10 Best Kurt Angle Matches Since He Left WWE

1. Angle Vs. Samoa Joe - LockDown 2008

Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe set out to create something unique at Lockdown 2008; something that wrestling fans had rarely witnessed. They put together a mat-based, MMA inspired match inside of a cage that set out to look more real than anything we’d seen on pay-per-view in years, and they exceeded greatly.

From the in-ring introductions, to Frank Trigg on commentary, to Angle’s attire, we could tell we were about to witness a bold approach to a main event. The match was a stark contrast to anything we’d seen on the card earlier in the night, and really anything that TNA had ever produced. It was Angle vs. Joe in a no-nonsense match that relied on submissions and hard hitting strikes.

It was briefly the talk of the industry as journalists wondered whether this would be the new style of wrestling for the company, or just a one-off. Sadly it was one and done, but very few wrestlers would have been able to match these two in their intensity and realistic style.

It’s really hard to pick out Kurt’s best post-WWE work, but as far as creating something memorable and hard to duplicate, his match against Joe at Lockdown reigns supreme.