14. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21
In 2005, Raw and Smackdown were operating as two separate brands. JBL and Triple H were your WWE and World Heavyweight Champions, respectively. However, it was universally understood that Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels were the two best in-ring performers in the world. A dream match between the Olympic Gold Medalist and the Showstopper had to be made for WrestleMania 21. The match ended up being the classic you would expect, with both guys pulling out all the stops and Shawn even out-wrestling the Olympian early on. An Angle Slam into the ring post, a springboard splash onto a table, and multiple reversals of signature holds kept the Los Angeles crowd on the edges of their seats. Shawn ultimately fell prey to an ankle lock, but hung on in agony a lot longer than most. After Angle celebrated to the back, Shawn received a standing ovation from the crowd for his efforts.
Eric Delgado has been writing about professional wrestling for five years and has been involved in the professional wrestling business as a performer for ten. He is also the former host of Steel Cage Radio and has an irrational love for The Ryback.
