Kurt Angle Believes WWE 'Missed The Boat' With Top AEW Star

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle believes a current AEW star could have become something more in WWE. "He [Claudio Castagnoli] should have been a five-time world champion before he left WWE," Angle said on "The Kurt Angle Show." "Not once did they give him the world title. I'm really surprised because that kid can do it all in the ring. He is the pound-for-pound strongest wrestler I've ever seen. The stuff he does in that ring is incredible ... He's Superman. He's the real-life Superman."

Claudio Castagnoli, who is a former Ring of Honor World Champion, first joined WWE in September 2011. Under the ring name of Cesaro, Castagnoli would go on to win the WWE United States Championship as a singles performer, the "Raw" Tag Team Championship five times (once with Tyson Kidd and four times with Sheamus), and the "SmackDown" Tag Team Championship twice (once with Shinsuke Nakamura and once with Sheamus). Earlier this year, Castagnoli's contract with WWE expired, ending his 11-year stint with the promotion. 

Castagnoli would ultimately sign with Tony Khan's AEW in June, first appearing at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view defeating Zack Sabre Jr. in a one-on-one match. Castagnoli would join the Blackpool Combat Club stable upon arriving in AEW. The 41-year-old won the first world title of his career by winning the ROH World Championship at ROH: Death Before Dishonor on July 23 after overcoming Jonathan Gresham in the opening match of the event. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Kurt Angle Show" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.