Classic Bite Commentary - September 26th, 2006

(2021 Update: Unearthed from the archives for the first time, a previously unpublished Bite commentary, found among other things that I thought had been lost forever.)

Hey, kids. I wanted to get this out sooner, but I needed a day or two to process things and, really, I'm not sure if I want to spend this column talking about anything else since there is only one piece of business.

So, by now, most of you have probably heard that Total Nonstop Action wrestling has signed Kurt Angle to a contract. Kurt Angle, as some might be aware, had left WWE due to health issues and there have been various news and rumors regarding the somewhat fragile nature of the former Olympian's health. Like I said on the blog, I figured that it would be a matter of time before TNA would've signed Kurt Angle - they sign every WWE reject under the sun. What surprised me was that they would do it this soon, when word of Angle's health has been the topic of debate.

I don't claim to know anything behind the scenes beyond what has been put out to the masses through the various wrestling sites. Whether reports of Angle's health is exaggerated or not is not something that I would know. All I know is that going by what's out there, it's clear that Angle has some shit he needs to deal with and some time off would probably help him figure things out. This signing by TNA is going to raise some eyebrows and prove somewhat controversial.

TNA fans are no doubt shitting themselves over the prospects of another WWE guy in their ranks and gleefully wondering what kind of bullets Vince must be shitting over this news. Some fans are probably pissed at TNA for signing a guy who is reportedly in such a fragile state that the last thing he needs.

My thoughts are...somewhat uncleared.

Yes, I do believe it's too soon for Angle to go back to wrestling. I do feel like he could have benefitted from some time off, heal his body and mind a bit, and then when he was ready and good to go, he can go do whatever he wants. The last thing I want to see is another wrestling making stupid decisions that could end up costing him his life, whether it'd be the drugs outside the ring or as a result of a match gone wrong. Wrestling is a dangerous endeavor even under the best of conditions and for someone who might not be at that level, it can go sour really quickly.

Now, with that having been said, Kurt Angle in TNA could prove mighty interesting and could very well be the boost they need. Yes, they have signed former WWE stars and such, but Kurt Angle was a big star in WWE. Not as big as Austin or the Rock, but he was a big name with marquee value and most of all - provided his body holds up - he can still go and have great main event matches to try and put over the homegrown talent to turn them into potential big stars... assuming TNA would want to do so.

So long as he doesn't kill himself in the process, I'm looking forward to seeing what TNA does with Kurt Angle. Hopefully, it ends up being more than having him lose to Jeff Jarrett and flounder in the mid-card forever. He could've stayed in WWE for that, man. But... who knows? Maybe TNA has a shot at being that competitor to WWE that everyone claimed it was. Maybe it has a shot at dethroning McWrestling off its perch.

Maybe... I'm just tired and that's why I'm speaking gibberish.

Good night.