Kurt Angle Says WWE Tried To Make Huge Dream Match Happen

Two of professional wrestling's greatest grapplers once wanted to square off on the biggest stage, but they weren't able to go through with the match. Kurt Angle revealed this week that he once chased down one of pro wrestling's ultimate dream matches for a WrestleMania, but it wasn't possible in the end because of his opponent's health. Angle took questions about his decorated pro wrestling career, which included 13 world championships and an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017, at a virtual signing with K&S WrestleFest this past Sunday morning.

During the Q&A session, Angle was told that Bret Hart recently said during his own K&S WrestleFest signing that one of his regrets was never getting to wrestle Angle in his prime. Angle and Hart are widely regarded as two of the best technical and submission wrestlers in pro wrestling history, with their respective Sharpshooter and Ankle Lock holds becoming two of the most well-known finishers in the business.

But the two wrestlers' careers passed like ships in the night: Hart's career suddenly slowed down after he received a severe concussion during a match with Goldberg at WCW's Starrcade event in 1999 and then he had a stroke in 2002. Angle debuted in the WWF in November 1999 and began getting involved in the main event scene the next year, winning the WWE Championship from The Rock. "I wanted to get him at Mania, but by then with his stroke and him getting a concussion and everything it just wasn't going to work," Angle said, although he didn't clarify which WrestleMania he was referencing. Alas, in the age of pro wrestling dream matches, Angle vs. Hart is one that must remain left up to fans' imaginations.