10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2003 Facts
7. Angle Vs. Benoit Nearly Won The Wrestling Observer's Best Match Of 2003
When 2003 came to an end, the inevitable voting processes began for various wrestling media outlets and their annual awards showcases. In something of a surprise, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit's WWE Championship match won "Match of the Year" a few times over. What makes it "surprising" is that a match from January 19 still resonated enough almost a year later to be the top pick of many respondents.
Meanwhile, Angle/Benoit fell just short of winning The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's best match of 2003, losing out to a Pro Wrestling NOAH bout from March pitting Mitsuharu Misawa against Kenta Kobashi. The Angle/Benoit clinic settled for second.
From 1982 through 2002, WWE had only won the Observer's best match on four occasions, whereas 11 times in that stretch, a match from Japan won. It was a bit of a feather in the cap that Angle/Benoit finished a respectable second (and miles ahead of the third place entry) for a votership that covets Japanese wrestling with the enthusiasm that they do.