“A ‘Rocky’ type feel,” WWE Hall of Famer reveals his inspiring Olympic journey is being adapted into a film
WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling veteran reveals his story of winning an Olympic gold medal 18 years ago is being turned into a movie.
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Kurt Angle reveals upcoming movie about his Olympic journey (via WWE and @therealkurtangle/Instagram)
Kurt Angle is one of the most well-known names in both amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. The American Hero became one of the best in-ring workers of all time after winning an Olympic gold medal with a ‘broken freakin’ neck.’ His inspiring story may soon reach mass audiences as it is in the process of turning into a movie.
Speaking on WFAN with Danielle McCartan, Angle revealed that a movie about his Olympic career would soon be released. The story highlights his journey as a kid who grows up in Pittsburgh and finds himself winning first prize on the biggest sporting stage in the world. The movie will have a similar feel to that of the Rocky series, with elements of Iron Claw and The Fighter.
I got a movie going on. Really proud of this. It’s a really great story. It’s about a kid from the streets of Pittsburgh who overcomes all these obstacles, including a broken neck, to win the Olympic gold medal… They want this movie to be like a ‘Rocky’ type feel with a little bit of ‘The Fighter’ and ‘Iron Claw’ mixed in.
Kurt Angle via WFAN with Danielle McCartan
Rather than being a movie on a streaming platform, the team behind the film is planning to release it in theatres. Angle himself will also be involved in the movie’s production. The former WWE Champion himself has appeared in several movies and TV shows over the years.
It should be noted that the film is still in its early stages. While the script has been finalized, they are still looking for investors for the movie. The cast for the movie will be chosen after this process. Apparently, Kurt Angle and others involved in the process already have some names in mind to bring his story to the big screen.
The story behind Kurt Angle winning a gold medal with a broken neck at the 1996 Olympic Games
Kurt Angle began training for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Trials in 1995. His coach, David Schultz, was murdered during his practice for the trials. Regardless, the wrestling legend went on to participate in the trials, where he faced further hardships. He fractured two of his cervical vertebrae, herniated two discs, and pulled four muscles.
Angle was still selected for the USA wrestling team despite the injuries. He went on to represent his country at the Olympics after five months of recovery and rehabilitation. However, he was still in immense pain throughout all his matches. The 55-year-old had to take several pain-reducing injections in his neck before all his matches. However, the pain would worsen each time he wrestled a match. He even became temporarily addicted to the analgesic Vicodin during this time.
Angle transitioned into a career in professional wrestling in 1998 and saw immense success after joining WWF. He became a 6x World Champion and put on classic matches against the likes of Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar, and Chris Benoit.
Eventually, Angle left WWE for TNA in 2006 due to having no choice. However, he has stated that he would not mind returning to WWE as a manager, despite having previously turned down the role of managing Matt Riddle.
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Mokshit Batra
(1355 Articles Published)