Kurt Angle is on the GOAT list of many fans and pro wrestlers. Angle made his foray into pro wrestling after a highly successful stint with the Olympics that saw him win the 1996 Olympics with a broken neck. The then-aspiring pro wrestler had a brief stint with ECW before joining WWE during the Attitude Era.
Angle’s first WrestleMania match didn’t happen until 2000, when he lost his “Eurocontinental” Title to Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit and Chris Benoit without getting pinned. Wrestling’s first Olympic Gold Medalist would solidify himself as a credible performer on the Grandest Stage of them All in the following years.
That being said, let’s take a look at Kurt Angle’s five best WrestleMania matches:
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (WrestleMania X7)
Kurt Angle has gone on record saying Chris Benoit was one of his most intense opponents. The Rabid Wolverine had great chemistry with the Olympic Gold Medalist. The two had many classics against each other during the 2000s. They delivered a technical masterpiece at WrestleMania X7.
Delivering an all-time classic at WrestleMania X7 is an achievement in its own right given the all too many great matches that went down that night at the Reliant Astrodome. Angle and Benoit would continue their iconic feud that saw them even surpass their WrestleMania X7 match at Royal Rumble 2003.
Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero (WWE Championship Match – WrestleMania XX)
This match would clearly have been the Match of the Night if Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H didn’t deliver one of the greatest triple threat matches of all time in the main event.
Kurt Angle versus Eddie Guerrero was the primary feud on SmackDown over the WWE Championship. Guerrero had won the title from Brock Lesnar in a great match at No Way Out 2004. He’d put it on the line against the Olympic Gold Medalist on March 14 at the iconic Madison Square Garden.
The pair delivered a technical classic in front of the 20,000-strong crowd at the MSG arena. Latino Heat would pull off a controversial tactic to retain his WWE Championship against Angle.
Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon (Mixed Tag Team Match – WrestleMania 34)
Ronda Rousey’s jump to WWE from MMA created a huge buzz in 2018. The former UFC Champion would kick off a feud with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H on the road to WrestleMania 34. Kurt Angle, who had made his WWE return in 2017, would join the Baddest Woman on the Planet against the evil authority figures.
The four competitors met in a Mixed Tag Team Match to mark Ronda Rousey’s official WWE in-ring debut. Fans didn’t have big expectations for the quality of the match, but Ronda emerged as the biggest star of the night. Props to Stephanie and Hunter for selling her offense like the way they did.
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE Championship Match – WrestleMania 19)
Brock Lesnar may be Kurt Angle’s greatest opponent when it comes to pure mat wrestling. Both men were instrumental in SmackDown beating RAW in the ratings during the Ruthless Aggression Era. Their rivalry gave fans a series of great matches on both weekly televised shows and at PPV events.
Lesnar would win the Royal Rumble to earn at shot at the WWE Championship. Angle, on the other hand, would wrestle Chris Benoit to deliver an all-time classic the same night. The two opponents with similar pro wrestling backgrounds would headline WrestleMania XIX for the WWE Championship.
This match started off with both men showing their amateur wrestling background. It slowly built itself to the point to allow the pair to exchange a series of blows. Angle delivered some heavy suplexes. Lesnar showed his cat-like agility through an amazing sell job of the move.
The match is also noted for the infamous shooting star press that nearly ended The Beast’s WWE career. Despite the massive concussion, Lesnar somehow managed to pick up the win over one of his greatest opponents.
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 21)
Shawn Michaels had widely been referred to as the best all-around performer between the ropes long before Kurt Angle’s arrival in the industry. Michaels had aptly earned himself the moniker of “Mr. WrestleMania” due to his incredible performance on WWE’s Biggest Show of the Year. Fans had long prayed for a match between the two incredible athletes.
The time would finally come in 2005 when Vince McMahon decided to book Angle vs. Michaels for WrestleMania 21. WWE did a great job selling the feud. There were many call-backs to Michael’s time within the WWE prior to his injury. Not only that but Angle managed to get a great match out of HBK’s former tag team partner Marty Jennetty on an episode of SmackDown.
Angle and Michaels met on April 3, 2005, to decide who was the better performer out of the two once and for all. This match is considered one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. From Angle’s full display of technical prowess to Michaels’ wizardry as an all-time great performer, the match truly lived up to its hype.
Honorable Mentions
- Kurt Angle vs. Kane (WrestleMania X8)
- vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (WrestleMania 16)
- Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio (WrestleMania 22)
Also read: Kurt Angle On Why Shawn Michaels Put Him Over At Wrestlemania 21
