Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar: WWE's greatest "wrestling" rivalry

There have been countless great professional wrestling rivalries but unquestionably Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar is the greatest “wrestling” rivalry in WWE history.

The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels. Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage. All great rivalries and ones that defined their eras, but when it comes to realness, nothing compares to Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar.

The two men are by far the most legitimate wrestlers in WWE history. Kurt Angle is the only Olympic Gold Medallist to compete in the company, until Gable Steveson makes his in-ring debut anyway. He won that medal of course with a “BROKEN FREAKIN’ NECK.”

Brock Lesnar’s wrestling pedigree and achievements fall one rung below, with a NCAA Division 1 Championship to his name, but also the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Angle and Lesnar brought all of this and more to the industry, something that had not been seen before and certainly has not been since. Lesnar’s enduring drawing power is a testament to this.

The two simply are in a class of their own when it comes to “pure wrestling” and really put the “sports” into “sports entertainment.”

Both experienced rapid rises in the professional sphere after transitioning from the amateurs, and the first point of rivalry and contention between the two is the question of who had the better debut or rookie year in WWE.

Angle, nine years Lesnar’s senior, was the first to make the leap into the world of WWE, signing an eight-year contract with the company in October 1998.

After time spent learning and training in the WWE style, Angle made his televised in-ring debut at Survivor Series 1999, entering to the sound of his now-iconic theme music.

His gimmick of an Olympic Gold Medallist and an American