Kurt Angle Announces He Will Have a ‘Farewell Match’ at WrestleMania

Angle made the announcement in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

Courtesy of WWE

Kurt Angle will say goodbye to WWE in a “farewell match” at WrestleMania this year, he announced Monday night on Raw. 

Angle, 50, made the announcement in his hometown of Pittsburgh before defeating Apollo Crews with his signature Angle Slam. 

“At WrestleMania, I will compete in my farewell match,” Angle said. “I’d like to thank the WWE. I’d like to thank every superstar I shared the locker room with. But most importantly, I’d like to thank each and every one of you. You made it so much fun for me. I literally had the time of my life.”

.@RealKurtAngle announces on #Raw that he will compete in his farewell match at this year's #WrestleMania. #ThankYouKurt pic.twitter.com/iE0PaEf0FB

— WWE (@WWE) March 12, 2019

Angle was an accomplished amateur wrestler, winning a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics. He joined WWE in 1998 and made his pro wrestling debut that November. He was one of the promotion’s top stars until leaving in 2006 for TNA, where he wrestled for another 10 years.

Angle struggled with substance abuse during his time in TNA, telling ESPN’s Dan LeBatard in 2016 that he took as many as 65 Vicodin per day at the nadir of his addiction. He added that he occasionally mixed the pills with alcohol, which led to multiple DUI arrests. Angle entered rehab in 2013 and has been sober ever since. 

In 2017, Angle returned to WWE when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He went on to become the on-screen general manager of Raw. Other notable moments from his second stint in WWE include teaming Ronda Rousey in her debut match and replacing Roman Reigns in a reunion of The Shield.