3. Steel Cage Match: Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit (June 11th, 2001)
The great thing about putting two guys like Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in a steel cage is that you knew they'd each be mad enough to go through with the spots that most competitors only end up teasing for the live crowd. Such was the case when after several minutes of hard hitting action, Benoit locked his arms around Angle on the top rope as Angle clung desperately onto the cage structure. After a few pulls, it seemed inevitable that Angle would manage to fend off his opponent but Benoit's elbows to the back proved more ferocious than Angle's defensive elbows to his opponent's head and as the Olympic champion lost his grip, we were suddenly treated to the audacious spectacle of Benoit sending Angle flying down to the canvas with a breathtaking back to belly supplex. Amazingly, the two insanely brave men then managed to raise the stakes even further as Angle set up Benoit for a moonsault from the top rope, only to change his mind and climb to the top of the cage instead where he launched himself backwards, missed his target and came bouncing off the mat like a ping pong ball. Not to be outdone, Benoit then tired out his opponent with several supplexes and attempted to leave the cage only to find Austin leering from below with steel chair in hand. Instead of climbing back down, Benoit decided that whilst he was up there, he might as well add to the drama by throwing himself onto Angle with his signature diving headbutt. It's safe to assume that not many in attendance remember who won or lost that night because all that would have on their lips were three of the most incredible high spots ever witnessed on live wwe programming, and the incredible chemistry between the two men that made the battle enthralling as both an intelligent technical affair and a match that also exceeded the thrilling reputation of the gimmick.