Karen Angle

Infobox Wrestler
name=Karen Angle


img_capt=Kurt and Karen Angle after a match.
names=Karen Angle
real_height=5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)cite news|title=Karen Angle Bio at IMDb.com|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2757878/bio]
weight=
birth_date=birth date and age|1972|10|12
birth_place=Greensburg, Pennsylvania
resides=
billed=
trainer=Kurt Angle
debut=August 2, 2007
death_date=
retired=|

Karen Angle (née Smedley) (born October 12, 1972) is a professional wrestling valet and personality, most notably working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2007 to 2008. She is the real life wife of professional wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.

Career

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2007–2008)

Karen Angle was introduced in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in the summer of 2007 when Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle were feuding for an all-at-once Triple Crown Championship (Kurt held the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, and Joe held the TNA X Division and TNA World Tag Team Championship). Karen was supposedly wanting to divorce Kurt, claiming that he was emotionally abusive toward both her and their children. [cite web|url= http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/tnaimpact/070802.html|title=Impact 08-02-07 Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-09-03] At the Hard Justice pay per view, however, Karen betrayed Joe during his match with her husband, resulting in Kurt winning the Triple Crown.cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/tnappv/hardjustice07.html|title= Hard Justice 2007 Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-09-03]

In the following weeks, her character began to develop into a manipulative vamp, such as when Karen claimed that Sting slapped her at No Surrender when, in fact, he had not. This led to Kurt and Sting losing the Tag Team titles to Team Pacman after Kurt executed the Olympic slam on Sting. Another feud then erupted between Kurt Angle and Sting in which Sting had Karen arrested for violating a restraining order and Kurt stalking Sting's son. At Genesis, Karen persuaded A.J. Styles and Tomko into helping Kurt retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship during the tag team match for the title.

In late 2007, Karen began to have issues with Booker T's wife Sharmell, claiming there was only room for one "queen" in TNA (a direct reference to Booker T's and Sharmell's last WWE gimmick, where they were self-believed royalty). This led to a catfight at the December 12 "TNA Impact!" tapings.Karen suffered a broken foot after jumping from the apron after an in-ring segment. [cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=28086&p=1|title=Top TNA Knockout Suffers Broken Foot|publisher=PWInsider|accessdate=2007-12-18|date=2007-12-12|author=Mike Johnson] She did not miss any time as a result of TNA's taping schedule.

On the February 14 edition of "Impact!", Karen was scheduled to renew her wedding vows to Kurt, but in the storyline, she was pronounced married to A.J. Styles after the priest, who had just been knocked down by Samoa Joe, awoke and married the two, mistaking Styles for Kurt. Kurt then started to emotionally attack Karen for not ending the "marriage." Recently she proposed to separate from Kurt Angle (Kayfabe) which Kurt Angle supported to "Concentrated on his upcoming match with Samoa Joe at Lockdown. Since then, hints of a relationship with A.J. were given, after Kurt continued to ignore Karen, even having her ejected from her ringside seat at Lockdown.

On the May 22nd edition of "Impact!", Kurt Angle asked Karen to the ring to forgive him for not performing her wifely duites and to ask her to come home. Karen then left a begging Kurt in the ring after he pleaded for a 2nd chance. At the end of "Impact!", Karen came to the ring to the aid of AJ Styles who was being beaten 4 on 1 by Booker T, Team 3D, and Tomko. After being ejected, Karen ran to the back to enlist Kurt's aid, who came out with a chair. Kurt threatened the 4 with the chair, only to turn around and see his estranged wife hugging a bloody AJ. Kurt freaked and hit AJ with the chair, thus prompting the 4 back in the ring. Team 3D held Karen up while Kurt held AJ's head, yelling at Karen, telling her this was all her fault. Kurt is quoted as saying to Karen, "This is your fault! You deceived me!" On the May 29th edition of "Impact!" after being assaulted backstage before his entrance, AJ ran to the ring to help Karen only to be beat down by Team 3D and Kurt Angle for the second week in a row. Christian Cage came to the ring to aid Styles but was viciously assaulted for his trouble as well. It was then announced that at the Slammiversary pay-per-view it would be AJ Styles one-on-one with Kurt Angle. Karen then interfered helping AJ Styles win his match against Kurt Angle at Slammiversary.

Shortly thereafter, Angle was given her own interview segment, "Karen's Angle" on "iMPACT", interviewing Kaz on the show's premiere on July 24. On the October 9th edition of "Impact!", it was announced that Karen had left TNA to focus on her family. [http://www.knockout-karen.com/]

In wrestling

*Wrestlers managed:*Kurt Angle:*A.J. Styles:*Tomko
*Entrance themes:*"Born and Raised (Instrumental Version)" by Dale Oliver:*"My Quest" by Dale Oliver:*"Gold Metal (Instrumental Version)" by Dale Oliver & Tha Trademarc:*"On Her Own" by Dale Oliver (TNA)

Personal life

She has two children with husband Kurt Angle: a daughter named Kyra Angle (born December 2 2002) and son named Kody Angle (born October 26 2006). Their daughter, Kyra, has been seen on TNA television several times. In September 2008, it was reported that Karen had filed for divorce from Kurt. [cite web|url=http://www.wrestlezone.com/article.php?articleid=223709726|title= Update On Kurt/Karen Angle Divorce|publisher=Wrestlezone|accessdate=2008-09-23]

References

External links

* [http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/279/37/ TNA Official Website - Karen Angle Profile]
* [http://www.lethalwow.com/bios/karen-angle.htm Lethal Women of Wrestling profile]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/k/karen-angle.html Online World Of Wrestling Profile]
* [http://www.Knockout-Karen.com Official Fan Page]