The most consistent in-ring performer in the history of SmackDown is Kurt Angle. Bar none. Angle was good. Really good, and he showed it weekly on SmackDown, wrestling outstanding matches against the likes of Edge, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit and the Guerreros en route to establishing the show as WWE's go-to for in-ring workrate. Perfectly meshing humor with intensity and aggression, he was also one of the more well-rounded characters the company produced in the 2000s. Whether he was the goofy sidekick during backstage segments with Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, the vile villain while proclaiming his desire to have bestiality sex with Booker T's wife Sharmell or the wrestling machine in classics against Brock Lesnar, Angle established himself as a truly adaptable performer. It was that adaptability that made him such an incredible asset to WWE and one of the most beloved stars in SmackDown history. While the series of bouts between he and his fellow SmackDown Six Superstars may be favorites of many, it was on September 18, 2003 that Angle accomplished his greatest achievement with the brand, His feud with Brock Lesnar had raged on for months and on that fateful night, it would come to a definitive end as the celebrated amateur wrestlers took to the pro ring for a 60-Minute Iron Man match, the WWE Championship up for grabs. For one hour, two of the greatest athletes to ever grace a Vince McMahon-owned ring battled for the right to call themselves champion. At the end of the night, however, only Lesnar could make that claim. It was a loss for Angle but he would get the last laugh, enjoying three more years of nearly unparalleled success with WWE, including a World Heavyweight Championship reign that began in January 2006 when he won a Battle Royal on SmackDown to win the title.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
