14 Greatest Rubber Matches In Wrestling History

8. Kurt Angle Vs. Shawn Michaels - 30 Minute Iron Man Match, WWE Raw (October 3 2005)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xs5x9f_30-minute-iron-man-match-shawn-michaels-vs-kurt-angle_sport Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle are two of the best technical wrestlers to ever grace a WWE ring. With that said, it should come as no surprise that a dream rivalry between the two men produced three classic matches for the ages. Their feud started at the Royal Rumble, after HBK eliminated Kurt Angle with a superkick. Angle took quick revenge by getting back into the ring to dump Michaels over the top rope, then locked him in an ankle lock over a set of steel steps. Over the coming weeks, Angle revealed the scorn he felt for Michaels as he hogged the wrestling spotlight in 1996 while Angle was winning Olympic gold in Atlanta. The feud had everything - great promo work, a logical beginning point that uncovered a deep lying resentment, post-match attacks and two wrestlers that seem the polar opposite of one another. It led to a match at Wrestlemania 21, now touted as one of Mania's best ever contests. Angle got Michaels to submit to an ankle lock in a technically brilliant match that lasted nearly half an hour. Some consider the follow up even better, with HBK picking up the win at Vengeance after hitting Sweet Chin Music on Angle as he dived from the top rope. WWE never scheduled a rubber match for pay-per-view. Instead they set up a match between the two on a special 'Homecoming' edition of Raw as the show moved back onto the USA Network. The pair were pitted against each other in a 30 minute iron man match, and once again the duo put on an excellent technical bout. Angle picked up the first fall with an Angle Slam from the top rope, and Michaels levelled the scores by countering an ankle lock with a roll-up pin. HBK tapped to the ankle lock to put Angle back in the lead, but the Heartbreak Kid again tied the scores with Sweet Chin Music. As the last few seconds ticked away, Michaels hit Angle with Sweet Chin Music again. It proved too little too late as time ran out and the match ended level at 2-2. HBK demanded sudden death, but Angle slithered away to the locker room, happy to escape with a draw. Angle left WWE in 2006 and with Michaels now retired, there will never be a definitive answer as to who the better man was in this feud. Considering their three classic encounters, that feels entirely appropriate in this case.