WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has never shied away from discussing his battle with addiction. After a neck injury in 2003, Angle became dependent on painkillers, a struggle that led to a chaotic period in his life.
The angle appeared on “Insight with Chris Van Vliet“And opened up about the fan nickname “Perc Angle,” a play on his name and the Pinkiller Percocet. Although the nickname gained traction online, Angle quickly clarified its origins.
“The fans have fun with it. Because I was the best wrestler in the company, so they want to say, Kurt Angle was ‘Perc Angle,'” he explained. “The thing is, I didn’t use painkillers while I was wrestling. I did them in the morning, then at night I was wrestling, and then I did painkillers after I was done wrestling. So I’ve never wrestled high.”
When asked if the nickname bothers him, Angle admitted it’s a sensitive subject.
“Yeah. But I know they don’t think so,” he said. “I’m fine if they say it, I don’t want them to say it to my face, but, you know, it is what it is. It’s a time where I was in a dark situation , and that’s the I don’t want to remember part, all the trouble I got into, the divorce I had, and just a lot of things going on in my life that I don’t want to remember anymore. “
While fans have fun with the nickname on social media, many respect the angle of strength to rebuild one’s life and career after hitting rock bottom. Angle says he could probably wrestle again, but he’s content with his accomplishments, not only in the squared circle, but in life.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit the “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” podcast and provide AH/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
