Kurt Angle told ESPN.COM that he only found out that he was selected to headline the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame on Monday afternoon, just mere hours before the news made headlines on wrestling websites and ESPN.COM, who were given the exclusive.

The former WWE and TNA champion said he was shocked as he has been out of WWE for so long and he didn’t expect it. “It’s a huge honor. This is the only Hall of Fame that I’m not in and probably [the one] I want to be in the most. This is the one that means the most for me. I had a lot of fun entertaining the fans for seven years with WWE, and I’m glad that my hard work paid off,” Angle said.

Angle acknowledged that he spoke with Triple H last May about a potential return but no one followed through and thought that WWE either decided not to do anything with him, or just plain forgot. He revealed that when Triple H personally made the call to break the news to him, he said the Hall of Fame is the first thing they want to do. “And whether I wrestle or not after this – which is irrelevant right now – I’m just really proud to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame,” Angle added. He said this contract runs through the Hall of Fame ceremony only and does not include a match at WrestleMania.

“We have not talked about any wrestling,” Angle said. “Whether we do or not, that remains to be seen. There are no guarantees. I think right now the most important thing is the Hall of Fame, and I think both sides feel that way.”

When he was asked to describe his relationship with Vince McMahon and Triple H over the past decade or so, Angle was blunt in his response. “There wasn’t one,” Angle replied. “It was one of those things where, when I left WWE, it wasn’t on bad terms. It was just that I couldn’t do anything for them anymore because I was banged up and they couldn’t do anything more for me. I never felt ill will against them. It wasn’t like a nasty parting, it was just our time is up. You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

You can read the full interview at http://es.pn/2j24gxk.