12 Reasons Kurt Angle Was Brock Lesnar's Best WWE Feud

12. The Shared Amateur Background

Brock Lesnar was recruited by the WWE in 2000, shortly after winning the amateur wrestling NCAA Heavyweight Championship. With his natural athleticism and aggression, he had caught the eye of WWE scout Gerald Brisco, and a very lucrative financial offer was made. But if it hadn't been for Brisco's words and WWE's big money offer, Brock would've almost certainly went on to the Olympics. He was a fantastic amateur wrestler and relished sporting competition. Kurt Angle was very much the same, he was intensely competitive, which was what powered him to win an Olympic Gold medal in wrestling at the 1996 Olympics. With that shared amateur background, there was instant fascination in seeing these two alpha-males compete in the WWE. Knowing they were on the same roster, fans buzzed about the two meeting way before the feud ever formally kicked off. Once it was underway in January 2003, WWE then mentioned nearly every week about both men having stunning athletic achievements pre-WWE. It made the feud feel bigger, like we were seeing something more than just a WWE match.