On Tuesday, the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League unveiled its 2026 Hall of Fame class, and among the inductees is one of the most famous wrestlers and Pittsburgh natives of all time. 

Oh, it's true, Kurt Angle, Olympic gold medalist and WWE superstar, will be among those inducted on June 5. 

Before his days taking on the likes of John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock, Angle was an accomplished grappler both in western Pennsylvania and on the international stage. 

Across three varsity seasons at Mt. Lebanon High School, Angle compiled a 90-8 overall record, then moved on to Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time NCAA DI All-American and national champion. 

Then, in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, he became the only WPIAL wrestler to win gold, which, as many professional wrestling fans will tell you, he did with a broken neck. 

Following his grappling days, Angle transitioned to the world of professional wrestling in the WWE and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017. 

Angle is one of three wrestlers in the 2026 class. Joining him are James "Jim" Conklin and Phil Mary. 

Conklin was the first Pennsylvania high school wrestler to win four PIAA state championships and had a record of 70-0-1 during his time at Waynesburg High School, with the only draw coming during his freshman year. Conklin's wrestling career would be put on hold as he went on to serve as a navigator for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. 

After returning from the war, Conklin went on to wrestle for the University of Pittsburgh's newly-formed team from 1949-1951, losing only one dual match each season. 

Conklin was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

Mary helped lead Chartiers-Houston High School to back-to-back WPIAL team championships in 1981 and 1982, and added a PIAA team championship in 1982. He also scored two PIAA individual championships to go along with a 109-6-1 record. 

He would then go on to coach, earning a 113-49 career record during his time at Chartiers-Houston, Peters Township, and Canon-McMillan. 

You can see the full list of the 2026 WPIAL Hall of Fame inductees on their website at this link.