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

4. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

In 2005, many accused both Shawn Michaels and Olympian Kurt Angle of being past their prime. Michaels was a few years removed from a career-threatening back injury that sidelined him for two years, and then faced with a major meniscus surgery that seemed poised to slow the "HeartBreak Kid" down. Angle himself faced major neck issues which dated back to his gold medal run in the 1996 Olympics, and kept him out of the ring during parts of 2004. In one of the most requested matches of the decade, the two put any doubt about their ability to bed, despite the countless injuries they'd racked up. Widely considered among two of the top performers in wrestling history, their match was the meat behind the potatoes of a WrestleMania 21 show in which saw inexperienced title challengers John Cena and Batista taking on their respective opponents of John Bradshaw Layfield and Triple H. The match itself received high praise, managing a 4.75 star rating from the Wrestling Observer. The match build even saw Michaels' longtime partner Marty Jannetty return to face Angle, as the Olympic gold medalist went on a weekly mission to prove he could accomplish everything that Michaels had throughout his career. Angle would emerge victorious, but it wouldn't be the last time the two met, as Michaels took home a win at Vengeance in 2005, as well as a 30-minute Iron Man match draw on Raw.