Kurt Angle has firmly settled into his role as general manager on Monday Night RAW after his grand re-entry into the WWE Universe during the first televised show after WrestleMania. Shortly before that, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a part of the 2017 class.

So many fans were anticipating an appearance from The Olympic Hero at the Ultimate Thrill Ride, but despite him being absent, the moment was well worth the wait. An 11-year absence from the company has only made the fan response to the move more intense over time.

He spent some time with TNA and Impact over the years a huge marquee star, mostly due to his long run with the WWE. He also had to attend to some personal matters that likely had to be resolved before he could return to the organisation in earnest.

One new possibility that no one had considered was revealed by the Olympic Gold Medalist on Chris Jericho’s podcast recently. The two had a conversation about whether or not he had ever considered the UFC as a viable career path.

Angle explained: “I did talk to Dana White in 2006 and 2010. I flew out and met with him both times. The issue was, first of all, we couldn’t get a starting date. He wanted me ready in four-and-a-half weeks in one fight, which was not going to happen.

“The severe neck injuries I’ve had, I couldn’t get into The Octagon. I’d get embarrassed. And it wouldn’t be knockouts and stuff. It’d be, they’d get ahold of my arm and rip it off because I don’t have the strength to protect myself. So I never really decided to do it.”

Having a one-on-one conversation with White is usually the quickest way to get into the UFC, especially when you are personally requested by the head man himself. As Angle pointed out, the time-frame laid out would have been really hard to overcome for the former superstar.

During his time with the WWE, The Olympic Hero broke his neck multiple time in the span of two years and that level of rehab makes it hard to build the strength necessary to compete with MMA fighters at the highest level of their sport.

Later in the interview, Angle does say that he thinks he could have been successful in MMA if he had started in his prime rather than considering it later in his career. Judging by how that went for CM Punk, staying in sports entertainment was probably a smart move.