10 Best WWE Smackdown Main Events

2. Kurt Angle Vs. Brock Lesnar - Iron Man Match, September 18 2003

Chris Jericho Edge
WWE.com

The feud between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle was one of the best things about WWE in 2003. The two amateur wrestling standouts had produced great matches at WrestleMania XIX, Vengeance (also including Big Show) and SummerSlam. It had been a joy to watch them go at it each and every time they did so.

Come September, the roles had been reversed from the start of the year with Lesnar now a menacing, Vince McMahon-backed heel and the Olympic Hero reverting to babyface after returning from his latest neck injury. The two were set to collide in a 60-minute Iron Man match to settle the score once and for all.

There aren't many men who could pull off wrestling for 60 minutes at the top level, but Lesnar and Angle were no ordinary athletes. While the first 30 minutes were a little muddy from a psychology standpoint, they worked hard and set themselves up nicely for a blow-away second half.

It was there that the intensity was ramped up a notch, with both guys busting out big moves for the special occasion. Angle dusted off his rarely-seen moonsault while Lesnar scored a fall a with top-rope Fisherman's Buster. Of course there was no shortage of suplexes in this one. Years before 'Suplex City' was a cute t-shirt, The Next Big Thing was taking the Olympic gold medalist there in the main event of Smackdown.

Brock managed to weather the storm, just about hanging on as Angle dished out his own suplexes and trapped him in a prolonged ankle lock, to win the match 5-4.

A truly remarkable achievement and unquestionably one of the greatest WWE TV main events ever.

Contributor
Contributor

Student of film. Former professional wrestler. Supporter of Newcastle United. Don't cry for me, I'm already dead...