Kurt Angle Criticizes The Way Wrestling Matches Have Changed

Nothing is ever going to please everyone. That's as true in professional wrestling as it is anywhere else. And one thing that seems unlikely to ever end is folks from an earlier time pointing out differences between what they did before and how it's being done today. WWE Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle was of course best-known for his technical ability inside the ring. Recently, Angle discussed his match against Chris Benoit at Royal Rumble 2003, which not only included a submission victory but a healthy dose of mat and chain wrestling as well, something he believes the business has gradually lost sight of over time.

"The business has changed," Angle said on "The Kurt Angle Show." "It's about stunts now. These guys are doing high spots" such as flips, moonsaults, and diving outside of the ring head-first. That said, he has nothing against any of that, saying "It's all good, it's great. It's entertaining." That makes sense, since Angle would occasionally take to the air with a breathtaking moonsault of his own. But his problem with all of today's high-risk work lies within longevity, believing that it's only a matter of time until those stunts catch up with your body.

"How long are you going to do that? How many times are you going to do it before you get injured?" he continued. "Doing the chain wrestling and submission trade-offs is a lot safer, and the fans actually love it," noting that it's all about telling an engaging story. Angle, who went through numerous injuries over the course of his career, feels that his time in-ring would've been much shorter had he incorporated more high-flying and high-risk work into his matches. "I'd be in a wheelchair right now," he declared.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Kurt Angle Show" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.