WWE Legend Kurt Angle Admits Hating When Fans Ask About The ‘Perc Angle’ Era

WWE Hall of Famer and TNA legend Kurt Angle has an issue with the nickname “Perc Angle,” one he earned when his life was spiraling out of control behind the scenes.

Kurt Angle had a slew of unforgettable nicknames during his wrestling career. His most noteworthy accolade was being an Olympic Gold Medalist, so when he made the transition to WWE (then WWF), he immediately became known as “Your Olympic Hero” and the “Most Celebrated Real Athlete in WWF History.”

Related: Kurt Angle Criticizes WWE For Baron Corbin’s Booking And Recent Release: ‘I Lost To Him For Nothing’

Along the way, he picked up the extra monikers “The Wrestling Machine” and “The Cyborg,” which he carried with him through his long stretch with TNA Wrestling. However, he had one other that caught on during that time, and it was bittersweet for him.

Based on the personal problems and substance issues fans knew Angle was dealing with back then, they began calling him “Perc Angle,” as in the pill Percocet. As far as metaphorical pills go, the name was a tough one for him to swallow, although he sees the endearment behind it.

Kurt Angle explains distaste for ‘Perc Angle’ nickname

“It’s almost like they want me to feel good about it. The fans are having fun with it because I was the best wrestler in the business. They want to say, ‘Kurt Angle was Perc Angle, that’s why he was doing it’,” he said in an interview with Chris Van Vliet (h/t Cinema Blend).

But, he swears his in-ring performances against the likes of Samoa Joe and AJ Styles were never fueled or hindered by his self-medicating pain. “The thing is, I didn’t use painkillers when I was wrestling. I did them in the morning, and then at night, I would wrestle, and then I did painkillers after I got done wrestling. So, I never wrestled high,” Angle continued.

“You can’t wrestle messed up. It’s going to be sloppy. You’ve seen people in the past that have wrestled high,” he explained, “you can’t do that. It’s almost impossible, especially to have a good match. You have to be sober, or you’re not going to have a good match.”

Angle would have stellar matches in TNA with a variety of opponents even as he wrestled through mounting injuries. After facing Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre on multiple occasions in a farewell tour of sorts, he returned to WWE for his HOF induction and his final match at WrestleMania against Baron Corbin.

Related: Kurt Angle Claims WWE Punished The Olympic Gold Medalist For Joining TNA During Final Run

After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos
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