How much action was in the match?
This match was action-packed, with plenty of things going on throughout the entire contest. It started off a bit slow with a lot of traditional mat-based wrestling, but then things sped up and eventually spilled outside of the ring. After Angle brutally slammed Michaels into the ring post, things went back inside before Angle was knocked out of the ring for a second time. Michaels ended up getting Angle on top of the table before pulling off a backwards cross-body to the outside. Both competitors beat the count-out and started trading stiff shots back-and-forth. Michaels built lots of momentum, but then Angle trapped him in a vicious Ankle Lock that eventually forced Michaels to submit, thus ending the contest.
What moves were used during the match?
This match gets a bit of a deduction here, as a few moves were a bit over-used. The side headlock Michaels applied was the only move used other than counters for the entire early-going, which made for a sluggish start. As the match progressed, though, more variety arose, with stiff slaps and shots being traded between both men. The Angle Slam into the ring post was devastating, and it was only one-upped by Michaels’ tremendous backwards cross-body onto the table at ringside. Shawn Michaels hit his trademark flying elbow from the top and also connected on a picture-perfect Super Kick. Angle, meanwhile, put his body on the line, missing a moonsault and landing flat on his face, while also he connecting on a top-rope Angle Slam. The Ankle Lock was spammed throughout the entire match, but that’s a typical strategy for Angle.
How realistic was the match?
This match was actually quite realistic by all measures. The men traded chops back-and-forth, and the fact that those connected so stiffly made the punches seem more devastating. There was quite a bit of so-called “real” wrestling, as submissions, counters, and takedowns were frequent. The two men scrapped quite a bit in the corner, with the referee trying to separate them, à la UFC. One deduction here was the set-up for the announce table spot, as a weak kick by Michaels somehow made Angle fall backwards and end up on top of a table. Also, despite selling an injured back for a while, Michaels disregarded that toward the end of the bout.​
How unpredictable was the match?
This match was quite unpredictable, as it was very unusual for Shawn Michaels to come in and try to out-wrestle a legitimate Olympic Gold Medalist. The fact that Michaels was dominant in the early-going was a bit of a surprise, but the tide completed turned after things went outside. Angle then went on a rampage, and it looked like he had an easy victory in-hand before Michaels went on yet another hot streak. It looked like it was over when Michaels hit the flying elbow drop and went for the Super Kick, but then Angle regained momentum by countering into his Ankle Lock. Shawn escaped, and then the two traded momentum swings back-and-forth before Michaels eventually tapped. I honestly had no idea who was going to prevail throughout, and that was definitely a plus to me.
Does the match tell a story?
The match tells a fantastic story, with the amateur wrestling prodigy Kurt Angle getting out-wrestled by Shawn Michaels, the high-flying brawler, early on. Angle became absolutely livid at the fact he could not coast into an easy victory, and was incensed that Michaels was belittling him with such arrogance. He began throwing himself at Michaels and trying to one-up him, and that got Angle out of his usual game-plan for a match. Angle eventually rebounded though, absolutely torturing Michaels and hurling obscenities at him when he would not just lay down and let Angle have the win. Both men were very beat-up and sold their injuries like champions. The shot of Angle, his mouth badly bloodied, screaming at Michaels to tap, was absolute gold. The match felt like an absolute struggle for supremacy, and that made for an enjoyable watch.
What was the match’s overall reaction from the crowd?
The match was well-received overall, but the crowd was a bit dead to start off. The mat wrestling, while technically impressive, did not excite the audience much. They popped at appropriate times for big spots, and they also chanted equally for both men. Chants of “Let’s go Angle!” “Let’s go Michaels” were traded back-and-forth between the fans in attendance, and they were also very into the “You suck!” during Angle’s entrance, as per usual. The crowd was very hot at certain points, especially during the comeback Michaels mounted, and also anytime the pair pulled off an especially devastating maneuver for a near-fall. Not the best crowd ever, but they took nothing away either.
Despite the fact that I am a lifelong wrestling fan and have seen countless matches from different eras, I had never seen Kurt Angle versus Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21 before watching it for this review. Respected wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer gave this contest a 4.75 out of 5 in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter, but I have seen many fans argue the point that this match actually deserved a perfect 5 out of 5 rating. So, I went into this match with lofty expectations, and I came away feeling like those expectations were mostly satisfied. Though it is not part of the review criteria, I simply have to mention that the video package before the match really added a lot to it, not only providing context, but also building the idea of rivalry and history prior to this contest. Now, onto my review:
• How much action was in the match? 5
• What moves were used during the match? 4.5
• How realistic was the match? 4.75
• How unpredictable was the match? 5
• Does the match tell a story? 5
• What was the match’s overall reaction from the crowd? 4.75
Final Average: 4.83 out of 5
DRAKE KIZER
Drake is a 19-year-old freshman from Hendersonville, Tenn. He's majoring in journalism at WKU and plans on being a sportswriter.