10 Best Matches From B-Level WWE Pay Per Views

4. Edge & Rey Mysterio Vs. Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit - No Mercy 2002

Kurt Angle Rey Mysterio No Mercy 2002
WWE.com

Between 1997 and 2011, no match promoted by WWE was awarded the full ***** by Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer. This, at ****3/4, is the closest the company came - and it's so good that the one docked mark is impossible to comprehend.

Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio started the match. Angle practically salivated at the prospect. He outwrestled Mysterio on the mat before gleefully slapping him on the head, casting a sh*t-eating grin in partner Benoit’s direction. He then threw Mysterio the entire length of the ring with a disrespectful overhead suplex.

Mysterio in response stamped on Angle’s foot, floored him with a modified Frankensteiner, and delivered a flurry of slaps of his own. It set the tone for a deliriously-paced and psychologically-rich match, a perfect fusion of old schools and new. So much was going on, and all four men were booked so favourably, that the relentless drama was impossible to predict and even harder to keep up with.

All four men got their proverbial sh*t in, but there was a beautiful narrative underpinning the fury. It was no meaningless procession of high spots and constant reversals. Angle and Benoit, after an insane finishing sequence, emerged victorious - but only after reconciling their differences to become an effective and deadly unit.

It was a phenomenal tag team match between four singles stars, won by the two men who had become the best team throughout its duration.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!