10 Times Wrestlers Got Over With ONE Match

6. Kurt Angle

Orange Cassidy PAC
WWE.com

Kurt Angle was the perfect opponent to get Tazz over - again, this was such an inspired, well thought-out plan - because he was begging to be shut the f*ck up. Undefeated and incredibly keen to remind us of this fact - while being marvellously oblivious as to why that might have irritated everybody - this was a pitch-perfect reckoning.

To put into perspective what an incredible achievement this was, and how quickly the man had mastered his craft, Kurt Angle was entrusted to get a debuting act over just over two months after his own televised arrival. That is ridiculous.

As was his character, in the most celebrated of ways. But it wasn't immediately obvious. The vignettes heralding his arrival were dissonant in the extreme to the tone of the Attitude Era, but Angle's legitimate background interrupted the transmission somewhat. This felt like a heel role, but he didn't feel at all like the man to play it.

The punchline dropped hard at Survivor Series 1999 in what was otherwise a perfunctory debut match. Hearing jeers from the Detroit crowd - earned, again, through the dissonance of his cocksure body language and (intentionally) dry babyface stylings - he b*llocked them on the mic mid-match.

A fantastic "click" moment, Angle got over as a heel before the microphone touched the floor.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!