Examining Kurt Angle's Last 5 Major WWE Matches

Here's one that didn't fail to live up to expectations. In fact, for many fans - as well as The Undertaker himself, so we're led to believe - this match should have been the one to take place at, and perhaps headline, WrestleMania 22 the following month.

The great thing about this match was that WWE made no great effort to protect either of its two biggest stars, simply affording them the time - a full half an hour - to put on the five-star classic of which we all knew they were well capable. Angle won it clean, with Mark Henry saving his interference for the SmackDown rematch a couple of weeks later.

As this was right around the time 'Taker was trialing his triangle choke - which in the Edge-Vickie Guerrero feud became Hell's Gate - both competitors spent much of the bout trying to weaken their opponents for a submission victory.

It had long-game psychology, but they weren't stingy on the spots either, Angle slamming his opponent through the announcer's table after the action spilled to the outside, and then getting the crowd to their feet in the closing stages by attempting to Tombstone Piledriver the Deadman himself. Simply, a brilliant match.