No man has featured on this list more prominently than Kurt Angle (other than John Cena, obviously). And here he is again, in the number one spot for his efforts at October 2003s No Mercy PPV. Back in the days when Cena wasnt necessarily a fan favourite, the up-and-comer was engaged in an entertaining feud with the Olympic Hero, who even took to rapping himself as tensions rose between the two. The match itself was a quality affair, showing that Cena had all the credentials to be a top WWE star to come as he went 18 minutes with one of the best in the business. After Angle got his shoulder up from Cenas F-U, and Cena in turn kicked out of an Angle Slam, the relative veteran impressively countered another F-U and managed to apply the Ankle Lock. Cena held on for an admirable amount of time, but in the end it was too much to askAngle forced Cena to tap to claim a hard fought victory. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxzji0_kurt-angle-vs-john-cena-no-mercy-2003_sport So despite what the 15-time World champion would like you to think, he has in fact been forced to give up beforeand on a number of occasions too. But given that these instances came long before the mantra was adoptedand of course the fact that we often have to overlook the minor inconsistencies in the world of pro wrestlingits fair to say well let Cena off on this occasion. Furthermore, the fact that its been over a decade since he gave up clean in a match of any type is arguably one of the most impressive streaks in company history. Its a record that not only reflects the very gimmick hes adopted, but could be the basis for a future angle of sorts. While talk of a heel turn remains futile as ever, booking Cena to go against his word and tap out clean in the middle of the ring could provide us with the kind of interesting character development that many have called for. And with a possible rematch with Brock Lesnar still an option, such an angle could play out much sooner rather than later.
