Kurt Angle Signs with TNA

For four years now the TNA wrestling promotion has been second fiddle to World Wrestling Entertainment. While TNA is still the number two promotion in North America by a wide margin they may have made their biggest step towards catching the WWE. At TNA's No Surrender pay per view on Sunday TNA announced the signing of Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle is one of the top names in pro wrestling and possibly the best pure wrestler in the World.

TNA went through a lot to keep the Kurt Angle announcement a secret. Most of the wrestlers at the show did not even know Kurt Angle was signed and the few wrestlers that were in the loop were forced to sign confidentiality agreements so they wouldn't tell anyone. TNA has been in talks with Kurt Angle since the very second that Kurt Angle was released from the WWE but Kurt Angle's manager has been saying that Kurt would not have any interest in going to TNA in order to throw everyone off. TNA even went through some extreme measures to make sure nobody on the crew found out. They asked Kurt Angle to come to Universal Studios to film the vignette that was shown at the No Surrender pay per view. In order to keep it a secret from the crew, the crew was brought in, they set up the ring, and then the entire building was cleared out so that when Kurt Angle arrived it was just him and the camera men. TNA shot about 8 hours worth of footage of Kurt Angle doing promos, in ring action and other things. After they were done shooting Kurt Angle left, and then TNA management called the ring crew to come back and take the ring down. Just in case the crew had seen something they were forced to sign confidentiality agreements also.

TNA has already had several quotes from management and their wrestlers put up on the TNA webpage, talking about how much an impact the signing of Kurt Angle will have. However, the most interesting comments came from Kurt himself. TNA Owner Dixie Carter just wanted a brief message from Kurt Angle, but Kurt decided to write a note and asked Dixie to put it on the webpage. The note reads:

"Being with TNA feels like I have finally found my home. I had fun in WWE at certain times, but I was never really happy. Now being a part of TNA, I know I have a purpose. I feel like I am part of history, part of a company that is not only on the rise - not only going to be the number-one watched wrestling show in the world within a short period of time - but TNA gives me an opportunity to spread my wings. This company has no limits to where it can go. The sky is the limit and the main reason is because they brought the "real" back into wrestling and that is a perfect fit for the greatest wrestler in USA Olympic history. I have room to grow here and to help TNA grow. Working for these caring and very giving employers of TNA makes me feel like I have a purpose and that the sky is the limit. I don't feel trapped or held back like I did the first six years in my tenure with the other company. They held me back. Now, our wonderful audience will see the real Kurt Angle doing what I love to do - real wrestling - and that's what puts a smile on my face each time I come to work. I even smile when I think about it. TNA will be the most watched television show on cable television. It's only a matter of time. Now, I get the opportunity and privilege of being a part of it. Thank you TNA for saving my career, my life and my desire to do what I love. I will be here in some capacity for the rest of my life. That's real…that's damn real." - Kurt Angle

As Kurt Angle reference in his note, he won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics and is the only gold medal wrestler in pro wrestling. In October 1998, Angle signed a five year contract with the WWE and made his in-ring debut in November of 1999. Kurt Angle went on to win the European Title, Intercontinental Title, the WWE Tag Team Championship and the WWE Championship making him the fourth Grand Slam Champion in WWE history, an accomplishment that even greats such as Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart have never earned. The signing of Kurt Angle is easily TNA's biggest acquisition in their four year history. Previously TNA's two biggest signings were another former WWE wrestler Christian Cage and former WCW Champion Sting. However, Christian Cage never reached the main event in WWE like Kurt Angle has and Sting is past his prime. With Kurt Angle they get a huge name, someone who has main-evented Wrestlemania, and someone who can still compete better than most of the guys on the roster. With some name talent like Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Sting, and Jeff Jarrett and some of the biggest rising stars in the industry like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Christopher Daniels TNA could be on their way to being serious competition for the WWE.