10 Greatest World Title Changes That Didn't Take Place On PPV
4. Brock Lesnar Goes The Distance - SmackDown (18 September 2003)
There aren't many wrestling feuds as believable as the Kurt Angle/Brock Lesnar battles of 2003 and the quality of matches they produced was nothing less than stellar. The third epic battle (not counting the brief singles bout prior to WrestleMania XIX) would take place on the 18 September 2003 addition of SmackDown and was the one-on-one rubber match between the two rivals.
Their WrestleMania XIX main event was an absolute war where neither man left without serious harm, while their rematch at SummerSlam later that year was more of the same intensity. What better way to settle a score between WWE's two most legit athletes than in the most legit athletic contest available - a 60 Minute Iron Man match.
A first on US TV, the bout was everything it was built up to be: physical, exciting and dramatic from start to finish. Gripping the audience for an hour is no small feat, yet the two men accomplished it 100% from bell to bell. With Angle as face and Lesnar as heel, both men told a believable story that even the least dedicated wrestling observer could understand.
The finish saw Lesnar withstand the pain of the Ankle Lock in the dying seconds to hang on to his lead, claim victory and win back his WWE Title in the process. Simply epic.