100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
12. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 21)
Some combos look great on paper but don't work out. Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker would be one example, but don't worry - that's the last you'll hear about fudged chemistry in this entry. Thankfully, technical beast Kurt Angle and psychology master Shawn Michaels gelled to give fans a treat in 2005. The pair's WrestleMania 21 match should be studied by anybody who wants to be a professional wrestler.
End of story.
OK, not really, because there's so much more to say about this rip-roaring all-timer. The way Angle recovered from a missed moonsault to scale the ropes and cut off Shawn's attempt by hitting a massive Angle Slam was borderline superhuman. Similarly, HBK's sell job for the match-ending ankle lock submission proved to be a masterclass in how to make lengthy holds thrilling.
People really didn't want Michaels to tap out, and the famed Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler commentary combo got their call spot on when talking about how humbling it must've been for Shawn to give up at 'Mania. Post-match, a spent Kurt looked like a million bucks as he celebrated one of the most satisfying victories of his entire career. No-one knew then that he only had another year and change in WWE before leaving for TNA.
It's unclear just how much of the match Michaels and Angle called in the ring or pre-planned, but nothing looked rehearsed or forced. Everything they worked went off without a hitch, and the submission finish was a true chef's kiss moment on WWE's biggest annual pay-per-view.