10 Great SmackDown Matches From WWE's Original Brand Split
7. Kurt Angle Vs. Brock Lesnar (16 September 2003)
In 2003, SmackDown was dominated by a feud between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar turned babyface toward the end of 2002, and shortly afterwards, Angle won the WWE Title. That set the two amateur standouts up for a match at WrestleMania, which turned out to be a classic. Despite suffering from a broken neck, Angle defended the title against Lesnar, but ultimately came up short. A new champion was crowned.
Angle was out for several months recovering, but when he came back, he had his eyes on the title he lost. He also turned babyface, making the Lesnar feud more of a friendly rivalry. Angle won the belt in a three-way match with The Big Show, but Brock soon turned on him. That set up a SummerSlam singles bout, which Angle won.
The final match in the feud came on SmackDown, and it was a sixty-minute Iron Man match - the first to air on TV. The bout is fondly remembered as one of the best - if not the best - bouts in SmackDown history, and saw Lesnar brutalize Angle. "The Next Big Thing" gave up a fall by DQ when he clocked Angle with a chair, but he subsequent picked up two quick decisions. Angle rallied in an attempt to even the score, but Lesnar ultimately won, five falls to four, and reclaimed the belt.