October 3rd, 2005. The WWE is celebrating its return to the USA Network with a special “Homecoming” edition of it’s flagship RAW program. The 3 hour celebration concludes with an excellent 30 minute Iron Man Match between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. These two future Hall of Famers have seen their blood feud boil over, and this Iron Man Match is tied at 2 falls apiece. Shawn Michaels asking for more time. The fans are asking for more time. We wait for Angle’s response with baited breath.
How did we get here?
It’s true, it’s DAMN true… we gotta roll this back, with a rewind
*water*
Please drink some.
Make sure to follow us on all social media platforms @feudrewind
Email: feudrewind@gmail.com
Thank you!
October 3rd, 2005. The WWE is celebrating its return to the USA Network with a special “Homecoming” edition of it’s flagship RAW program. The 3 hour celebration concludes with an excellent 30 minute Iron Man Match between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. These two future Hall of Famers have seen their blood feud boil over, and this Iron Man Match is tied at 2 falls apiece. Shawn Michaels asking for more time. The fans are asking for more time. We wait for Angle’s response with baited breath.
How did we get here?
It’s true, it’s DAMN true… we gotta roll this back, with a rewind
*water*
Please drink some.
Make sure to follow us on all social media platforms @feudrewind
Email: feudrewind@gmail.com
Thank you!
PODCAST SCRIPT DOC
EP: 9
TITLE: MICHAELS VS ANGLE -
INTRO:
October 3rd, 2005. The WWE is celebrating its return to the USA Network with a special “Homecoming” edition of it’s flagship RAW program. The 3 hour celebration concludes with an excellent 30 minute Iron Man Match between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. These two future Hall of Famers have seen their blood feud boil over, and this Iron Man Match is tied at 2 falls apiece. Shawn Michaels asking for more time. The fans are asking for more time. We wait for Angle’s response with baited breath.
How did we get here?
It’s true, it’s DAMN true… we gotta roll this back, with a rewind
theme music
Welcome to the Feud Rewind, I’m your host Benza Lance.
Chapter 1:
Growing up as a child of the 90’s, one of the classic school yard debates the fellas and I used to have is “are you a Bret Hart guy, or a Shawn Michaels guy”? While not taking anything away from the undeniable technical mastery and in ring storytelling capability that Bret Hart has, but my dream as a kid was to either be a rock star or a professional wrestler, and Shawn Michaels was the closest personification of both of those things mashed together. The flamboyant arrogance that oozed from Michaels was an instant attention grabber, and was something that excited me more as a kid than the dutiful workmanship of a beautifully executed Bret Hart match, although like most, I would have to go back and relive the countless mat classics that The Hitman put on.
Growing up as a shy kid in a military family that constantly moved, Michael Hickenbottom would fall in love with the professional wrestling artform early in his life, and made it his main priority to get into the ring. Under the tutelage of Jose Lothario, Michaels made his name in the NWA, and later the AWA, as a hot up and coming tag team with teammate Marty Jannetty, as The Midnight Rockers. Throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s, The Rockers (their named shortened after arriving in the WWF) enjoyed midcard success as a high flying flashy tag team. They split up in the infamous Brutus Beefcake’s Barbershop talk show segment in 1992, wherein Shawn yeets Marty through a window after a surprise super kick.
Michaels would go on a run as a vain, cocky “boy toy” villain; in doing so, he would become the first Grand Slam Champion; meaning he held the European, Tag, Intercontinental, and World Heavyweight Championships at one point. During this S Tier run, he would elevate himself, his competitors, and the various titles he held to new heights. Everything from the ladder match with Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental Championship, the formation of D-Generation X, and becoming the show stopping Mr Wrestlemania that he’s known for. Succumbing to various injuries in 1998, A 4ish year layoff culminated with Michaels coming back and quite possibly having a stronger career arc in the second half of his career than his first. Starting with feuds with friend HHH and Chris Jericho, the self appointed “New Shawn Michaels”, helped springboard Shawnback into relevancy and the main event spotlight, but it was his rivalry with Kurt Angle that helped cement Michael’s legacy.
The story of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Machine who won an Olympic Gold Medal with a broken freakin neck is one that almost seems like it was written for Hollywood. A generational talent that took to the professional wrestling art like a duck to water, Angle would spend little time in developmental. While we would learn about the demons that Angle was battling behind the scenes year later, on screen in WWE, Angle was positioned as a world class athlete that could go bell to bell with whomever he was standing across the ring from. Right off the bat, his ability in the ring was displayed as legitimate, with a skillset that worked with both small and large opponent alike. His sense of comedic timing is a trait that he shares with Michaels; the playing of the cocky yet somewhat aloof villain was portrayed to perfection, and the light hearted skits, such as the Stone Cold Lil Hat segment, embody a sense of childlike whimsy that reminds us subconsciously that we’re watching an artform that we’re supposed to enjoy and not take too seriously at times.
Kurt had the rocket strapped to his back early on, and rightfully so. Within the first year of his WWE debut, he feuds with HHH and The Rock, and he wins the WWF Championship. By 2005, he’s plowed through rivalries involving Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, and countless bangers with almost anyone he steps into the ring with, although the physical toll on his body is catching up with him. The years of amateur, collegiate, and Olympic level wrestling; the half decade grind of the WWE, and having to perform 300 days a year, take their toll. Angle always had a extra gear to use, an extra reserve of tenacity and perseverance that you only see generationally; however, often times that gas pedal was left near the red line, and 2005 would see the birth of The Wrestling Machine, and a feud centered around ego and legitimacy in the ring. A feud that would see what could possibly be the most competitive rivalry in WWE history.
Chapter 2:
The feud starts at the 2005 Royal Rumble. Taking place on January 30th 2005 in Fresno, California, both Michaels and Angle had singles matches before the titular event. Michaels would be defeated by Edge, in a blowoff to the feud surrounding Edge’s interference in Michael’s World Championship match from the previous October’s Taboo Tuesday. Angle, meanwhile, would be in a triple threat for the WWE Championship against the Big Show and champion JBL, who would retain. In the Royal Rumble itself, Angle enter the match and begin suplexing the world before having an encounter with Michaels, in which Shawn would deliver a Sweet Chin Music to Angle, sending him over the top rope for elimination. Seeking retribution not only for the quick elimination, but also for his loss earlier in the night, Angle would return to the ring to eliminate Michaels in kind. Busting Michaels open on the ring steps and applying an Ankle Lock until he was dragged away by security, Angle was showing a ferocity that we haven’t seen, and the Save Mart Center, and the WWE Universe at large, was electrified by the encounter.
The waters would simmer, as both competitors were on separate brands; RAW for Michaels, and Smackdown for Angle. The Smackdown exclusive PPV No Way Out would be centered around Angle challenging John Cena for a shot at the WWE Championship coming up at Wrestlemania 21. Cena would win, now facing JBL at Wrestlemania. Leaving Angle without an opponent for the clash of the immortals, Shawn Michaels would make his intentions clear the following night on RAW to GM Teddy Long; he wanted a match versus Angle to determine who the best in ring performer was. Angle has accomplished many things in his career, but he has never been face to face with the Showstopper at Wrestlemania. Lest you forget, Shawn Michaels is a stepping stone for nobody. (Thanks Shawn)
The Februrary 28 episode of RAW featured a main event wherein Michaels battled triumphantly against Edge in a bloody Street Fight Match. Afterwards, an enraged Angle storms the ring and lays a good ol fashioned Pittsburgh Beatdown on Michaels, before snarling his acceptance of the Wrestlemania challenge. The image of an enraged and mentally unhinged Kurt Angle standing over a bloody Shawn Michaels is burned into my brain and lives there rent free. Iconic.
Angle would start to play mind games with Michaels, constantly poking and prodding into HBK’s past. Angle’s main point of contention is that Shawn’s own meteoric rise in the mid and late 90s as “the best wrestling on the planet” overshadowed Angle’s own accomplishments that were happening simultaneously. Instead of being able to enjoy the fruits of his labors, Angle was instead being asked if he saw Michael’s iconic zipline entrance at Wrestlemania. The very fact that some people consider Shawn Michaels the wrestling GOAT is nothing less than a personal insult against Angle, and its a perception that he’ll change. In fact, he plans to accomplish everything Michaels took years to do in a matter of weeks.
Continuing with the mind games, Kurt announced his intentions to face off against Shawn’s old tag team partner Marty Jannetty; in turn, Shawn beats Angle to the punch, and reforms his old tag team on RAW. The Rockers look surprisingly solid in a winning effort. The following episode of Smackdown featured Jennetty taking on the Olympic gold medalist; Jannetty actually held his own in a competitive bout, but few people could stand up to prime era Kurt Angle, and Jannetty, like most who came before him, would fall and tap out via Ankle Lock. The cerebral assault would continue in one of the most replayed segments of all time; The Sexy Kurt segment. Go watch it if you havent seen it. Kurt would cosplay as Michaels, complete with parodied music and Michael’s old manager Sensational Sherri. (sing sexy kurt background). Midway through the promo, The Heartbreak Kid would interrupt to instead show the crowd a highlight video package of his career; this would be in response to a similar situation that took place on the week’s RAW, with Angle playing a video package mid HBK promo. Bringing everybody but Kurt Angle to tears, Angle would snap yet again, ensnaring Sherri in an Ankle Lock until security could peel him off of the former manager.
The final RAW before Mania would include one final piece of chicannery; during HBK’s match with Muhammed Hussan, Angle would interfere, trading blows with Mr Wrestlemania before fleeing. The amount of emotional collateral that both of these competitors were able to build up with the fanbase is a fantastic illustration at the level of talent both men have.
The showcase of the immortals was knocking at our door, and these two were at each other’s throats. Due to the brand extension and Michael’s first retirement, he and Angle had never met up in a single’s bout. It’s not only what the competitors wanted, but it's what us fans had been dreaming off for years.
Wrestlemania 21 emanated from the Staples Center on April 3rd 2005. Angle and HBK would go 27+ minutes in what many, yours truly included, would consider not only the match of the show and year, but one of the best matches of either men’s careers, especially to this point. A well rounded back and forth affair would have both men drain their respective arsenals of technical mastery, keeping everyone fully engaged with every near fall; this clinic would ultimately reach it’s conclusion when Angle would force Michaels to tap to the Ankle Lock, setting our feud at a score of 1-0, Angle. Michaels would receive a standing ovation post match, and rightfully so. Some would argue that this match would possibly be the best of both men’s respective careers; id say they each have more than a few gold stars in their trophy cases, although this match is definitely a must watch.
Due to the aforementioned brand split, these two wouldnt touch proverbial gloves again for three months. On the June 13th episode of RAW, Angle was moved to that brand from Smackdown; later in the evening, HBK would challenge his new stablemate to a rematch at the Vengeance PPV; Angle accepted.
Vengeance took place on June 26th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Michaels and Angle would face off during the 5th match on the card. Being able to meet, let alone exceed, the level of excellence that the pair pulled off at Wrestlemania would have been a fool’s errand. The 25 minute bout saw Michaels overcome adversity to even our rivalry at a win apiece. The match was generally well received, with the finish being especially explosive, as Kurt Angle is attempting a move from the second rope, when Michaels hits the Sweet Chin Music for the 1-2-3. Met with a standing ovation, Michaels and Angle were now evened up at a win apiece. These two had undeniable chemistry, and our feud is set up for a final battle to truly decide who the best in ring talent is.
Chapter 3:
WWE RAW was long a stalwart of the USA Network. When RAW left for TNN during 2000-2005, it saw a dark time for USA. The glorious return of the Red Brand to the network garnered much pomp and circumstance; the occasion would be celebrated with a special “Homecoming” edition of the WWE’s flagship show. The opening match of this show would feature what would be the final and decisive match in our feud; a 30 minute match, fought under Iron Man Rules, to unequivocally determine the best bout machine of the WWE’s era at this time.
October 3rd 2005 saw The Heartbreak Kid and The Wrestling Machine put on another outstanding technical bout; a top rope Angle Slam would garner the first fall for Angle; Michaels sneaks a pinfall with an inside cradle. The indomitable Ankle Lock secures a tap out score for Kurt to make it a 2-1 score in his favor; a expertly placed Sweet Chin Music levels the score once again. With the clock winding down, Shawn Michaels hits another Sweet Chin Music, and covers Angle, but the timer runs out, rendering this instant classic a draw. The Heartbreak Kid, always with a flair for the dramatic, grabs a microphone and snarls into it that he demands sudden death. Angle is the consummate competitor, so the fans assume his acceptance is a forgone conclusion; instead, Angle refuses, and walks out of the match. A thunderous chorus of boos reigns down upon Kurt as he retreats up the ramp way.
Canonical for the purposes of our studies, this would be the end of this epic rivalry. Both Michaels and Angles would be in various matches over the next year and a half that were largely inconsequential to the feud in and of itself; a Triple Threat Match featuring a John Cena win would probably be the highlight of this time, as far as a feud epilogue.
After this feud, Shawn Michaels would go on to have a tag team rivalry pitting Vince and Shane McMahon against Michaels and God, before ultimately reforming D-Generation X with HHH in 2006. The last half of the aughts saw Michaels cement his status as one of the best in ring performers of all time, with the highlight no doubt being trio of Wrestlemania matches; in 2008 to retire Ric Flair, and in both 2009 and 2010 against The Undertaker.
Angle would leave the WWE in 2006, battling personal demons, and would go on to compete in both TNA and New Japan. In New Japan, he would face off against former colleague Brock Lesnar to win the IGF title, later facing off in a losing effort to Shinsuke Nakamure to unify it with Shinsuke’s IWGP title; in TNA, Kurt held every male title at one point; his feuds with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, in particular, not only showcased a new generation of talent, but also that Angle was a top level competitor willing to go anywhere and do whatever it takes to make a name for himself.
Both of these men would battle personal demons throughout their careers to successfully come out the back end as relatively healthy individuals, thankfully.
The culmination of their WWE feud might be bittersweet to some, as a story without a definitive end is wont to do. I would submit that this is a feud that does not define either competitors careers, as maybe the feud between Jericho and Malenko that we covered in Episode 1 does; the feud would almost certainly be the apex of Malenko’s career, while Jericho himself would go on to have many rivalries and reinventions throughout his still ongoing career. Instead, the Michaels and Angle feud was solely based off of match quality, both through storytelling and in ring performance. When one talks about dream matches, this feud is a perfect embodiment of why dream matches only become so when they have an entertaining narrative attached to them. The Wrestlemania 21 match between Michaels and Angle, in particular, would be held in esteemed light if it had had a relatively cold build; instead, the match is lofted to must watch iconic status due to the ego driven pissing contest between these two men. A feud that has peaks and valleys, seriousness and humility, pitting two of the best in ring performers of all time together, only to leave us wanting more at the very end. It’s not based on convoluted storylines, an overtly outrageous script, or ridiculous gimicked matches; ultimately, this feud is used as a snapshot in time of two battleships passing in the night, opening volley against one another, two titans reaching an unsettled parlay, hopefully to reach a conclusive finish somewhere down the line.
I couldnt have written that better myself if i tried. Perfection.
The Three Memorable Moments from this feud that i would suggest you absolutely go watch are, in no particular order; the Sexy Kurt Segment from Smackdown on March 24th 2005 showcases Kurt’s undeniable comedic chops while playing the role as the antagonist. This would also be considered a top Kurt Angle moment of all time, regardless. If you dont at least chuckle, go touch some grass. The other two moments are the Wrestlemania barnburner and the rematch from Vengeance. Both of these matches are mat classic, featuring a full array of styles from catch as catch can, brawling, technical chain, and top rope high spots. Technical masterpieces that are a much watch, as both portray a level of in ring storytelling that is mostly lost in the current generation of talent. Both Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels, despite their faults and foibles, are both Hall of Fame level talent, and bestowed upon us a feud between two masters of their industry that made us laugh, cry, and love this art form that we call professional wrestling.
This takes us to the end of our feud for the week.
Thank YOU for listening.
Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe. Hit me up at feudrewind on all the socials or shoot me an email at feudrewind@gmail.com
I’m your host Benza Lance, and I’ll roll it back with you next week, with another feud, to rewind.