10 WWE Stars Who Fought Through The Pain Barrier
7. Kurt Angle Vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE WrestleMania XIX
Kurt Angle, much as he had done in the 1996 Olympics, entered this match with a broken freakin' neck. He barely had use of his left arm. But, like some of the forthcoming entries on this list, it required both men to finish it in spite of their extreme discomfort.
It was Angle's neck injury to which Lesnar attributed his hesitation in hitting the ill-fated shooting star press, a botch that has gone down in history as one of the most glaring of all time. This was a move Jim Cornette has since revealed Lesnar was capable of executing at will. It was the move which convinced WWE to sign him.
But, on the night, slipping on the wet ropes, he under-rotated out of concern that he'd aggravate Angle's injury further were he to connect with too much force. The sight of Lesnar's mammoth neck folding back in on itself remains thoroughly gruesome - but hey, at least he got paid.
Lesnar left Seattle with a serious concussion, whereas Angle went on to have the neck surgery it was recommended he had a month before the match.