Kurt Angle says John Cena is 'the greatest WWE Superstar of all time'

March 20 (UPI) -- WWE Hall of Fame class of 2017 inductee Kurt Angle praised John Cena for being the face of professional wrestling for 14 years.

"I would put John Cena in the history books as being the greatest WWE Superstar of all time," Angle said while speaking with Fox Sports about Cena who is inducting him into the Hall of Fame on March 31.

"He also has the ability to sell more merchandise than anybody else, and at the same time he's done a lot for charities. And the fact that John has been consistent on top for 14 years completely amazes me," he continued.

"And on top of that, it's the fact that John has stayed out of trouble. I mean, he is a clean-cut kid. He's the perfect, perfect example of what any aspiring athlete should be. So I think that having him induct me into the Hall of Fame... He is who I want my son to be. Exactly."

Angle famously wrestled Cena in his first match in the WWE in 2002.

"At the beginning, I was told that this guy had it all. When I wrestled him, did I think he was going to be as big as he was? No. But I also didn't know that he had such an incredible business mind. Literally, three months in from when he started, he was meeting with Vince McMahon on different merchandise ideas," the Olympic gold medalist said recently during a Reddit AMA session.

"I have never seen anybody who came to the company be more prepared than John Cena. He was set from a wrestling standpoint, from a character standpoint, from a business standpoint, and when he started doing the rapper thing, he just took off. And rightfully so. He was one of the most prepared individuals I had ever seen."

Angle also praised WWE and how much the company has improved since he departed in 2006. "They are much more organized now. They have better facilities they bring in for the wrestlers. In other words, the food's better, the place where you warm up is better, the equipment," he said.

"The drug policy and the Wellness Policy about being healthy and not wrestling injured is very strict, and that does a lot of good for the athletes. It seems like Vince McMahon is catering more to the athletes and making sure they're going to be OK."