TNA Star Kurt Angle Visits, Motivates, Pine-Richland Wrestlers

Pine-Richland’s wrestling team got a little advice from a champion Wednesday.

Total NonStop Action wrestling star Kurt Angle stopped by the school to speak with students about their sport as well as meet wrestling coach Ben Rings.

The pro wrestler and gold medal Olympian recently reached out to the district after Rings, a Pine-Richland teacher, was featured in a March issue of People magazine as an Amazing Educator for his work with the “Best Buddies” program.  

Founded by Rings at Pine-Richland, the popular Best Buddies program pairs special needs students with non-special needs students, building a bond between them.

"(Ben Rings) is not just a teacher or coach, he's a humanitarian," Angle said. "You only meet these kinds of people once or twice in your life. Coach Rings is not in it for the fame. People Magazine chose to recognize him. He's a special person."

Angle spoke to the wrestlers about determination, hard work—and learning something from it.

"I've learned more about my losses than my wins," he said.

Angle also spoke to WTAE about his mission to save wrestling as an Olympic sport.

In February, wrestling was dropped from the 2020 Olympics. The full International Olympic Committee is set to ratify the vote in September, which gives opponents time to appeal the decision.

Angle, a Moon Township native, is the face of TNA’s “Save Olympic Wrestling” campaign.

"This is a big time for us. This is a very important time," Angle told the news station. "And to inspire these kids to want to wrestle and continue on, and not just wrestle in junior high and high school but go to college and wrestle, and possibly after there, God willing, try out for the Olympics or the World Team, it makes me feel a little better about myself."

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