Big Brother!

I wrote the following piece just over a year ago, so it is a little dated. Yet, it should give you all an idea of why I idolise Kurt Angle.

Some months ago, I auditioned in Cardiff for Big Brother 7 and during the process of filling out my extended application form I was struck by one particular question. The question asked me to name just one person past or present I would like to meet and why. Although I thought of writing down Churchill, FDR and Nelson Mandela, one name was more prominent than any other in my mind and it did not take long for me to write that name – Kurt Steven Angle.

Why Kurt Angle? The answer is simple; Angle is a brave, caring, considerate and self-sacrificing family man who has done it all. There is not enough space in just a single column to do this man proper justice. Those who follow amateur freestyle wrestling and/or the crazy soap-opera world of prowrestling will know why Angle is so special. Yet as great and complete an athlete and entertainer Angle the performer is, it is Angle the man that I admire the most. During the course of his life, Angle has had to overcome personal tragedies, injuries that would have held back, crippled or even killed lesser people, false allegations and other obstacles to first conquer the world of amateur wresting, winning consecutive World and Olympic gold medals before becoming a six-time World Wrestling Entertainment World Heavyweight Champion.

No one will forget Wrestle Mania XIX, when Angle literally risked his life to wrestle Brock Lesnar in the main event, nor his Iron Man Match with Lesnar when Angle was mourning his deceased sister or his epics with Shawn Michaels and the late great Eddie Guerrero. Every time Angle wrestles, he is risking paralysis and death, but he perseveres because of his love for the business and his honest, noble desire to give the fans that made him a superstar value for money. Like all of us, Angle is not perfect and has his shortcomings, but if being stubborn about always giving your very best in your profession is wrong, who wants to be right? The world needs more Kurt Angles, but there is only one and we should all treasure him and follow his example.

Even though I have never met him, Kurt Angle is more than just a role model, he is like a big brother that I never had! That is one of the highest complements I can pay to anyone, it’s true! It’s damn true!