. However the UFC used to be now not as versatile.
“Dana White would not let me wrestle and fight at the same time,” Attitude instructed ESPN. “And I didn’t want to go back to TNA and say, ‘Listen, that contract I just signed is null and void.'”
That used to be one among thrice Attitude mentioned the UFC had introduced him a oath, even though he by no means attempted his hand at MMA. Occasion he admits to all the time having that “what if” in his head, Attitude’s achievements in athletics can’t be overstated. He’s within the Nationwide Wrestling Corridor of Status and the WWE Corridor of Status. Attitude used to be an NCAA heavyweight champion and, after all, the 1996 Summer time Olympics gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, profitable the identify with a damaged neck.
A documentary on Attitude’s time will debut Sept. 2 on Peacock. He mentioned that it covers most commonly his beginner wrestling occupation and about “40 percent” of it’s about his run in WWE. Attitude used to be a four-time WWE champion and a Triple Crown champion, profitable the lead identify, the Intercontinental identify and the tag staff belts. However not anything may lead profitable the Olympics, Attitude mentioned.
“I want people to remember me as synonymous with the Olympic gold medal,” he mentioned.
Proper upcoming he gained the medal, Attitude mentioned, used to be the primary pace the UFC contacted him. Semaphore Leisure Workforce (SEG) owned the promotion at that pace. Zuffa, led through White, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, got the UFC in 2001. Again in 1996, the UFC used to be now not the multi-billion greenback corporate it’s now. Attitude mentioned he used to be introduced $150,000 to compete — however that used to be over the process a 15-fight oath.
“I love fighting, but I don’t love it that much to get my butt kicked for 15 grand [per fight],” Attitude mentioned with fun. “So, I decided to go to WWE and when I got there, I had so much success early on. And then UFC started becoming mainstream in the early 2000s, and this is when I was having a stellar career in WWE, winning world championships, beating The Rock for the world championship, beating ‘Stone Cold’ [Steve Austin] for the world championship. And I thought, ‘Man, I would love to fight, but I already had this great career going on right now.'”
Issues didn’t determine in 2006 because of his condition with TNA. But if he used to be carried out with that promotion, Attitude and the UFC spoke once more. There used to be a plan for Attitude to compete on The Terminating Fighter truth display in 2009, a season of heavyweights that incorporated the cult favourite Kimbo Slice. Attitude mentioned the UFC introduced him $500,000 to do the display, promising a UFC oath thereafter.
However Attitude used to be 41 years used through after and had damaged his neck 5 instances, together with 4 instances in a two-year stretch in WWE.
“I started training for it a little bit and I realized, ‘I’m past my prime, I can’t do this,'” Attitude mentioned. “So, I had to turn it down. But I’m very grateful for the offers Dana White gave me. He is an incredible person.”
White mentioned in 2011 that Attitude actually sought after to struggle within the UFC, particularly upcoming Attitude’s good friend and fellow beginner wrestling champion Brock Lesnar made the proceed and was heavyweight champion in 2008.
“We worked out a deal, he wanted do it [and] he didn’t pass the medicals,” White instructed newshounds again after.
Attitude and Lesnar knew each and every alternative really well. The 2 labored in combination ceaselessly in WWE. Early on, within the early 2000s, Attitude mentioned the 2 ended up tangling in an “impromptu” actual wrestling fit in a WWE ring ahead of a display. Lesnar used to be speaking some shiny trash behind the scenes and Attitude mentioned he challenged him to a fit. Next Lesnar used to be doing a little wrestling sparring with Paul “The Big Show” Wight ahead of a display, Attitude slipped into the hoop and the 2 went at it. Attitude mentioned it used to be very alike, however he took Lesnar ailing two times presen Lesnar didn’t speed him ailing.
“I was just proud that I was able to get in that ring with a 310-pounder when I weighed 215 and I was able to hold my ground with him,” Attitude mentioned.
In 2008, Attitude had an oblique have an effect on at the international of MMA. When standout beginner wrestler Daniel Cormier used to be completing up on the Olympic Coaching Middle upcoming being at the U.S. Worlds or Olympics staff six instances, he requested Attitude for recommendation on his occasion. Cormier were a pro-wrestling enthusiast since he used to be a kid in Lafayette, Louisiana. However MMA used to be starting up and Cormier cherished to compete. Cormier wasn’t certain if he will have to struggle to get into WWE or the UFC.
Attitude instructed him to do the true stuff first, to advance into MMA. He may all the time struggle professional wrestling upcoming. Cormier adopted Attitude’s steering and was a UFC heavyweight and shiny heavyweight champion — on the identical pace — the primary and most effective fighter to ever do so feat.
Cormier, now 44 years used, by no means ended up having a fit for WWE, even though he has made appearances. Attitude mentioned he would had been finest in that realm, too.
“He’s an entertainer, man,” Attitude mentioned of Cormier. “He’s, what would you call it? Click bait. This guy, he says stuff and the media picks it up. I think he would’ve been entertaining. I think his wrestling would have been incredible. I think Daniel would’ve had a stellar career [in WWE], probably equal to mine, I believe.”
Attitude would have most probably been super in MMA, if he had long gone in that path. Infrequently, he wonders what would have came about if he had taken the UFC up on any of the ones 3 trade in.
“Every once in a while, it gets to me,” Attitude mentioned. “And when I watch these fights, I’m like, ‘Gosh, man, I think I would’ve done pretty well in this. Seeing Brock Lesnar, my friend, be UFC champion and seeing Randy Couture, who I trained with for the Olympics, being UFC champion. It makes you question, did you do the right thing? But I look back and I say, ‘You know what? I had a pretty stellar career in pro wrestling.’ So, I can’t regret that.”
