[2003-09-18-WWE-Smackdown] Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar (Iron Man)

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWE Champion Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar - Smackdown 9/18/03 Ironman

 

Have not seen this since original airing. Long match split into parts

 

First 15 minutes: Brock's masterful in the opening. Such a great wrestler. Violent when he needs to be and a coward when it is right. The two times he takes advantage is by jumping Angle once right at the bell and using the ref. On top, he works like a beast. When it comes time to bump, he takes the big bumps and then scurries to the outside. Then he throws his temper tantrums on the outside. I wish Angle was better at selling these moments. He can be a little bland in the ring. The transitions are bit weak. Brock is in there selling his injured knee, acting like a total jackass stalling and Angle is just there for me. Angle finally gives chase on outside. Thought it was weak just Lesnar driving him into the apron. Would have liked something more dastardly. Lesnar pastes him with a chair to draw a DQ. Angle 1-0.

 

Taz & Cole cant figure out why Brock would do that. Stupid idiots. Lesnar is really cocky now. F-5! Ties it up.

 

Lesnar adds insult to injury making Angle tap to his own anklelock. Lesnar 2-1.

 

Back from commercial looks like Angle gets a head of steam, but Lesnar gets a knee lift. During break, Angle kicked out of Angle Slam. Very 2003 match with finisher steals.

 

Second 15 minutes: This match is pretty boring. Just capricious transitions. Angle just throws random suplexes. No struggle. Just "surprise". No buildup. Lesnar usually counters with a kneelift or kick to gut. Nothing stimulating. In terms of falls, Lesnar hits a F-5 on the floor for a countout. Brock 3-1. Good fall. Angle hits an Angle Slam out of nowhere to make it Brock 3-2. Angle gets the Anglelock, but Brock reverses and then decks the ref. Brock hits a lowblow and then pastes Angle with the championship belt. Brock 4-2 with the match half over.

 

Third 15 minutes: Liked this a little better. Started with a lame transition of just Angle yanking Brock out by his foot. Then it got fun with Angle busting out some unique stuff like a double axehandle from the top to the floor. A missile dropkick, Brock took a great bump and then Angle missing a massive moonsault. Angle had one of the best moonsaults. Good height. Angle takes a tumble on the Anglelock. Liked Angle hitting baseball slide while Lesnar had steps and Lesnar and the steps go flying. Good urgency by Angle to get cover. We go to break and come back with Brock up 5-2 after a top rope superplex. Only 15 minutes remain!

 

Final 15 minutes: Really liked the transition of Angle hitting the F-5 on Lesnar's leg to the post. Gives Brock a taste of his own medicine, sets up interesting work and is a badass spot. Angle gets a half crab and then Anglelock. Still not tap out. Weird. Lesnar gets an F-5. Takes his time going to top rope and Angle pops up and hits his run up top rope overhead belly to belly for a fall. Fuck that. Lesnar 5-4.

 

Lesnar plays keep away from Angle. Hits a low blow with thirty seconds to go before Angle ends up putting him in Angle anyways and time runs out. Why hit the low blow?

 

The original Suplex City match. I love Brock in this era, but this match sucks. Avoid.

 

I realize besides some Anglelocks there were no holds in this match. It is just suplex after suplex. Just transitions out of nowhere. Brock is bumping great and facial reactions are awesome, but this match is not compelling at all. Eventually Angle gets the Anglelock they repeat the great spot from Summerlsam with Lesnar getting to each side of the ring ropes but Angle yanking him away before Lesnar taps. Lesnar 5-4.

[Chorros3]

This felt like a collection of Brock’s moments alternating between brutal and sneaky heel, as he does masterfully most of the time. Angle’s worst tendencies are palpable with cringe worthy transitions. Overall, too disjointed to call any good but lots of suplexes. **1/4

[cactus]

I definitely like this more than most. Lesnar's heel mannerisms look a touch forced, but he was great when he was selling his leg or when he just arrogantly stalls around the ring. The last ten minutes got too suplex heavy for my tastes. From around the 50 minute mark up until the last few crucial minutes, most of the action is just suplexes and selling the damage of sai suplexes. The commercial breaks help break the up action nicely and the match never drags. This wasn't either Angle or Lesnar's best match, but it's from far their worst performances either. This had a far better structure than Michaels vs Hart Iron Man. 

★★★¾

[Makai Club #1]

I watched this the other day while the NXT Iron man match was happening, just to see the comparison, and I actually hated it. I put it on being really tired (it was 1-2 am at the time for me) so it didn't think much of it. But upon reflection, the flaws stick out just as much. There are some great aspects of the match that I like. Brock's peformance is magnificant from bell-to-bell. He combines great wrestling with great character work throughout the match. When he's sneaky, he does that excellently - facials, mannerisms, actions, everything. When he's dastardly, he's just that. If there is one reason to watch the match, it's Brock. I liked how some of the falls were played out. The early DQ to get the advantage in the long run is played out in 2020 but not in 2003 and the execution of it is great. Again thanks to Brock's selling of it. But I found myself getting more and more fustrated by all the rest that this match had to offer. Kurt Angle is essentially a robot. Nothing he does inspires sympathy to capitalize on what Brock does. His wrestling is so unengaging and uninteresting. The endless suplexes are repetitive and benal. Angle's selling is very basic and doesn't inspire anything from me. How am I supposed to care for a 60 minute match when one of the wrestlers is so off the pace? I previously mentioned how some of the falls were very good but there were a few falls that came out of nowhere. No struggle, no build, no real tension in Angle's comeback. The match is very disjointed in quality. Some parts are good, most parts are bad. And I'm left with a terrible taste in my mouth. Godbless Brock Lesnar but there is far too much that I hate to about this match. **1/4

[ohtani's jacket]

This was the most generic of their matches together, but there were a few positives. Brock finally wrestled like the piece of shit that abused Zach Gowen, Spanky and Stephanie, and they peppered the match with enough falls that they avoided the problems Shawn and Bret had. They also avoided the temptation of a cheap finish. In fact, it was a bold decision to have the challenger go over. Brock's tactics meant that we never got to see any wrestling between the two, but the match was never boring. Just generic. I'm not entirely sure why Brock has such a cult following. I like the guy, but there was nothing outstanding about his performance in the match. I still think he's better off brawling with Big Show and the Undertaker than wrestling Kurt Angle.