Kurt Angle Siblings: A Look at the Former Wrestler’s Family Tree
Former wrestler Kurt Angle PHOTO/X
Kurt Steven Angle stands as one of the most accomplished figures in the worlds of amateur and professional wrestling.
Born on December 9, 1968, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania, Angle grew up in a competitive household that instilled in him a fierce drive from an early age.
As the youngest of six children, he channeled his energy into sports, particularly wrestling, which he began practicing at the tender age of seven.
His journey from a high school standout to an Olympic gold medalist and eventually a global wrestling icon exemplifies resilience, especially in light of personal tragedies like the death of his father in a construction accident when Kurt was just 16 and the loss of his mother to cancer in 2015.
Beyond the ring, Angle has ventured into acting, appearing in films such as End Game and Pain & Gain, and he now serves as a WWE ambassador, podcaster, and family man, married to actress Giovanna Yannotti since 2012.
Siblings
Kurt has five older siblings.
His brothers, Eric, Mark, David, and John, were all older and athletic, often engaging in roughhousing that honed Kurt’s toughness; Eric, in particular, followed a similar path into professional wrestling, debuting in WWE in 2000 where he assisted Kurt in high-stakes matches, such as switching places with him during a WWF Championship defense against The Undertaker at Survivor Series.
The Angles’ sister, Le’Anne, brought a different dynamic to the family, but her tragic death in 2003 from a heroin overdose deeply affected Kurt, who has openly shared his regrets about cutting off contact in a desperate bid to encourage her recovery.
Despite these losses, the Angle siblings’ bond underscored Kurt’s autobiography It’s True! It’s True!, where he credits their influence for his relentless pursuit of excellence.
Career
After dominating high school wrestling with a 1987 Pennsylvania State Championship, Angle excelled at Clarion University, securing two NCAA Division I Heavyweight titles in 1990 and 1992 while earning three-time All-American honors.
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His international breakthrough came in 1995 with a gold medal at the FILA World Wrestling Championships, followed by an iconic 1996 Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling at the Atlanta Games.
Transitioning to professional wrestling, Angle signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1998, debuting in 1999 as an all-American technical mastermind spouting his “three I’s” of intensity, integrity, and intelligence.
He skyrocketed to stardom, winning the European and Intercontinental Championships within months, capturing the 2000 King of the Ring, and claiming his first WWF Championship by defeating The Rock at No Mercy that year.
Angle’s WWE tenure peaked with epic rivalries against icons like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H, though chronic injuries, including multiple neck breaks, led to his 2006 release.
Undeterred, he joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now Impact Wrestling) that same year, where he reinvented himself as “The Wrestling Machine,” amassing six world titles, feuding with stars like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, and becoming the first to hold TNA’s major championships simultaneously.
After sporadic WWE returns, including a 2017 Hall of Fame induction and Raw General Manager role, Angle retired from in-ring competition in 2019, leaving a legacy as a 13-time world champion who elevated the sport’s athletic standards.
Accolades
In amateur wrestling, Angle etched his name in history as one of only four Americans to achieve the Grand Slam, capturing Junior Nationals, NCAA, World Championships, and Olympic titles, highlighted by his 1996 Olympic gold and 1995 World Championship gold, alongside six U.S. National Championships and two U.S. Open victories.
These feats earned him inductions into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2001), USA Wrestling Hall of Fame (2001), George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame (2012), and International Sports Hall of Fame (2016).
Transitioning to the pros, Angle’s accolades multiplied: a six-time WWE World Champion, one-time WCW World Champion (during WWE’s Invasion storyline), and six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, plus triumphs like the 2000 King of the Ring and multiple WrestleMania main events.
Industry recognition poured in, including the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Wrestler of the Decade for the 2000s, Hall of Fame induction in 2004, and WWE Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2017; TNA followed suit in 2013.