After much exhaustion and chaos as a professional wrestler, Kurt Angle retired back in 2019 at WrestleMania 35. However, his relationship with WWE had a major fallout when he threatened Vince McMahon with a medication overdose back in 2006.
Highlighting the kind of vulnerable relationship he had with Vince McMahon before he transitioned to TNA during an interview at the Six Feet Under podcast with The Undertaker, Angle shared:
I looked at Vince I said listen… I’m sorry, but if you don’t let me go I think I’m going to k* myself. I didn’t mean commit s, I meant I’m going to overdose on pills. Vince said you’re released.
These remarks from Kurt Angle unveil the intimate realities of superstars under the Vince McMahon era.
Kurt Angle’s Last Match as a WWE Superstar
Following the fallout between Angle and the former head of WWE, Vince McMahon, he was immediately released in 2006 (via WWE). Following his release, the Olympic medalist transitioned to TNA in October 2006. His debut match for the promotion was against Samoa Joe, who was undefeated at that point.
Considered as one of the most consequential storylines in TNA history, it laid the foundation of Kurt Angle’s remarkable career in TNA. A table illustrating his success in TNA and WWE is as follows.
| Championship / Accomplishment in TNA and WWE | Details |
| TNA World Heavyweight Championship | First-ever champion; held 6 times (record-setting) |
| TNA X Division Championship | Held 1 time |
| TNA World Tag Team Championship | Held 1 time (with Sting) |
| TNA King of the Mountain Match Wins | 2-time winner |
| WWE Championship | Won 4-times |
| World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) | Won 1-time |
| WCW Championship | Won 1-time |
| Unique Achievement | Only wrestler to win WWE, World Heavyweight, WCW, and TNA World Championships |
The remarkable run Angle had in TNA was recognized when he was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2013, making him the second inductee in the organization’s history.
However, the Olympic medalist left TNA after his contract expired in September 2014. After a 3-year hiatus from professional wrestling, Kurt Angle made a return to his home promotion as a professional wrestler in 2017; however, his second run as a WWE superstar was not as impressive as his previous one.
Kurt Angle had evidently lost his flair with age and the injuries that he suffered during the course of his career. His last match as a WWE superstar was against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. Although the ‘Olympic medalist’ lost this encounter at the grandest stage of WrestleMania, the career and the remarkable moment he created are still fresh in the minds and hearts of fans and critics alike.
Angle continues to have an indelible mark in WWE history, so much so that John Cena, during his final appearance on SmackDown, used his signature moves to pay homemade to one of the most consequential names in professional wrestling.
The fact that Angle wanted to overdose on painkillers back in 2006 reveals the problematic aspects of WWE superstars during Vince McMahon’s era. While the Olympic medalist was fortunate enough to move out of the WWE, several WWE superstars were not as lucky as they ended up taking the ultimate decision for their life due to the kind of atmosphere inside the locker room and beyond.
From Chris Benoit to Ashley Massaro: WWE Superstars Who Took Their Own Life
While Kurt Angle was released in 2006 due to the kind of issues he was facing back then as a WWE superstar, others were not so fortunate. One of the most notable names in this regard is that of Chris Benoit, the former WWE sensation. The unfortunate cases of Chris Benoit and, later on, Ashley Massaro reveal the dark realities of what happens behind the scenes in the WWE.
Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, on June 22, 2007, and she was asphyxiated to death. Her body was discovered wrapped in a towel in a family room upstairs. A Bible was placed beside her body, and she was bound at the wrists and ankles. Benoit killed his son Daniel by asphyxiation a day later. A Bible was discovered beside Daniel’s body in his bed.
After Chris Benoit’s death, an analysis of his brain was conducted by doctors affiliated with the Sports Legacy Institute (now the Concussion Legacy Foundation). As reported by ESPN, the study suggested that Benoit had suffered from multiple concussions throughout his professional wrestling career.
Professional wrestler Chris Benoit’s intro theme. On June 22, 2007, Benoit killed his wife at their home, then his 7-year-old son the following day, before committing su*cide on June 24.
Following the incident, research indicated that depression and chronic traumatic… pic.twitter.com/9GgmUwuaYO
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) September 13, 2024
The level of brain damage found in Benoit’s brain, which was described as resembling that of an 80-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease, was attributed to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This degenerative brain disease, caused by repeated head trauma, can lead to symptoms such as depression, irrational behavior, and problems with impulse control and aggression. However, Vince McMahon refused to accept these allegations.
Ashley Massaro, the WWE superstar who died of unforeseen circumstances, also became a victim of these conditions back in 2019. She was part of a lawsuit filed by her along with 60 other former WWE superstars, where it was alleged that the company failed to protect its employees from repeated head trauma and concussions that eventually developed into long-term brain damage.
Eventually, she also filed sexual assault allegations against Vince McMahon, which were recently confirmed by former WWE writer Dan St. Germain. During an interview with Bein’ Ian with Jordan Jensen podcast, the former WWE writer unveiled an incident where McMahon made s*xual advances towards Massaro in front of other WWE wrestlers and personnel while on a plane ride during a WWE European tour.
St. German claims that after the plane touched down at the destination of the tour, Vince McMahon ordered everyone to leave, except Ashley Massaro and himself. St. German then went on to claim that McMahon and Massaro had s*x on the plane, providing explicit details as the wrestlers headed to the tarmac.
The details of the horrific story between Vince McMahon and Ashley Massaro reveal the kind of treatment wrestlers were subjected to under Vince McMahon. While Kurt Angle got away with it, the details of his incident and several other wrestlers’ imply that there is a growing need for some serious action against executives and regulations related to mental health so that such incidents may never happen to any other wrestler in the future.
What are your thoughts on Kurt Angle’s comments and cases of s*icide in the WWE? Share with us in the comments below.
