This marked the first time in Brock Lesnars entire career that he had been made to submit. Theres something about tapping out that makes that kind of match ending more dramatic, and in this case the loss more embarrassing, as demonstrated by the You Tapped Out chants that fans would send Lesnars way in the weeks following this match. It was, by all accounts, a fantastic match that showcased the wrestling skills of both men. Unlike other matches on this list, where fans expected Lesnar to win and were surprised by a strange booking decision, this match had Angle and Lesnar as two evenly-match wrestlers. Angle had his speed and superior mat skills, while Lesnar had his raw size and power. Brock losing was a surprise because he seemed to have the upper hand, which included support from Vince McMahon. But it was not meant to be, as Angle proved he was the better athlete. This in turn allowed one of the best rivalries in SmackDown history to continue even further, with Lesnar becoming a violent and ruthless heel once again after losing. In the end, Angle simply had more determination to win than Lesnar and despite a chair shot from Vince McMahon (which the referee didnt see), Angle managed to retain the WWE Championship. This contest proved that Lesnar was not the unstoppable monster he thought he was, and that he actually could be defeated without simply getting an unfair advantage over him and pinning him.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
