[2003-08-24-WWE-Summerslam] Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWE Champion Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar - WWE Summerslam 2003

 

I remember marking out huge for this match when I watched it back in 2003 with my family and cousins. I have not watched it since. Totally did not expect it to live up to the memory. Who am I to doubt Brock Fucking Lesnar??? Excellent match. Totally tops the match from Mania.

 

First off this is heel Brock. Remember this angle like it was yesterday. They do the friendship angle but then Angle beats Brock for the title. This leads to the heel turn. I am a sucker for the heels trap the babyface in the cage and loved it when Vince and Brock did it. Then Brock's path of rage. My brother still brings up the absolute mauling of Zack Gowen. He will tell you that is his favorite match of all time. Just beautiful violence. Brock was in such a zone at this point.

 

This to me is the more natural pairing than Mania with Brock playing heel. Great layout and execution. Angle is able to use some really nice tricked out amateur stuff to get Brock down, but the story is Brock is too powerful to contain. We see a front trip which is pretty rare in pro wrestling. When Angle tries to meet Lesnar head on in a collar elbow tie up, he gets THROWN DOWN! So Angle angers the young hot head by flipping him off and then a series of quick armdrags. LESNAR IS PISSED!!! He throws a hissy fit on the outside throwing shit around. I love it! Such passion! He grabs the championship and is going to walk out. Angle attacks him from behind and Lesnar takes a wicked somersault on the floor and the way he throws himself into every bump is so impressive! This is all a ploy though once on the outside he can start to use his power and brawl so Angle goes to the knee. Love it. Back inside, Angle pops off a nice suplex, but is finally caught in a press slam and Lesnars THROWS HIM FROM THE RING TO THE FLOOR!!! SICK BUMP! GREAT TRANSITION!!!

 

Lesnar is so much more at home in these dominant heat segments than fiery comebacks. His cutoffs all focused around the ribs are explosive and great. WIsh Angle would have been more creative with his hope spots. But that tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Brock was great. Brock charges into the corner and hits his shoulder. Great selling by Brock for a while after that! Angle was great too with some really hard-hitting shoulder tackles to the bad shoulder, something rare from Kurt that made the match feel unique. I liked Brock's spinebuster as a cutoff, but his bum shoulder cost him the chance to make a quick cover. Again the shoulder cost him to hesitate during the F-5 leading to a Tornado DDT. Really good stuff here by Brock to lead to logical transitions. Angle Slam only gets two and the Angle Lock leads to ref getting knocked. Angle locks it in again. BROCK TAPS! No ref! Vinny Mac cracks Angle in the back with a chair.

 

Awesome friggin selling by Brock on the F-5 hitting it on one leg! Incredible! Angle kicks out! It felt pretty dramatic with Vince exhorting Brock on and Brock in so much pain. Brock goes for second, logically, but Angle pops into an Anglelock. I think this was the biggest flaw of the match was that quick pop up by Angle into Angle Lock. He loves it for the suddenness and surprise but it hurts the credibility of match. Still Lesnar's selling was great, loved him going to each side of the ring to grab the rope but only to pulled back to the center. Such a great spot! Before ultimately succumbing to the pain!

 

I don't get the booking of the winner/loser at all, but I don't let that affect my opinion of the narrative. Angle used his speed and technique and then veteran experience to get under Brock's skin. Brock played some mind games back and ultimately his raw power won him control after a awesome transition. Heat segment was strong, a little sluggish with body scissors and Angle could have spiced up his hope spots. The finish run was awesome and every tempered its nearfall. Thought Vince added some good drama. My big complaint is that Angle popped up on Angle Lock. Brock's selling was so perfect in this match. Excellent match. ****1/4

[SmartMark15]

25. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE SummerSlam 2003)

 

https://youtu.be/YJ0cTEzU_gs

 

Just really great simple stuff from both these guys but I think it's Lesnar's performance that really shines through. Angle brings crisp work and babyface fire for sure but Lesnar is crushing it here. He goes from dominating challenger brute to on the ropes selling heel so effortlessly that it's kind of crazy. His shoulder selling, his ankle selling, all of it top notch. I love how even in 2003, Vince gets supernova heat. His involvement was limited enough that it didn't hurt the match.

 

****

[Makai Club #1]

Fantastic match. There was some pretty awesome mat wrestling in the vain of amateur wrestling to start of the match. Lesnar quickly realises he can not out-wrestle an Olympic gold medal so begins using his weight to dominate the match. Whenever Angle began to get a foothold into the match, Brock would show off his power, whether that was by a overhead suplex (In one case where he didn't even arch his back or bend his legs. He launches Angle using his arms. FUCKING BEAST MODE Brock is a best) or just punching him. Lesnar then did some brutal work on Angle's back. Brock was in his element working over someone as the dominant bully. His speed, intensity and power just make this all the better. Lesnar makes too many mistakes and hurts his shoulder in the meantime, allowing Angle to capitalize and start getting back into this match and begins going for Brock's leg for the ankle lock. Brock? s selling off this is amazing. Even selling it during an one legged F5 on Angle. Angle does this amazing bit where he does a sort of lucha-esc (Pretty sure I've seen it in lucha matches before) submission hold to wear down Brock for the Ankle lock. The McMahon interference was fine, didn't harm the match and it lead to the awesome vicious off Lesnar TAPPING OUT (!!!) whilst scream for Vince. Fuck me what a match. ****3/4

[ohtani's jacket]

This was very deliberate, very slow paced, and very minimalist. I wonder if there was an edict at the time to tone things down, or if they were simply looking to avoid another Brock Shooting Star Press moment. It was extremely intense. I couldn't quite work out how the heel/face dynamic was supposed to work. Lesnar had done some awful things in the weeks leading up to the match, including brutalizing Zach Gowen, but he worked the match as an ultimate competitor. If you didn't know any better, you'd swear he was a babyface. It's funny because later on he became a lot more sadistic in the ring, but he clearly wasn't there yet. The wrestling was ok. I really want to like the Angle/Lesnar matchup more than I do, but it's not because of their wrestling. I don't think they bring out the best in each other persona-wise. Angle's not as interesting against Brock as he was against Benoit, and Brock is more fun wrestling big guys like Undertaker and The Big Show. At least that's how I see it.