Kurt Angle discussed the TNA undercard wrestlers who are on the rise in an interview with the Baltimore Sun. "Samoa Joe isn’t there yet," Angle said. "If you’re going to put him on the same pedestal as me, I don’t think he’s quite there. Can he get there? Yeah. A.J. Styles, is he there? Not yet. He will get there. Robert Roode is a great example. He’s a guy that’s going to end up being a major big-time star.

"James Storm – another guy that’s mid-cardish right now that’s going to end up being a big star. Abyss, when he comes back, we’re actually going to back up and redo his whole character and make him more of a monster. He’s going to be a bigger star. We have a lot of talented kids. Kaz is another kid that I think is going to have a big future. He just needs to work a little bit more on his promo skills.

"The tag teams are great. The Motor City Machine Guns—even if you split them up and let them go singles, they are exciting and they’re fun to watch; they have so much talent." To read the full interview, visit BaltimoreSun.com.

Powell’s POV: I don't get the sense that Angle is trying to put down Joe. Rather, I think he sees Joe at or near the top of the list of rising stars in TNA. The only rising stars he really left out are LAX, although he did say later in the interview that the team "has never been the same since Konnan left," and added that they need a new mouthpiece. Say what you will about some of Angle's outlandish claims in interviews, but he seems genuine in his desire to help these younger wrestlers get over.

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