It seems as though rumors on what will happen with the upcoming draft in July are coming as often and are as wide spread as NBA trade rumors. With some of the rumors that have been going around though, hopefully we will see a higher accuracy rate than we do with NBA rumors.
We have heard “reports” on titles that may be added to the mix, an increased number of pay per view shows, and the return of several veterans to help fill out the two rosters.
The list of wrestlers rumored to have been reached out to by WWE officials reads like a list of a potential Hall of Fame class. The list includes former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, former World Heavyweight 
Champion Goldberg (which would make sense with Goldberg gracing the cover of WWE 2K17 this year), and quite possibly the most exciting name on this list and one that the WWE Universe has been waiting to see return – Kurt Angle.
To those who are reading this that are newer members of the WWE Universe, simply put, you missed out! Angle could do it all! He was nearly flawless in the ring – something you would probably expect from an Olympic gold medalist. Angle gave us countless Match of the Year candidates during his WWE run – most notably, to me, his epic and somewhat underrated classic against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21.
Outside of the ring, he was one of the most entertaining characters this business has ever seen. He could give you the intense promo to get you ready for a main event championship pay per view match. And he could also make you laugh through the commercial break. Angle standing in the middle of Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin rocking a toy cowboy hate made for a seven year old
is an image that will be etched in our memory for a very long time! Not to mention the 2003 rap battles against John Cena.
Angle left WWE in 2006 and went to TNA shortly thereafter. He would be the centerpiece of the biggest rise the company would see early this decade. More recently though, Angle has been pretty much the only reason to watch TNA programming. He got out at the right time!
But as for now, how would you go about setting up the return of one of WWE’s greatest superstars?
Well, I’m glad you asked!
During Rusev’s undefeated run when he first debuted, he was given a medal as a Hero of the Russian Federation that we proudly wore to the ring with him. He wore a medal down to the ring…see where I’m going with this? Unfortunately my initial predictions of a 2015 Angle return and a WrestleMania 31 match with the Bulgarian Brute proved to be incorrect.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2016…you know…now. Draft Day is July 19. Shortly being drafted to a show (for the sake of this piece, let’s just say Rusev goes to Raw). A few “rounds” later, Rusev has a match that he just dominates in. After the match, Rusev grabs the mic and proclaims that there is no American that can stop him or man enough to take the US Title from him.
Cue that glorious Olympic based music we have been longing to hear!
Angle comes out to the stage, stares down Rusev, looks at the Raw general manager and simply says “I’m available to be drafted.” Angle goes to Raw with Rusev and we have what would be an amazing US Championship match at SummerSlam.
Whether it is coincidental or not, Rusev has been booked stronger in the last few months than he has in the last year. This build puts him back to a level where a high-profile match against a top name like Angle would make sense.
The reports coming out is that both Angle and WWE would like Angle to work with the younger guys, especially the recent NXT call ups. After the program with Rusev, imagine the instant classics that we would be treated to with Angle going up against the likes of Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura!
However you want to look at it, a Kurt Angle return is long overdue. Now would be the perfect time for the Olympic gold medalist to make his return and end his in-ring career against what could be some of the best competition he has seen.
Seeing Kurt Angle return would generate a pop that would be the biggest since Shane McMahon returned in February – It’s True…It’s True!
