10 Most Anticipated Wrestling Matches Of All-Time (That Actually Happened)

7. Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle

Despite the overwhelming transition of focus from in-ring competition and performances to outside entertainment throughout the wrestling world in the 1980's and 90's, the turn of the century saw a new approach and renewed appreciation for world-class athletes. Perhaps no two names in wrestling fit that description better than Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. Angle was a decorated amateur wrestler to the highest degree, achieving a gold medal in the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, in addition to being a NCAA National champion twice. Lesnar, a wrestling powerhouse in his own right, as a two time national champion, once in the NCAA, and once in the NJCAA. As the quality of in-ring wrestling improved throughout the WWE, Brock Lesnar made his debut, running through the entire roster in a matter of months. It didn't take long for fans to start clamoring for a major match between the two amateur wrestling greats. Just under a year after his WWE debut, Lesnar, already considered among the best in the business, would win the Royal Rumble and earn a shot at Angle, the WWE champion. At WrestleMania 19, the match would receive main event status over The Rock/Steve Austin, a world heavyweight title match, Shawn Michaels/Chris Jericho, and others-- a loaded card. The match certainly didn't disappoint, but almost resulted in a career-ending injury for Brock Lesnar, who botched a shooting star press at the end of the match. Lesnar would win the match and re-gain his WWE title, and the two would have a long running feud for the rest of the year. Lesnar and Angle last met in 2007 in Japan, as Lesnar dropped a version of the IWGP title to Angle in his last match before starting a career in the UFC.