Kurt Angle had obsessed over being better than Shawn Michaels at everything in the part-comedy part-killer build to their inter-brand WrestleMania battle, but the shenanigans too a backstep once the bell rang.
Expectations were sky high for the pair to steal the show based on Michaels' fabulous form since returning full time and Angle's richly-deserved reputation as the finest all-rounder in the company. Their scintillating, spirited cycle through their greatest hits and hidden weapons made for an emotion-driven fight to the finish. And what a finish.
Angle picked at 'HBK's bones with his rudimentary pro-wrestling ground and pound until Shawn, trapped for an eternity in the heel hook ankle lock had no choice but to tap, clean. The Born Again Shawn Michaels didn't just "lay down" his body for highly-respected heel Kurt - he surrendered it to the better man.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
