Kurt Angle is well-known as "the most celebrated real athlete in WWE history". He is one of the very few superstars to be a success in both amateur and professional wrestling. It's amazing to think about how much more he can do in the sport, since he's already been to the top numerous times.

Angle grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he attended Mt. Lebanon High School as a linebacker on the football team. While Angle had some skills on the football field, however, his talents seemed to lay elsewhere. Angle competed for the Mt. Lebanon wrestling team, where he won the 1987 Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion in his weight class. Angle also competed in the Junior Nationals that year, where he once again was successful. Afterwards, Angle was approached by various colleges, but he opted to stay in state, attending Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania. In 1990 and 1992, Angle went all the way, winning 2 NCAA National Championships. Angle also won the Canadian Cup Championship in 1990, among his various endeavors in other countries.

After graduating from college, Angle signed to train with 1984 Olympic Champion Dave Schultz, as Angle began to look towards the Olympics. There were still other possibilities for Angle's career, however. In 1995, Angle was approached by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, who, despite Angle not having the experience usually expected, offered him a try-out. Intrigued, Angle showed up, to see if there was another course available to him. But, in Angle's own words (posted on NFL.com), "I had a very good tryout, but I never played college ball. Everything I did went exceptionally well, but my 40 time was really slow. I ran a 4.8 that day. It was February and it was snowing so it was very hard to get my traction on the turf out there." Angle was not given a spot on the team, and, thus, concentrated again on his passion, amateur wrestling. It was soon to be shown that he made the right choice.

The Olympics

Angle competed and won at the 1995 World Championships, giving him a clear road as a favorite for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games. Angle was shaken, however, in January 1996, when Dave Schultz, his trainer, was killed at the Dupont estate. Angle contined working, though, and showed up at the Olympics more ready than ever before. Things weren't going to be easy for him, as he pulled a leg muscle early in the Games. Despite this, Angle made it to the 220-lb finals, wrestling against Iran's Abbas Jadidi. It was possibly the best match of the year, going to an 8-minute overtime that required a referee's ruling. In the end, Angle's hand was raised, earning Angle the gold medal. Angle collapsed to his knees, crying for joy, and later ran around the arena, carrying an American flag.

Pro Wrestling

For the next few years after the Olympic victory, Angle spent his time in Pittsburgh, doing motivational speeches and trying his hand at sportscasting. But Angle was looking to still compete, and Vince McMahon was looking for a competitor. In October 1998, McMahon signed Angle to a five-year deal, and sent him to Dory Funk Jr's Funkin' Dojo in Connecticut. It didn't take long for Angle to learn the ropes of professional wrestling, and Angle next competed in Power Pro Wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee, where he tried out being both a face and a heel. Angle had success there, as he won the PPW Heavyweight Title in July '99, beating J.R. Smooth (later known as Rikishi). Angle only held the championship for a few weeks before losing to Steve Bradley, but it gave him a taste of professional gold, and showed that he worked as a champion.

WWF: 1999

Angle debuted as "your Olympic Hero" in the WWF on Monday Night Raw in November '99. Preaching his three "I"s (Intelligence, Integrity & Intensity), Angle immediately came across as egotistical, and was quickly booed by the fans. At the '99 Survivor Series, Angle competed in his first pay-per-view match, taking on Shawn Stasiak. During the match, fans began a "Boring" chant, which was quickly answered by Angle on the mic, claiming that the fans shouldn't be booing an Olympic champion. Angle then later beat Stasiak with his new finisher, the Olympic (Angle) Slam. Angle later finished out the year with a feud against Steve Blackman. Angle defeated Blackman at Armaggedon '99 with a belly-to-back suplex, but was attacked afterwards by Blackman and his numbchucks.

WWF: 2000

Angle had a strong winning streak, if not the fan's love, going into the new year. It was announced that Angle would face an unknown challenger at the '00 Royal Rumble. Angle was annoyed, having to face someone that he couldn't train for, but he had tremendous confidence in himself. His opponent was soon revealed as Tazz, making his own WWF debut. The two had a battle of suplexes, with both getting some close pin counts. At the end, though, it wasn't a suplex, but the Tazmission that decided things, as Angle was forced out by the chokehold. After the match, Angle was carried out on a stretcher, and later claimed that he was still undefeated, since Tazz's chokehold submission maneuver was illegal.

February '00 turned out to be a great month for the Olympic champion. Near the beginning of the month, Angle made good on his first title match, defeating Val Venis for the European Heavyweight strap. Angle, though, wasn't satisfied, and began targeting the Intercontinental Champion, Chris Jericho. Angle claimed that he would soon be the "Euro-Continental" champion. At No Way Out '00, the two met, with Chyna on the outside for Jericho. When Jericho kicked out after the Angle Slam late in the match, Angle lost it, and tried to use his title on Jericho. The ref stopped him, allowing Jericho to get his Walls of Jericho submission hold locked on. Angle managed to get to the ropes, forcing the break, then ended up on the outside, where Jericho and Angle brawled (knocking down Chyna in the process). Back in the ring, Jericho tried a moonsault, but Angle brought the belt up (which was still inside the ring) and knocked Jericho out. Angle then made the pin, gaining Jericho's Intercontinental Title to go with the European gold.

Angle continued to feud with Jericho over the next few weeks, with another top contender, Chris Benoit, becoming involved as well. The three men met at Wrestlemania 2000, in a "Two Falls Triple Threat" Match. The first person to make a pin would win the Intercontinental Title. The second person with a win gained the European Title. It was a match weighed against Angle, since he had to get two wins to stay the double champion. Before the match even started, Angle was under assault, as Benoit attacked him before he could get to the ring. The three men put on a clinic of maneuvers, from technical to brutal (such as Jericho being shoved from the top rope onto the announce table). Benoit earned the first fall (and the IC Title) by hitting his Flying Headbutt on Jericho. Angle, now one title down, became more desperate, going for (and missing) a moonsault, a new maneuver to his repetoire. During a flurry of shots, the referee was knocked down. Benoit forced Jericho to tap to his Crippler Crossface, but with no ref, the match continued. Jericho then turned things around and got the Walls of Jericho on Benoit, but Angle broke it up with a shot from the European Title. Benoit then took out Angle, then went for another Flying Headbutt, but missed, allowing Jericho to capitalize with the Lionsault to get the victory. Angle wasn't beaten in the match, yet he lost both of his titles.

Stung by his loss, Angle began to lash out, focusing his energy on the Big Show. At this point, the Big Show was dressing up in all sorts of clothing, from a Scottish kilt to wearing a towel ala Val Venis. During this time, Angle was preaching for "Abstinence", saying that it was his job as an American hero to teach kids. When the Big Show handed out condoms to kids, Angle blew up, starting to feud with the giant. Angle called the Big Show a disappointment, saying that he could be great if he actually took things seriously. At Backlash '00, Angle came out to face the Big Show, only to hear Hulk Hogan's old music. The Big Show then came out dressed in yellow & red, doing all of Hogan's old motions. Angle, annoyed, attacked the Big Show, only to have him shake off the hits (again ala Hogan), take Angle down with the big boot and nearly win with a legdrop. Angle came back soon after, getting in some hits, but this only seemed to drive the fun out of the Big Show, who destroyed Angle and used the Chokeslam to win the match.

Angle finally started to regain some momentum in the WWF in May '00, as he began to hang around with Edge & Christian. The three had like minds, and frequently interfered for each other in matches. Angle also got a victory at Insurrextion '00, beating Chris Benoit in London, England. A few weeks later, Angle teamed up with Edge & Christian to take on Too Cool & Rikishi at Judgment Day '00. Before the match, Angle joined with his teammates in insulting the Kentucky crowd, wearing straw hats and dancing around with banjos. Angle's team didn't fare as well during the match, though, with Angle taking a Stinkface from Rikishi during the bout. Although Angle's team nearly got the win with Edge hitting Scotty Too Hotty with the ring bell (the ref was down, so there was no count), Grandmaster Sexay took out Edge with the Hip Hop Drop, then rolled Scotty on top, getting his team the victory.

Going into the summer of 2000, Angle began to show his love for a special person: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. This, of course, didn't sit well with her husband, Hunter Hearst Helmsley (otherwise known as Triple H). But when problems began to brew between the couple (as well as with Linda and Vince McMahon), Angle took advantage, helping Stephanie defend the Women's Title against Lita on Raw. In the meantime, Angle entered into the '00 King of the Ring Tournament, beating Bradshaw and Bubba Ray Dudley in the qualifying rounds. At the pay-per-view, Angle faced off against Chris Jericho in the quarter-finals. Stephanie, who came out to the ring, helped out some, as she kept the referee distracted while Angle was trapped in the Walls of Jericho. She then accidentally hit Angle with the Women's Title, seemingly blowing it. But when Jericho went to kiss her, Angle took advantage, hitting the Angle Slam to win the match and move on in the tournament.

In the semi-finals, Angle faced off against surprise competitor Crash Holly. Angle underestimated him at first, almost allowing Crash to win with a big powerslam. But Angle came back, and finished Crash off with the Angle Slam, taking himself into the finals against a true heavyweight, Rikishi. Angle tried to take advantage by attacking Rikishi on the outside, but he soon lost the momentum. The fighting went back and forth, with Rikishi getting the edge long enough to hit his Stinkface on Angle. A disgusted Angle came back and got a huge Angle Slam, but only got a 2 count. Angle then tried a sunset flip on the big man, but Rikishi sat down on him, nearly winning the match. In the end, Angle caught Rikishi on the turnbuckle, then got a Belly-To-Back Superplex from the top, allowing him to get the 1-2-3 and win the King of the Ring, allowing him to call himself King Kurt.

On the next Raw, King Kurt's "coronation" was interrupted by Shawn Michaels, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and the new commissioner, Mick Foley. Triple H & Foley argued over who the #1 Contender to the Rock's World Title. When Angle came out to protest, saying that he deserved the shot due to winning the King of the Ring, Foley set up a Contenders match between Angle, Triple H, & the Rock, with the winner getting a title shot the next Smackdown (or, in the Rock's case, no match at all). At first, Angle and Helmsley worked together to try and double-team the champion. Eventually, though, the two turned against each other, as each wanted to make the pinfall for the title shot. During the brawl, Angle hit the Angle Slam on the Rock, but Helmsley made the save, then Pedigree'd Angle. Helmsley then would have gotten the win, but Stephanie unknowingly was distracting the referee at the time. Chris Jericho then ran down and took down Helmsley, allowing the Rock to get the Rock Bottom on Triple H and win the match. Thus, the Rock didn't have to defend his title the next week.

On Smackdown, an angry Angle wrestled against Hardcore Holly. During the match, Angle accidentally broke Holly's arm, putting Holly out of wrestling for a time. Although it was an accident, Angle used it, claiming that Holly disrespected him. On the next Raw, Edge & Christian were put into a non-title match against two monsters, Kane & the Undertaker. When the Undertaker was about to finish Christian, Angle ran in, hitting the Undertaker with his royal sceptor and causing the DQ. Angle then tried to apologize to the Undertaker later on, saying that he was just trying to help his friends. Angle later spilled milk all over the Undertaker's motorcycle, and again tried to apologize, but the Undertaker obviously didn't buy it, instead wanting a fight. Angle then tried to make amends by giving the Undertaker a scooter, but the Dead Man ended up throwing it off the stage. Angle later got some abuse in, hitting the Undertaker in the head with a sledgehammer. This, though, just led to a match being signed for Fully Loaded '00.

At the pay-per-view, the situation between Angle, Stephanie & Triple H continued to grow, as Angle sent flowers to Stephanie's dressing room, causing Helmsley to question his wife. Meanwhile, the Undertaker arrived at the arena on his motorcycle, and spotted Angle hanging out. The Undertaker immediately began to chase Angle across the arena, trying to get his hands on him. Later on, Angle backtracked and tried to steal the motorcycle, but the Undertaker again found him. The two came out fighting from the back, heading towards the ring, where the bell finally sounded. The Undertaker dominated the majority of the match, although Angle did get in some offense after hitting the Undertaker with a wrench. It just wasn't enough to put the Dead Man down, though, as the Undertaker finished Angle off with a chokeslam, followed by the Last Ride powerbomb.

Twenty-four hours later on Raw, Angle asked for a rematch against the Undertaker, apparently wanting a chance to redeem himself. However, it all turned out to be a set-up, as Angle, Shane McMahon & the Big Show triple-teamed the Undertaker, trying to injure his knee. Angle would team with McMahon's faction (including the Big Show, Chris Benoit, Edge & Christian) for the next few weeks. Meanwhile, problems grew worse between Stephanie & Triple H, as Helmsley was caught bending over Trish Stratus (as he was trying to show her a wrestling maneuver) that drove Stephanie away for a time. On the first Smackdown of August '00, Angle was placed in a six-man tag match with Stephanie & Helmsley against Lita & the Dudley Boyz. During the match, Stephanie was about to be Bubba-Bombed by Bubba Ray Dudley, but Angle made the save, taking Bubba out of the ring and allowing Stephanie to pin an unconscious Lita for the victory. Stephanie & Angle hugged after the match, as a furious Helmsley looked on from outside the ring.

A few days later, both Angle and Helmsley demanded a World Title shot against the Rock. Once again, they were put in a #1 Contenders Match, this time with Chris Jericho also involved. Despite the animosity between the two wrestlers, Angle and Helmsley worked together at a crucial moment, hitting a double superplex on Jerico. Both wrestlers then pinned Jericho, with the ref making the count, then raising both men's hands, naming them BOTH #1 Contender. After the match, the Rock attacked both men, hitting Rock Bottoms on both of them, as well as Stephanie. The problems continued to grow between Angle and Triple H over the next few weeks, although Stephanie & Shane McMahon tried to keep them as a team. On the Smackdown before the PPV, Angle teamed with Stephanie against Lita & the Rock. During the match, Angle accidentally knocked down Stephanie, leading Triple H to take her to the EMTs in the back. Helmsley then came back out to help Angle, only to be triple-teamed by the Hardy Boys & the Rock, while Angle headed to the back to check on Stephanie. Angle then kissed Stephanie, a long kiss, to end the show.

At Summerslam '00, Helmsley confronted Stephanie about the kiss, but she said that it meant nothing, and that Angle took advantage of her. Helmsley told her to stay away from Angle, and she agreed. Before the main event match, Angle came out to the ring, and apologized for the kiss. He apologized for not kissing her sooner. A furious Helmsley then charged the ring, and the two men brawled all around the outside, not even waiting for the third participant, the World Champion, the Rock, to make it to the ring. Helmsley drove Angle through the announce table, then brawled with the Rock for a while. Medics put Angle on a stretcher and took him out (after a few more shots from Triple H). Later on in the match, Stephanie tried to use the World Title on the Rock, but hit Helmsley instead. Shortly thereafter, Triple H told Stephanie to go to the back. Stephanie did, where she found Angle still on the stretcher, and begged him to go back out and help Helmsley. Angle said he'd do it for her, and returned to the match, where he stopped Triple H from winning. Near the end of the match, Stephanie slid the sledgehammer into the ring, which was picked up by Angle. Helmsley tried to take Angle down before he could use the weapon, but he hit Stephanie instead, knocking her out. Angle then ko'ed Helmsley, but was taken out of the ring by the Rock, who then hit the People's Elbow on Triple H for the victory, retaining his title. After the match, Angle carried Stephanie to the back, leaving Helmsley behind.

On the next Raw, Helmsley showed up alone, demanding to know where his wife, Stephanie, was. Angle appeared in the ring, and told everyone that he didn't remember what happened the night before after the match, since he had a concussion. A furious Helmsley was later comforted by Chyna, which angered Chyna's boyfriend, Eddie Guerrero. Helmsley & Guerrero got into a match, which Angle interfered during, hitting Helmsley with a chair. Angle added a shot to Guerrero for good measure. It was found out shortly thereafter that Stephanie actually spent the night with her brother, Shane, who was brutally beaten in a Hardcore match with Steve Blackman. Angle tried to use footage of Helmsley hugging Chyna to break the couple up, but Helmsley managed to explain his actions. Problems continued to grow between the two men, as Angle stayed interested in Stephanie. On the Smackdown prior to the pay-per-view, Helmsley, after winning his match, mocked Angle, by 'crying' after the victory. Angle took advantage, hitting the Olympic Slam on Triple H. When Stephanie came in to help Helmsley up, Angle slipped in and hit Helmsley in the ribs with the sledgehammer. Stephanie tried to slap Angle, but Angle moved in, getting himself a forced kiss.

Angle & Helmsley finally got their one-on-one match at Unforgiven '00, with Commissioner Mick Foley as the special referee. During the night, Angle ran into Steve Austin, who was making his return after months of absence due to being hit by a car. Angle tried to make friends, giving Austin an honorary gold medal, but Austin just ended up beating Angle to the ground. Angle later complained to Foley, but Foley was unsymphathetic, making Angle's match with Helmsley a No Disqualification bout. Before the match, Angle sang "Happy Birthday" to Stephanie, since it was her birthday that night. The match was brutal, going inside and outside the ring. Angle went after Helmsley's injured ribs, while Triple H went for whatever he could hit. At one point, Helmsley tried to Pedigree Angle through the announcer's table. But Angle got in a low blow, then suplexed Helmsley into the other table instead. The end of the match, though, was decided by Stephanie. When Triple H told her to choose, Stephanie hit a low blow on Angle, allowing Helmsley to get the Pedigree and win the match. Afterwards, Helmsley roughly kissed Stephanie (who was hovering over the downed Angle), leaving some blood on her lips, then left the ring with her.

Angle flirted briefly with Trish Stratus after his loss at Unforgiven '00, but obviously still had feelings for Stephanie, forgiving her for her actions due to Helmsley's violent behavior. On the first October '00 Raw, Angle and Helmsley faced off again, in a #1 Contenders Match. During the match, when the referee went down, Chris Benoit came out to interfere for Angle. As Benoit messed with Stephanie, Helmsley was distracted, allowing Angle to hit the Olympic Slam and win the match, getting a World Title shot against the Rock at the pay-per-view. Angle's hopes heading towards the PPV were bettered the next week, as Stephanie, upset that Helmsley wouldn't let her come with him to the ring anymore, decided to be Angle's "business manager". Thanks to Stephanie, Angle started getting some impressive victories. Angle also put together a hiliarious segment right before the PPV, where he asked questions, then had segments from other Rock interviews give the answers.

At No Mercy '00, Angle and the Rock faced off in Angle's second "No Disqualification" pay-per-view match in a row. Before the match, Hunter Hearst Helmsley warned that, if Stephanie was hurt, Angle would pay the price. The match started out brutal and continued from there, as the two men fought heavily on the outside, with any weapons they could find. Stephanie also became a factor, getting physically involved early on. She also was a distraction, keeping the referee busy while Angle tapped out to the Rock's Sharpshooter, keeping the match going. Angle got a 2 count after clocking the Rock with the World Title, but the Rock came back, getting a spinebuster, then setting Angle up for the People's Elbow. When Stephanie got in the Rock's face, the Rock gave her the Rock Bottom, then set HER up for the People's Elbow, only to have Angle block it. Helmsley then ran out to the ring and attacked Angle, fulfilling his promise. Helmsley didn't stop there, though, Pedigree'ing the Rock for touching his wife. Triple H then carried Stephanie out, taking her away. The match was later decided by more interference, this by Rikishi, the Rock's relative. Rikishi (already a bloody mess due to Steve Austin's assault) accidentally hit a superkick on the Rock. Angle then got the Olympic Slam on Rikishi, then added one for the Rock, covering him and getting the 1-2-3. Angle was now the WWF World Heavyweight Champion.

On the next Raw, Angle came out with Stephanie McMahon in a celebration for his victory. He even read a poem, but was interrupted by Commissioner Foley. Foley congratulated Angle, and gave him a hug, before telling him that Angle would have to defend the belt that night in a Triple Threat Match against Hunter Hearst Helmsley and the Rock. The match had a surprising twist early on, as Stephanie decided to be in the corner of her "business partner" rather than her husband. During the match, Angle took out Triple H with the ring bell, causing EMTs to try to take Helmsley out, with Stephanie following. Helmsley rose up off the stretcher, though, and returned. At the end of the match, Angle knocked out both Helmsley & the Rock with the title belt, then was attacked by Rikishi, who forced the DQ. Angle then tried to leave, having saved the belt, only to be attacked on the ramp by Steve Austin.

Angle survived another title defense on Smackdown against Chris Jericho, when Kane attacked Jericho to cause another DQ. Angle then continued to feud with Helmsley, fighting with him in a non-title match on Raw. For the third match in a row, Angle won by DQ, due to Triple H not heeding the commands of the referee. Helmsley Pedigree'd Angle through a table, then hammered him with a chair, while also taking out Edge & Christian, who tried to make the save. Angle's 4th DQ in a row took place on Smackdown, where he defended the World Title against the Rock. Rikishi attacked the Rock during the match, giving the referee no choice but to throw the match out. Angle & Rikishi then double-teamed the Rock, until Steve Austin made the save. Angle & Rikishi were scheduled to take on Austin & the Rock in a tag-team match on the next Raw, but when the Rock was taken out before the match, Austin had to fight them 2-on-1. Helmsley seemed to come out to help, but he turned on Austin, beating him up with a sledgehammer and sending the match to a No-Contest.

When Angle came out a few days later and talked about he should be America's hero (since he had been complaining about Helmsley for a long time), he was interrupted by the Undertaker, who challenged Angle to a title match at the Survivor Series. Angle accepted the challenge, then said that he'd defend the title on Raw against a true competitor, who said he could beat Angle with one hand tied behind his back. This turned out to be Crash Holly, who actually had to wrestle with only one hand. Angle, not surprisingly, forced him to submit, then continued to attack Crash, until Hardcore Holly (returning to action) made the save. Edge, Christian, and the Undertaker all also became involved, leading to a 6-man match at the end of the night, with the Undertaker pinning Angle to win the match.

At the Survivor Series '00, Angle assured Edge, Christian, and later Trish Stratus that he did not need help from anyone in beating the Undertaker, despite the fact that Stephanie McMahon wasn't in the building. Angle then came out confident, talking about all the greatest moments in his career in 2000. The Undertaker interrupted, though, starting the match. Angle was able to get a chair shot early on behind the ref's back, but it barely fazed the Undertaker, who came back strong, as the two fought in and out of the ring. At one point, the Undertaker made Angle tap to a submission maneuver, but Edge & Christian distracted the referee. The Undertaker then attacked Edge & Christian, then went back to work on Angle, even as the ref made the tag-team leave. At the end of the match, Angle crawled under the apron, apparently trying to escape. The Undertaker followed, pulling the man out and carrying him into the ring, where he hit the Last Ride and made the pin. But the ref refused to count, pointing out that the man was NOT Kurt Angle! A confused Undertaker was then rolled up and pinned by the real champion, who had come out from under the ring. Angle then celebrated with his brother, Eric, who had been the imposter, even as the two left the ring quickly.

The Undertaker got revenge on the Angle brothers 24 hours later, when he chokeslammed Eric, then threw Kurt off the ramp and through a table. Angle complained about the violence, with Commissioner Foley promising to put an end to it. Angle later had to defend against Steve Austin, but was helped out by a brutal attack on Austin by Helmsley. On Smackdown, Commissioner Foley made his announcement, saying that all the violence would end at Armageddon '00, where Angle would defend the World Title against Steve Austin, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Rikishi, the Undertaker & the Rock in a Hell In A Cell Match. Although Vince McMahon tried to get the match cancelled (due to the risk of one of his stars being badly injured), and although Angle protested mightily about it, the match stayed signed. Beforehand, though, Angle also defended the title at Rebellion '00, against Steve Austin, Rikishi & the Rock. Angle got the win while Austin & the Rock fought on the outside, hitting the Olympic Slam on Rikishi (whom Angle had broken an alliance with).

Angle was interviewed early on at Armageddon '00 by Lillian Garcia, where his nervousness was obvious. Angle, though, swore that he'd find a way to retain his title. Before the Hell In A Cell match, Angle seemed reluctant to enter the cage, where so many were waiting for their crack at him. Steve Austin helped him out, though, attacking him and throwing him inside. The match was as brutal as expected, with most of the wrestlers involved bleeding heavily during the fight. Angle nearly won at one point with the Olympic Slam, nailing the Rock, but Austin made the save, then hit the Stone Cold Stunner on Angle. The Undertaker broke up the pin. Vince McMahon later came down with a truck and tried to tear down the cage, but only succeeded in destroying the door before Foley (and police officers) threw him out of the building. The fighting poured out of the cage, with Angle taking some brutal shots from the Undertaker. To escape, Angle climbed the cage, with the Undertaker following. After some harrowing moments on the cage roof, Angle climbed back down, while Rikishi was thrown off into the truck by the Undertaker. At the end, Austin hit the Stunner on the Rock, then was attacked by Triple H, allowing a bloody Angle to slip in and cover the Rock for the victory, staying the champion. Afterwards, as Angle started to celebrate, Austin Stunned him to end the night.

Angle finished out the year with a mini-feud with Commissioner Foley, who placed Angle in a title defense against another former champion: Vince McMahon. McMahon and Angle turned it on Foley, though, beating him down with the help of Edge & Christian. Stephanie McMahon then announced that, since her mother Linda was "incapacitated" (due to them giving her drugs), Vince was the sole CEO, giving him the power to fire Foley as Commissioner. Angle later celebrated the Christmas Raw with all of his brothers, who helped him beat down Chris Jericho, until the Dudley Boyz made the save. During this time, problems began to build between Stephanie McMahon and Trish Stratus, who was "seeing" her father, Vince. Since Stephanie was sticking with Helmlsey, Angle began to partner up with Trish, since he was buddying up with Vince at the time.

WWF: 2001

A tournament was put together by Stephanie McMahon at the beginning of the year, to choose a #1 Contender to Angle's World Title. Through a strange set of matches, Steve Austin won the shot, taking on Angle on Raw. The match was furious, and included attempted interference from William Regal on Austin (which failed). At the end, Austin hit the Stunner on Angle, but the count was broken up by a returning Triple H, who pulled out the referee and knocked him unconscious, sending the match to a No-Contest. Afterwards, Helmlsey put Austin through the announcer's table, laying him out. Vince McMahon later announced Helmsley (his son-in-law) as the new #1 Contender, setting up a match between Angle and Triple H at the next pay-per-view. Helmsley claimed that the only reason Angle had held the title so long was because Triple H's attention was on other things. Now Helmsley was ready to collect. Angle answered, in a way, by choosing Trish Stratus to be in her corner opposite Stephanie.

The match-up between Angle & Helmsley at the '01 Royal Rumble was another wild affair, made mostly because of the women at ringside. The fighting was furious, both inside and outside the ropes. When Triple H put on a Figure Four leglock on Angle, Trish tried to help him escape, but Stephanie attacked her, leading to a catfight between the women. Surprisingly, Vince McMahon came down to break them up, carrying Trish to the back, with Stephanie following, still trying to attack her. The fight distracted Helmsley, allowing Angle to get back in the match. During the action, the referee was knocked out, allowing Angle to try to hit Triple H with the title. But Angle missed, and Helmsley got the Pedigree. With the ref down, though, there was no count. Steve Austin then came out to get revenge on Triple H, hitting him with the title, then landing the Stone Cold Stunner. Afterwards, a hurting Angle made the pinfall, getting another title defense to go with his gold medals.

Angle fought in a mixed-tag match the next night with Trish Stratus against Triple H & Stephanie. The match was decided when Helmsley Pedigree'd Trish, allowing Stephanie to pin her. A few days later, an angry Vince McMahon complained about how Trish was treated, and although Angle tried to suck up to him and apologize, Vince put him in a title defense against Kane. Angle was dominated by the Big Red Machine for a while, but got some help from Rikishi & Haku, who were feuding with Kane. Haku's superkick knocked Kane out, allowing Angle to get the pin and win the match. Angle next had to contend with the Rock, who had won a 4-Corners Contenders Match. Triple H also got into the match, thanks to a distracted Vince (who was rushing off to see Trish). Angle still won the match, when he hit a low blow on Helmsley when the ref was down. Steve Austin, who was at ringside, made the ref's hand count to 3, giving Angle the win. Angle still continued to have problems with the Rock, though, and a match was signed between the two for the February pay-per-view.

Angle tried to get things started quickly at No Mercy '01, by taking a swing at the Rock with the World Title. The Rock ducked, though, then took Angle down with a clothesline. The two great athletes switched momentum frequently, with Angle getting on the Ankle Lock early on only to have the Rock escape to the ropes. The Rock similarly nearly won with the Sharpshooter, but Angle managed to get out. The match was later interrupted by the Big Show, who chokeslammed the ref, Angle, and the Rock before leaving. More referees came out and decided to let the match continue. The Rock scored with his People's Elbow, but Angle kicked out. Angle then came back once more, using an exposed turnbuckle to stun the Rock and land the Olympic Slam. The Rock somehow got a shoulder up, though, then returned the favor by slamming Angle's head into the metal 'buckle. Two Rock Bottoms later, the Rock finally got the World Title away from Angle, getting the 1-2-3.

Angle tried to get revenge on the Rock the next Raw, when they fought in a Triple Threat Match, with the Hardcore Champion, the Big Show, as the third man. While the Big Show was fighting off various hardcore challengers, Angle got the Rock in the Ankle Lock, threatening to break his ankle, until Steve Austin made the save, hitting the Stunner on Angle. Angle continued to show his rage in the coming weeks, taking out his anger at losing the title on guys like Scotty Too Hotty, breaking his ankle. Angle later gained a rematch for the World Title against the Rock on Raw, but his anger got the best of him, as he wouldn't release the Ankle Lock even though the Rock had reached the ropes. Angle was DQ'ed, but still wouldn't let go. When Debra (the Rock's assigned manager at the time) came in, Angle attacked her as well, locking on the Ankle Lock on her. Steve Austin, Debra's husband, rushed the ring and took out Angle, then nailed the Rock as well for letting Debra get hurt.

Angle's problems with the Rock and Austin led him to start teaming up with another "crippler", Chris Benoit. At one point during a tag match, Angle put his Ankle Lock on the Rock, while Benoit locked on his Crippler Crossface. Still, problems existed between the two, each of whom believed they were the best technical wrestlers in the WWF. A week before Wrestlemania, Angle came out and complained about not having a match, despite main-eventing the last PPV. Benoit then came out and said that he was tired of Angle's whining, and that since he didn't have a match either, he would challenge Angle, who accepted. The two then fought it out, with Benoit making Angle tap to the Crossface until Edge & Christian made the save. Angle continued to claim afterwards that he didn't actually tap out, and got some revenge on Benoit with the Ankle Lock on Smackdown.

At Wrestlemania X-7, Angle was shown in the back with Edge & Christian, obsessively watching the video from Raw of Benoit's Crossface. Angle still said that he didn't tap, that he never taps. In the match, Angle and Benoit started off with some mat wrestling, going back and forth to the cheers of the crowd. When Benoit started to get the edge, though, Angle turned to brawling, slugging Benoit and knocking him out of the ring. The two fought outside for a while, then came back in, where Benoit used both the Ankle Lock and the Crossface on Angle, who escaped both times. Angle then came back with a Crossface of his own on Benoit, who managed to get a foot on the ropes. The referee was later taken out accidentally by Angle, who was then put back in the Crossface by Benoit. Angle tapped, but there was no referee. Angle later got the Olympic Slam for a 2 count, then opted to try his top-rope moonsault, but landed on Benoit's knees. Benoit nearly won with the Swandive Headbutt, with Angle barely kicking out. Angle then pulled a fast one, kicking Benoit and rolling him up with a handful of tights to end the match, winning at Wrestlemania for the first time. Angle celebrated in the back later on, only to be ambushed by Benoit and locked up in the Crossface again.

Angle continued to have problems with Chris Benoit over the next few weeks, while also contending for some gold by fighting Kane in a Hardcore Title Match (which Kane won). Angle also helped out Commissioner William Regal in fighting Chris Jericho, trying to break Jericho's ankle at times, with Benoit making the save. A week before the pay-per-view, Angle & Regal teamed up in a "Tag Submissions" Match against Benoit & Jericho. Many submissions were used, including Angle putting the Ankle Lock on Jericho. But when Angle was busy outside fighting Jericho, Benoit was able to put Regal in the Crippler Crossface and win the match. However, Angle & Regal got revenge on Smackdown, winning a tag-team match under "Dutchess of Queensbury" Rules (a DQ was reversed by Regal).

At Backlash '01, Angle and Benoit fought in an "Ultimate Submission" Match. Whoever got the most submissions in 30 minutes would be the winner, and prove who was the better technical wrestler. Not surprisingly, both men started out trying for their finishers. Benoit put Angle in the Crossface outside the ring, making Angle tap, but it didn't count in the totals. Angle then tried to use a chair, but was stopped by the referee. Angle later got the first submission, using a knee lock to force Benoit to tap. But Benoit came back, and used a cross-armbreaker to tie things up. However, Benoit lost all the momentum when the referee got knocked down. Angle used a chair on Benoit, then applied the Ankle Lock for a submission. Angle followed almost immediately with the Crippler Crossface, putting him up 3-1 in the contest. For a while, Angle dominated Benoit, both in and out of the ring. But Benoit wasn't through, getting a series of submission maneuvers and finishing Angle off with a half-crab. Angle stalled for time afterwards, trying to run out the clock and hang onto his lead. But with only a few minutes left, Benoit got the Ankle Lock, tying it all up at 3. With time running out, Angle recovered and got his own Ankle Lock applied, with Benoit tapping out after the clock ended. The referee ruled that the score was still 3-3, and that the match must continue until there was a winner. A frustrated Angle was left open, and Benoit used the Crippler Crossface to win the match.

An angry Angle showed up at Raw saying that Benoit had cheated the night before, since, according to IOC rules, Benoit's tapping to the Ankle Lock should have counted (since overtime starts as soon as the match ends). Angle accepted the loss, though, saying that at least he was still a gold medalist, something that Benoit could never achieve. Benoit interrupted Angle, saying that Angle would never live down his loss to the Rabid Wolverine. The two then brawled, with Benoit putting Angle in the Crossface, then taking Angle's gold medals for himself. Angle would chase Benoit for his medals over the next few shows, including facing Benoit in a "3 Falls" Match at Insurrextion '01. Benoit told Angle that the medals were in a very safe place before the match. The fighting, as expected from these two, was furious, with Benoit scoring the first fall after his Swandive headbutt. Later on, after Angle escaped the Crossface, Benoit rolled him up for the win, surprisingly beating Angle twice in a row. After the match, a gloating Benoit showed Angle where the "safe" place was, pulling the gold medals out of his pants.

Angle, with the help of Commissioner Regal, chose to fight Benoit at Judgment Day '01 in a "Three Falls/Styles" Match. The first match was scheduled as "pinfalls only". The match was decided after Angle missed a top-rope maneuver, allowing Benoit to hit the Angle Slam for the victory. The second portion was a "Submissions" Match, with both men trying for each other's submission hold. Benoit dominated for a while with a series of leg submission holds, but Angle fought back with the Angle Slam, followed by the Ankle Lock, evening the series at one all. Finally, the two men squared off in a "Ladder" Match, with the gold medals hanging from above. Multiple ladders came into play, and many violent maneuvers were performed. Benoit managed to get the upper hand by putting Angle in the Crossface, but Edge & Christian then came to the ring and attacked, beating on Benoit until Angle could climb the ladder and reclaim his gold medals, winning the match.

Angle had a medal ceremony on Raw, complete with an Olympic stand for him to stand on. The ceremony was interrupted, though, by Shane McMahon, who wanted to talk about his company, WCW. Angle, annoyed at someone disturbing his time, put Shane-o-Mac in the Ankle Lock, then left the ring. Later on, Vince McMahon rewarded Angle by giving him an IC Title shot against Kane, only to have Shane interfere and help Kane win. Angle next had a mini-feud with Spike Dudley, slamming him into a locker with the Olympic Slam at one point. Angle soon, though, became interested in other things, as the '01 King of the Ring Tournament was on the horizon. As the last year's champion, Angle wanted to repeat, keeping the crown. Angle beat Hardcore Holly in the preliminaries, then took down Jeff Hardy in a grueling match to reach the semi-finals at the pay-per-view. However, Angle was also interested in Shane McMahon, signing to fight him in a "Street Fight", making it a possibility of Angle fighting in three matches at the pay-per-view.

The tension was high in Angle's locker room at the '01 King of the Ring, since his buddies Edge, Christian, and Rhyno were the other three semi-finalists. Angle faced Christian in the semi-finals, with the two putting aside their friendship in the quest for the crown. The two had a hard-fought match, with Shane McMahon coming to ringside to distract Angle. However, when Christian hit his finisher and made the cover, Shane-o-Mac pulled Christian off, allowing Angle to get the Olympic Slam for the victory. This moved him into the finals against Edge. Before the final match, Angle apologized to Edge for some comments that were made, then shook his hand. Angle then asked Edge to forfeit, allowing Angle to stay fresh for his match against Shane. Edge disagreed, punching him and kicking him down in the corner. The two fought back and forth, with Christian distracting the referee at one point when it seemed Edge had the win. Later on, Angle got the Ankle Lock on Edge, but the referee had been knocked down. Shane McMahon then ran in and speared Angle, allowing Edge to get the Edge-o-Matic for the victory, costing Angle the crown.

Later on that night, Angle faced off against Shane in the Street Fight match. Angle's fatigue from fighting two other matches showed early on, with Shane opening a cut above Angle's eye, bringing some blood into the mix. Shane later took advantage with his kendo stick, wearing Angle down. But when Shane missed a shooting star press onto a trash can, Angle came back, fighting with Shane up the aisleway and suplexing him twice into a window, finally sending Shane through the glass. Both men were now bloody, suffering from a myriad of cuts and scrapes. Shane later almost won with the Olympic Slam, but Angle fought back, and delivered some massive punishment, before putting up a piece of wood in the corner for some balance. He then lifted Shane-o-Mac onto the 'platform' and did a huge Olympic Slam off of it for the victory, his second win of the night in three matches. Afterwards, Angle headed to the back, while the crowd gave Shane McMahon a standing ovation for the abuse he took.

On the next night, Shane-o-Mac announced that WCW was invading the WWF, and that Booker T would be leading the charge. Angle, who was hanging out with Steve Austin and Vince McMahon at the time, went with Austin to the New York restaurant where the two men appeared to be, but Shane & Booker T actually came back to the arena, where they attacked Vince. Throughout the month of July, Angle joined (reluctantly) with Austin and other members of the WWF roster to fight against the WCW invasion, which was made even more dangerous when many former ECW wrestlers reformed and allied themselves with the WCW wrestlers, creating the Alliance. At one point, Angle nearly won the WCW World Title from Booker T, only to have the WCW referee, Nick Patrick, screw him over and allow Booker T to cheat out a victory, saving his title.

At WWF Invasion, Angle allied himself with Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Kane & the Undertaker, facing off against Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rhyno & the Dudley Boyz. The match started off with a brawl between all participants, which worked right into Austin's favor. Austin dominated the early going, but most of the wrestlers were tagged in at one point or another. Angle was tagged in by a hurting Jericho during the match, and cleaned house for a while, suplexing both Dudleys. But Angle later took a beating by many of the Alliance members, including the Dudley Boy headdrop and DDP's Diamond Cutter. Angle managed to tag in Austin, but the referee didn't see it and didn't let it happen. A brawl soon broke out again, with all groups splitting to various parts of the arena. The Undertaker and DDP even fought to the back. Many people went through tables on the outside, as Angle was double-teamed by Booker T & Bubba Ray Dudley. Angle fought back, though, hitting the Angle Slam on Bubba Ray, then putting the Ankle Lock on Booker T. Austin then threw a referee into the ring, apparently to count Booker T's submission. But Austin attacked Angle, hitting the Stone Cold Stunner and helping Booker T get the win. Austin had betrayed the WWF and joined the Alliance, taking the WWF World Title with him.

On the next Raw, Austin justified his actions by saying that Vince McMahon didn't respect him enough. Austin believed that Vince cared more for the returning Rock, as well as Angle, who had "stolen" Vince. A furious Angle came down to the ring and brawled with Austin, kicking him out of the ring. Angle then told Vince that he would be the leader of the WWF now that Austin had left. On Smackdown, Angle proved that he could be the leader, in a fight against the WCW World Champ, Booker T. When Angle had Booker T on the ropes, Alliance members ran out to interfere, with Kanyon hitting Angle with a chair. WWF wrestlers cleared out the Alliance members, settling things back down, but only for a while, as Steve Austin ran in when Angle got Booker T in the Ankle Lock. Austin hit the Stunner on Angle, then left the ring, as Booker T did his Spinaroony. But Angle surprised Booker T with another Ankle Lock, forcing him to tap out. Angle, thus, had taken out some of the Alliance's momentum by winning the WCW World Heavyweight Title.

Unfortunately, Angle's title reign only lasted a few days, as Booker T regained the belt the next Raw thanks to a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin, who then ran from the arena. Angle took out part of his anger on Austin's wife, Debra, telling her to her face that her cookies sucked. Angle then went after Booker T, who was celebrating in the Alliance locker room.As the heart of the WWF at this time, Angle also associated a lot with the Rock, who had come back and rejoined the WWF. In a hiliarious scene, Angle gave the Rock a glass of milk, which the Rock promptly took the glass, turned it sideways, and drank it down, showing that the two were together on the war against the Alliance. Still, things seemed more serious in the few shows leading up to the pay-per-view, as Angle dearly wanted to get his hands on Austin. Angle had to deal with a sore ankle, though, after Austin jammed it between a chair at one show, then jumped off the turnbuckle onto it.

At Summerslam '01, Angle & Austin couldn't wait to fight, immediately starting to brawl in the aisle. Austin worked over Angle's ankle at first, focusing on the injury, but Angle had his own focus, hitting 7 German Suplexes in a row. Still, Austin dominated the early going, including hitting a superplex, followed by the Stone Cold Stunner. The pin attempt only got two, though, and when Austin followed up with a 2nd Stunner, Angle rolled out of the ring. Austin brutally attacked Angle on the outside, ramming him repeatedly into the ringpost, bloodying him. Soon, Angle was wearing a crimson mask, bleeding heavily from his forehead. Angle still had some of his instincts, though, grabbing Austin on the outside barricade and applying the Ankle Lock. When the ref told him that he couldn't win from there, Angle threw Austin back into the ring, then applied the Ankle Lock again, only to have Austin make it to the ropes. Austin later got a 3rd Stunner, but Angle kicked out again, then came back with the Angle Slam. This is where Austin got desperate, attacking 3 WWF referees in a row when they came down. Angle then got the Angle Slam again, with Nick Patrick running to the ring. But Patrick ended the match rather than count the pinfall, saying that Austin was DQ'ed for hitting the refs. This gave Angle the win, but kept him from getting the title. A nearly insane Angle attacked Patrick, putting him in the Ankle Lock, before walking away from the ring in disbelief.

The Alliance celebrated Austin's "victory" on the next Raw, calling it "Austin Appreciation Night". All of the Alliance came to the ring at the end of the show, showering Austin with gifts (including an awful song from Stephanie McMahon). Angle broke up the party, though, driving down to ring in a milk truck. Angle threw some milk cartons at the Alliance members, then grabbed a hose and sprayed all of them with milk, especially Austin. Angle then chugged a couple of milks (just like Austin does with beers), before departing. On the next Raw, Angle & Chris Jericho were scheduled to take on Austin & Rob Van Dam. But Austin, claiming a shoulder injury, placed Raven as RVD's partner. Angle, not accepting the decision, attacked Raven before the match, badly injuring his ankle. But Austin still refused to wrestle, putting Tazz in instead. Angle & Jericho won the match, with Angle nailing Tazz with the Angle Slam. But Austin attacked Angle after the match, beating him down and stealing Angle's gold medals.

Angle tried to track down Austin on the next Smackdown, but Austin continually ran away, leaving the arena. After Angle won a match over Booker T at the end of the night, Austin appeared on the Titon Tron, telling Angle that he needed to beg to get a title shot, and to get his medals back. When Angle refused, Austin tied the medals to a cinderblock and threw them into the river. On the first Raw of September '01, Austin bragged about what he had done, with the Alliance getting Austin a present for his actions: a new truck. But as Austin was admiring the truck, Angle attacked him with a steel pipe, then threw Austin into the truck, as well as a cinderblock, and drove away. Angle took Austin to a bridge and tied him to the cinderblock, threatening to throw Austin off just like Austin did with Angle's medals. Austin yelled that Angle didn't want to do this, and Angle agreed, saying that he needed to find a higher bridge. Eventually, Angle & Austin were shown again, with Austin apologizing like crazy. Angle eventually got him to beg, then cry, then finally give Angle a WWF Title shot at the next pay-per-view. Angle then pushed Austin over into the kiddie pool that was set up behind him, fulfilling his promise to toss Austin in the water.

Unforgiven '01 was held in Pittsburgh, Angle's hometown, so his entire family came out to see him. The match between Angle & Austin started out the same as the previous one, as they fought on the ramp before even making it to the ring. Angle controlled the match early on, hitting Austin so many times that Austin tried to take his title and walk away. Angle naturally chased him down and threw him off the stage, before carrying him back to the ring. The two fought on the outside for a long while, with Austin continually suplexing Angle onto the Spanish announce table. The two eventually fought back into the ring, where Angle delivered a Stunner on Austin, and Austin later got the Angle Slam on Angle. At the end, Austin seemed to have things wrapped up after a piledriver, but he wanted to hit the Stunner to end it. Angle countered the Stunner, though, and applied the Ankle Lock, forcing Austin to tap out in front of Angle's family. For the 2nd time, Angle was the WWF World Heavyweight Champion.

Over the next few weeks, Angle successfully defended his title against guys like Booker T and Shane McMahon, while Steve Austin continuously failed to turn up. Austin claimed that, since he had managed to grab the ropes while he was tapping out, the match should not have ended, and he should still be the World Champion. Austin sent in faxes at one point, demanding that the title be returned to him. Shane McMahon then set up a match between Angle and Rob Van Dam, with the stipulation that, if Angle won, he'd get a shot at unifying the WCW/WWF Titles, but if RVD won, Angle would have to defend against Austin on Raw. Thanks to Shane hitting Angle with a chair, RVD got the win. On the next Raw, Angle went against Austin, with the title on the line. Commissioner William Regal also made a rule that no Alliance members could be at ringside, and he stayed there to make sure they stayed away. However, when the referee was down, Regal pulled the WWF Title away from Austin, then hit Angle with it! Austin used this advantage to hit the Stunner on Angle and steal away the WWF World Title, taking it back to the Alliance.

Angle demanded a rematch for the title at the next pay-per-view, with Austin reluctant to give it to him. But when Regal was fired from the Commissionership due to leaving the WWF, a new Commissioner was appointed: Mick Foley. Foley quickly had an impact, making a Triple Threat Match for the PPV, between Austin, Angle, and Rob Van Dam. RVD had been having problems with Austin in the Alliance, as Van Dam had been more of an influence as a leader in the locker room. On one show, he had the chance to drop his Five Star Frog Splash on either Angle or Austin, and chose to hit Angle, helping Austin win the match. But in another match, after Austin had berated him for talking with Vince McMahon, RVD got the Frog Splash on Austin, showing that the pay-per-view was wide open, with no major double-teaming.

At first at No Mercy '01, Angle was double-teamed by Austin & RVD. But Austin broke that up by flipping Van Dam the bird, making it a true Triple Threat Match. Van Dam put a new element into the Angle/Austin feud, bringing his high-flying antics to the match-up. At one point, RVD somersaulted over the ropes and hit both men, then later put a leg drop on Austin on the announce table. In one series, Austin got the Stunner on Angle, but RVD was there, hitting a split-legged moonsault on Austin, followed by Angle getting his Angle Slam on Van Dam, with Austin breaking up the cover. Vince McMahon was also part of the match, smacking Austin in the back with a chair and nearly helping RVD win, with Angle breaking it up. Angle then nearly got the win on RVD with another Angle Slam, but Shane McMahon broke it up, taking Angle to the outside. Austin then got the Stunner on RVD and pinned him for the victory, retaining his title.

It was announced on the next Raw by Vince McMahon that the WWF/Alliance war would end at Survivor Series, with two teams going at it. During the night, Angle was shown talking with Edge about what had happened at No Mercy. But the talk ended when Rhyno appeared out of nowhere and Gored Edge into a garage door! Angle was held back by officials, then went to help Edge. Due to the attack, WWF Commissioner Mick Foley placed Angle in a match against Rhyno, with Rhyno's US Title on the line. The two fought a tough match, with Rhyno even Goring Angle out of the ring at one point. But Angle managed to reverse a move into the Ankle Lock, forcing Rhyno to tap out. Angle, thus, earned some revenge on the Alliance, taking away their WCW United States Championship.

WCW/ECW Alliance: 2001

A week later, Angle was brought out as part of the WWF's Survivor Series team, along with Chris Jericho, the Rock, the Undertaker & Kane. However, Shane McMahon came out and bragged that one of the men in the ring would be turning on the WWF that night. Angle was seen later in Steve Austin's dressing room, trying to find out from him who the traitor was (leading Angle to a confrontation with the Rock). Angle also defended the US Title against WCW Commissioner William Regal, winning out with the Ankle Lock. At the end of the night, the WWF team rushed the ring to battle with the Alliance members. Angle was last out, with a steel chair, but he surprisingly used it on Jericho, then attacked the rest of the WWF members, showing that Angle was the turncoat. Angle then helped Shane-o-Mac win his "Street Fight" Match with his father, Vince, and celebrated with the Alliance, joining the faction that he had feuded with for months. Later on, it was announced that Austin had actually NOT thrown Angle's gold medals off the bridge a few months back, and that, as a reward for joining the Alliance, Austin gave them back to Angle.

At the Rebellion '01 pay-per-view, Angle tried to win the WCW World Title from Chris Jericho, but lost when Jericho got a quick roll-up for the win. Afterwards, an angry Angle hit two Angle Slams on Jericho, then left him in the ring. At the end of the night, Angle interfered during Austin's WWF World Title defense against the Rock, tripping the Rock and helping Austin retain the belt. Austin later repaid the favor by helping Angle keep the WCW US Title on Raw in a match-up against the Undertaker, as Austin caused the DQ. However, problems began to develop between Austin and the rest of the Alliance, as Vince McMahon insinuated that Austin would be betraying the Alliance team at the pay-per-view. The problem grew when Austin hit the Stone Cold Stunner on Angle after a tag-team match, apparently because of Angle's lack of trust in him. When Angle came out on the next Raw to demand an apology, Edge came out instead, insulting his former friend and asking for a US Title shot, which Angle granted him. Angle had the advantage late in the match, as he went for the Ankle Lock, but Kane's music hit, distracting him. Edge then Speared Angle and pinned him for the victory, taking away the US Title. After the match, Kane came to the ring and brutally attacked Angle, trying to break his ankle, before Alliance members came to his aid.

Angle teamed up with Austin, Rob Van Dam, Booker T & Shane McMahon for the Alliance side of the '01 Survivor Series "Winner Takes All" Match. They took on the Rock, the Undertaker, Kane, Chris Jericho & the Big Show. The first elimination took out the giant, as the Big Show was hit by RVD's Five Star Frog Splash, followed by Shane McMahon's elbow drop, then pinned. Shane was the next to fall, though, taken out by Jericho's Lionsault. A brawl then broke out, with RVD taking advantage of the situation, eliminating Kane with a Missile Dropkick. Later on, Angle was in trouble against the Undertaker, but Austin interfered, hitting the Stunner on the Undertaker, with Angle making the pin, giving the Alliance a 4-on-2 advantage. The Rock worked to bring things back to the WWF, rolling up Booker T for the quick elimination. Jericho then took out RVD with a massive face-slam, making things even again. Things got worse for the Alliance when Angle quickly tapped out to the Rock's Sharpshooter. But Austin still had something left, catching Jericho with the Stunner and making it Austin vs. the Rock, 1-on-1. With both referees in the match knocked down, Austin countered the Rock Bottom into another Stunner. But when Austin went to revive a ref, Angle suddenly returned to the ring, hitting Austin with his WWF World Title! The Rock then got the Rock Bottom for the victory, thus eliminating the Alliance! Angle celebrated outside the ring, as the night ended.

WWF: 2001

Angle continued to brag about being the 'savior' of the WWF on the next Raw, even going to the Rock's dressing room to get a "thank you". The Rock refused, however, still remembering Angle hitting him with a chair. This led to a match between the two, with the Rock's World Championship (formerly the WCW strap) on the line. Angle again had a great match with a bad ending, as the Rock rolled him up for the pinfall. Angle attacked the Rock after the match, but was Rock Bottomed. Chris Jericho then rushed the ring and ambushed the Rock, allowing Angle to get in some shots as well. Later in the night, a sulking Angle talked to Vince McMahon about how no one appreciated him for what he did. McMahon told Angle to come to the ring with him, bringing along Steve Austin's WWF Heavyweight Title. McMahon announced that, since Austin was not there, he was going to strip him of the title, apparently giving it to Angle. But before McMahon could finish, Ric Flair came out, announcing that McMahon's children had sold their stocks to him, making Flair and McMahon business partners. Flair then brought out Austin, who attacked Angle and took back his title, as Angle & McMahon fled the ring.

Angle continued to feud with both Austin and the Rock over the next few weeks, as well as a few confrontations with Chris Jericho. The four men were named the top contenders for the unification of the two World Titles, in a two-match tournament at Vengeance '01. Angle fought against Austin in the first match, with Austin's title on the line. Although Angle came close multiple times, he couldn't put the Rattlesnake away, allowing Austin to surprise him with a Stunner and get the victory. Austin moved on in the tournament to face Chris Jericho, who had beaten the Rock earlier in the night. Angle tried to help Jericho, hitting Austin with a steel chair before the match. Angle then was chased away by the Rock. Austin came back from Angle's interference, but couldn't survive additional problems from Booker T, as Chris Jericho won the Unified World Titles.

On the next Raw, Angle put his title loss behind him and came out with a challenge for Rikishi. Angle wanted to get revenge for Rikishi's actions the week before, when Rikishi gave the Stinkface to Vince McMahon. Angle's plans backfired, though, when Rikishi tried for the Stinkface on him as well. Angle rolled out of the ring and stayed away, getting counted out. Afterwards, Angle attacked Rikishi during the big man's dance celebration, but Rikishi took him down, then applied the Stinkface, embarrassing Angle. But shortly thereafter, a furious Angle brought a chair back to the ring and viciously struck Rikishi again and again, knocking him cold. On Smackdown, Angle continued to fight against Rikishi, as he teamed up with William Regal to face Rikishi & Edge. Angle's team lost, though, when Regal was speared by Edge and pinned. After the match, Regal tried to use his brass knuckles on Rikishi, but missed, hitting Angle instead. Regal was then knocked down and Stinkfaced.

Angle's small war with Rikishi continued on Raw, with Angle & Yest winning a tag-team match over Rikishi & Edge, due to Angle taking out Edge with the Angle Slam. This earned Angle an Intercontinental Title shot against Edge on Smackdown, but Angle was disqualified after pulling the ref in front of him to block a Spear attempt. Angle couldn't believe it, and took out his frustration on Edge, putting him in the Ankle Lock and trying to break Edge's ankle. During the Christmas edition of Raw, Angle got another title shot, fighting in a Triple Threat Match with the Undisputed Champion, Chris Jericho, and the Rock. In the end, Angle nailed the Rock with a DDT off of a steel chair, but Jericho took full advantage, quickly covering the Rock for the 3 count, stealing the win from Angle. The Olympic Hero finished out 2001 by teaming with Lance Storm against the Rock & Rob Van Dam. The match was very balanced, with Angle's teammate being the weak point, as the Rock scored the People's Elbow on Storm and got the victory.

WWF: 2002

The first Raw of 2002 was hyped highly, because of the return of Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Angle was upset by this, complaining to anyone he could find that Triple H's return wasn't a big deal. Angle even made a hilarious comment about Helmsley's torn quad: "I tear my quad all the time, I tore it this morning, and I'm still here!" At the end of the night, when Helmsley came out to the cheers of the fans and officially entered his name in the Royal Rumble match, Angle came out as well, and proclaimed his own entry in the Rumble. Angle also talked about how, for the last Rumble, he was pinning Helmlsey's shoulders to the mat. When asked what he thought about that, Helmsley attacked Angle, and the two fought back and forth, before Helmsley knocked Angle out with the Pedigree. Helmsley then posed over Angle's unconscious body before leaving the ring, to the cheers of the crowd.

A few days later, on Smackdown, Angle challenged Steve Austin to a match, out of anger about Austin's "What" catchphrase that kept interrupting Angle's speeches. During the brawl of a match they had, however, Kane came out to the ring and attacked Austin, chokeslamming him and officially ending their match as a "No-Contest". Angle attacked Austin after the match, figuring that Kane was on his side, but he was mistaken, as Kane chokeslammed Angle as well. The Big Show then came down and attacked Kane, landing a chokeslam on him as well. But the Big Show was then taken out by Triple H, who Pedigreed the giant. Helmsley then celebrated in the ring over the bodies of all the wrestlers, as the Undertaker watched from the stage, taking in all of the top contenders in the big match.

At the '02 Royal Rumble, Angle drew a very favorable number, coming out as #26. Angle immediately went to work on both Steve Austin and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, doing his best to eliminate them. The final four came down to Angle, Austin, Helmsley and Mr. Perfect. The Olympic Hero got the Angle Slam on Helmsley, putting him down for a time, then aided Mr. Perfect against Austin. When Austin tried to toss Mr. Perfect over the top rope, Angle came up from behind and tossed Austin instead, eliminating one of the major players in the Rumble. Austin tried to get revenge by taking Mr. Perfect outside, but Angle followed, and the two beat on Austin again before reentering the ring to double-team Helmsley. But Austin wasn't done, entering the ring and nailing all 3 finalists with chair shots before departing. Afterwards, Angle and Mr. Perfect broke their partnership, with Mr. Perfect getting his Perfect-Plex on Angle. Helmsley, though, then eliminated Perfect with a clothesline, leaving only 2. Angle nearly won by tossing Helmsley, but Triple H grabbed the ropes and hung on, coming back into the ring, where Angle was celebrating. Helmsley took him down, then tossed Angle to win the Rumble, giving Angle the dubious honor of being runner-up.

Angle, still angry about the way he had lost the Rumble, joined with Chris Jericho in attacking Triple H on the next Raw. The Rock made the save, leading to Angle & Jericho facing Triple H & the Rock in a tag-team match later on. Problems with teamwork cost Angle and Jericho, though, as Jericho accidentally hit Angle with a ring bell. The Rock then caught Jericho with the Rock Bottom, winning the match. On Smackdown, Angle faced the Rock in the semi-finals of the #1 Contenders Tournament. Thanks in part to interference from both Jericho and the Undertaker, Angle got the win. This sent him to Raw to face Steve Austin, with the winner getting the title shot against Jericho at the next pay-per-view. Angle was so interested in the shot, he even begged Austin to hit him with a chair at one point, so Angle would win via DQ. Austin refused, but Angle himself used the chair later on when the ref was down, nearly getting the win. Later on, after another big move, Angle seemed to get the 3 count, but the ref waved it off, since Austin's foot was on the ropes. As Angle complained, Austin caught him with the Stunner, winning the match and keeping Angle from the title shot.

A frustrated Angle went into a tag-team match with the Undertaker against Triple H & the Rock on the next Smackdown. After a rough match, Angle got caught by Triple H's Pedigree. But the Undertaker then entered the ring and nailed Triple H with a chair, causing the DQ. While the Dead Man and the Rock brawled outside the ring, Angle took advantage of the situation, seizing Triple H in the Ankle Lock and refusing to let go, even applying it again on the ramp. Angle continued his assault the next week, attacking Triple H during his match with Booker T on Raw and giving him the Angle Slam. When Triple H tried to get to Angle afterwards, he found Angle standing behind a group of security guards, with Angle bragging about he and Triple H wrestling at the next pay-per-view, with co-owner Vince McMahon having put Triple H's Wrestlemania Title shot on the line!

In the meantime, Triple H was also having marital issues with his wife, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. When it was announced by Stephanie that she was pregant, Angle took it upon himself to become involved again, wheeling a baby carriage out to the ring. He mocked the Game, bringing out a monkey 'baby' doll with a false nose attached. Triple H soon responded by attacking Angle, then throwing the carriage at him. Due to Triple H angering Vince McMahon later on, Angle teamed with Jericho in a "Handicap" Match against Triple H. The odds helped immensely, with Angle catching Triple H from behind with an Angle Slam onto a chair for the victory. After the match, Stephanie came out to check on her husband, putting her in harm's way, as Triple H, Angle, and Jericho continued to fight. When Triple H hugged his wife, Angle shoved him from behind, making him fall on top of Stephanie, injuring her. On the next Raw, though, it was revealed that Stephanie actually wasn't pregnant; she was using it to keep Triple H happy. This ended the marriage, leading to Vince & Stephanie basically allying with Kurt against Triple H.

At No Way Out '02, Angle had the edge, as Vince named Stephanie the special guest referee. Obviously, Stephanie was biased against her ex-husband, giving Angle all the breaks. However, when Angle went for a clothesline at one point, Triple H ducked, leading to Stephanie being knocked out of the ring! Stephanie was carried out, as a regular referee took over. This put Angle on the defensive, with him later taking out a second referee. He then got a low blow on Triple H, followed by the Angle Slam. Stephanie then ran down, returning to the match to count the pin, but Triple H kicked out at 2. Angle went for the Ankle Lock, but Triple H spun him into Stephanie, knocking her down again. Later on, Angle tasted the Pedigree, but Stephanie stopped the other ref from completing the count. When Triple H went for his ex-wife, Angle attacked with several chair shots, followed by the Angle Slam, with Stephanie making the 3 count to give Angle the Wrestlemania main event slot!

The joy for Angle was short-lived, however, as co-owner Ric Flair made a rematch between Angle and Triple H, with Stephanie barred from ringside. It was another tough fight between the two rivals, with Angle almost winning again with the Ankle Lock. But Triple H came back to catch Angle with the Pedigree, getting the pin and winning back the Wrestlemania Title Match. Angle was furious on Smackdown, as he called out anyone from the back to take him on. Kane answered the challenge, leading to a brawl that ended with Angle getting a chair and beating Kane with it, causing the DQ. The two battled to the outside, with Angle German-Suplexing Kane through the announce table! He then applied the Ankle Lock, holding it until the refs broke it up. Angle had an Undisputed World Title match against Jericho on the next Raw, but Kane interfered, helping Jericho to win. Kane chased Angle after the match with a steel chair, continuing the bad blood between them.

Angle teamed with Jericho against Kane & Triple H on the next Smackdown, with Kane using a chair again to knock Angle silly, which allowed Triple H to get the Pedigree and the pin. Angle, upset at the outcome, demanded a "Steel Cage" Match against Triple H on the next Raw, which was granted by Mr. McMahon. During the night, Triple H played a joke on Stephanie, getting her to use a doctored lotion that gave her a rash. This helped Angle, in a way, as Stephanie came down during the match and interfered, helping Angle escape the cage and get the victory. Angle then went back to concentrating on Kane, attacking him during Kane's match with Jericho on the following Smackdown. The two brawled to the back, with Kane chasing Angle to the parking lot. But it turned out to be an ambush, as Angle brutally beat down Kane, getting him underneath a metal door and dropping it on his ribs! Angle got in another chair shot for good measure, then left the bloody monster laying on the asphalt.

The feud continued to build for the next few shows, leading up to Wrestlemania X-8, with Angle going up against Kane in one of the major matches of the event. Before the match, Angle bashed the Toronto crowd, talking about how their recent Olympian had won a gold medal by complaining, instead of earning it. Kane soon interrupted this, and the match was started. The match was pretty even, with Angle standing toe-to-toe with the Big Red Machine, using varying attacks, from repeated German suplexes to cross body shots off the top rope. Kane fought back, though, nearly winning with a Chokeslam, only to have Angle get a hand on the nearby ropes. Angle came back to get the Angle Slam, followed by the Ankle Lock, but Kane refused to tap. Near the end, Kane went for the Chokeslam again on Angle, but Angle reversed it, getting a suplex, then using the ropes for leverage to get the pinfall victory, his second Wrestlemania win in a row.

Twenty-four hours later on Raw, Angle teamed with Booker T against Kane & Edge. The match fell apart for Angle & Booker T due to miscommunication, as Booker T accidentally kicked Angle. This allowed Edge to get the Edgecution and pin Angle. Angle, angry about the loss, joined the Smackdown commentators during a Booker T/Edge match a few days later, and was quick to shove Edge when he came close. But Edge responded with a few shots of his own, knocking Angle down. Later in the match, Booker T accidentally took down the referee, leaving him vulnerable to the Spear. But Angle quickly came in and got Edge with the Angle Slam, enabling Booker T to get the win. Angle watched in triumph as Booker T celebrated with a Spineroonie, while Edge was trying to recover from the attack.

WWF Smackdown: 2002

On the next Raw, a Draft Lottery took place, with Ric Flair being put in charge of Raw, while Vince McMahon took charge of Smackdown. Angle was quick to get into Vince's ear, wanting to be drafted to his side. Mr. McMahon didn't conform at first, drafting the Rock as his 1st pick. But Angle soon was able to convince McMahon, getting himself drafted as the 2nd pick for Smackdown. Angle helped McMahon with his picks as the night went on, giving his opinions of who they should get. Angle also volunteered to face Rob Van Dam that night (after RVD was drafted to Raw), since Van Dam was the Intercontinental Champion. Late in the match, though, Angle was in trouble, with RVD climbing the turnbuckle to try a high-flying kick. Angle pulled the referee in the way, allowing him to take the punishment, then got RVD in the Ankle Lock. However, the referee, having been grabbed and put in harm's way, DQ'ed Angle, keeping him from winning the IC Title. After the match, a furious Angle kept attacking RVD, until Edge came down and made the save, Spearing Angle and beating on him until the refs pulled him off.

Angle and Edge continued to feud over the next few weeks. On one Smackdown, Edge got with Angle, apparently wanting to talk about old times. He showed Angle a series of photographs between the two men, while having writing on the back of each picture, saying things like "Yes, I do suck" and "p.s. I have no testicles". Angle seemed to enjoy looking at the old memories, but it didn't last. When Angle found out about the writing, he fought Edge later in the night, using a steel chair to block an Edge Spear, causing the DQ. Angle soon teamed up with Chris Jericho again in several battles against Edge and his new partner, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan.

At Backlash '02, Angle and Edge had another tremendous match, with neither wrestler truly dominating at any point. Angle hit several suplexes early on, taking it to Edge, who answered back with his own suplex-variations. Edge took control by throwing Angle out of the ring, then getting a cross-body on him on the outside. Edge brought Angle back into the ring and went for the Edgecution, but, after a couple of reversals, Angle landed the Angle Slam for a close 2 count. Angle then locked in the Ankle Lock, causing Edge to yell out in pain. But Edge managed to turn the submission hold into a quick roll-up, nearly stealing the match. Angle snapped, going for a steel chair. But when he swung, Edge dodged, which made the chair bounce off the ropes and hit Angle in the face instead. Edge then caught Angle with the Edge-o-matic, but Angle surprisingly kicked out at the last second. Edge, somewhat frustrated, tried for a Spear, but Angle booted him in the face, then got the Angle Slam, pinning Edge and getting another big victory.

WWE Smackdown: 2002

In May '02, it was announced that the company would be "getting the F out", becoming World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This was due to legal problems with the World Wildlife Fund. On the next Smackdown, Angle bragged about his win, and said that he would be displaying a new t-shirt with all of his accomplishments listed on it. Edge, though, switched the shirts, causing Angle to show off a shirt saying "You Suck!" Later in the night, Angle & Albert went up against Edge & Rikishi, with Albert getting the victory by taking out Rikishi with the Baldo Bomb. Edge and Angle continued to feud for the next few weeks, with the two men signing to face each other at the next pay-per-view in a "Hair vs. Hair" Match. At one point, Angle & Jericho ambushed Edge & Hunter Hearst Helmsley, with Angle cutting off a lock of Edge's hair. Angle would brag about the lock of hair for a while, saying that it was only the beginning.

At Judgment Day '02, the two men faced off in the "Hair vs. Hair" Match, with a barber chair set up on the stage for the loser's 'trim'. The two wrestlers fought both in the ring and on the outside, with neither wanting to lose their hair that night. Angle was interested in putting Edge out, using a sleeper hold early in the match. Edge came back, catching Angle on the outside with a flying plancha, then later getting a missile dropkick for the 2 count. But Angle was still fighting, catching Edge later on the turnbuckle and tossing him across the ring. As the match wound down, Edge accidentally took out the referee with the Spear. Angle tried to take advantage, going to the outside and getting a chair, but Edge stopped the attempted cheating with a Spear. He tried for the cover, but the ref was still down. Later on, with the ref somewhat recovered, Edge got a second Spear for a close pinfall. But Angle came back with a Spear of his own, followed by the Angle Slam, with Edge barely kicking out. Angle went beserk, thinking that should have been it. He got on the Ankle Lock, only to have Edge escape with an Enziguiri. Angle came right back, locking on the Ankle Lock again, but Edge rolled him up for the pinfall, winning the match!

Afterwards, Angle tried to get away, attacking Edge, but Edge took him down with the Edgecution. Edge then tried to bring Angle over to the barber chair, where the equipment was waiting. But Angle broke free before they could begin, kicking away Edge and running to the back. Edge chased Angle throughout the night, with Angle hiding once in a make-up chair with a hair cap on. Angle eventually went on the offensive, hitting Edge with a garbage can lid and dragging Edge to the barber chair, yelling for the barber to come out. Angle then tried to take Edge out so that he could trim him, but Edge reversed the Angle Slam into a sleeperhold, knocking Angle out! This allowed the barber to go to work, taking off all of Angle's hair, making him bald! Afterwards, when Angle woke up to what had happened, Edge said that the fans would no longer chant "You Suck!" They would chant "You're Bald!" instead.

On the next Smackdown, Angle came out wearing a wig and bragging that his hair had grown back in less than a week. Edge (along with Maven) tried to disprove this by removing the wig, but Christian intervened, helping to save Angle. The two teamed up to face Edge & Maven later in the night, with Maven getting the win by rolling up Christian. Angle and Edge faced off the next week in a "Steel Cage" Match, which quickly turned violent, as Edge was busted open. During the melee, the referee was knocked out (a common danger in Angle/Edge matches). Angle had complete control after getting the Angle Slam off the top rope. He then climbed the cage and escaped, only to have Hulk Hogan come down and attack him, throwing Angle back into the cage to continue the match! Later on, after the men traded Ankle Locks, Angle again tried to escape, only to again be countered by Hogan, who opened the door as Angle went down, crotching him on the cage door! Edge pulled him back in, keeping the match going, then later got the victory by getting a huge Spear from the top rope! Afterwards, Hogan tried to de-wig Angle, with no success.

Going into June '02, it was announced by Mr. McMahon that the Smackdown superstars would compete in a Battle Royal to decide who would become the #1 Contender to the Undertaker's Undisputed Title. Angle was strong in the match, eliminating Randy Orton, the Hurricane, and Albert, but was surprisingly tossed out by Hardcore Holly. Triple H & Hulk Hogan simultaneously eliminated each other to end the Battle Royal. Angle complained afterwards, saying he had again been screwed, but Holly interrupted, leading to a match between the two later in the night. Angle got the victory, but Holly wasn't done, as he attacked Angle afterwards. The two brawled, with Angle trying to use a ring bell as a weapon, only to have Hardcore take it from him and nail Angle with it instead! At the end of the night, Triple H defeated Hogan in the final #1 Contenders Match. Afterwards, though, the Undertaker attacked Triple H, while Angle ran down and took out Hogan, with the heels both decimating the faces to end the night.

The feud continued the next week, with Hogan challenging Angle to a match at the next PPV. Angle joined with the Undertaker in ambushing Hogan in the back, with Angle accepting the challenge afterwards. The two then went and fought in a "Handicap" Match against Triple H, which ended in DQ when Triple H used his sledgehammer on the Undertaker. Meanwhile, Hogan ran down and attacked Angle, stripping off his wig to show his bald head, then throwing him into a Triple H Pedigree. A week later, Angle & the Undertaker went after Triple H again, only to have Angle accidentally hit the Dead Man with a chair. The Undertaker then demanded a Non-Title Match against Angle, which Mr. McMahon decided to give him. Angle pumped himself up before the match, saying that he'd just look at the Dead Man as Hogan. He got so pumped up that, later on, when Mr. McMahon tried to get both to shake hands, Angle went after the Undertaker, knocking Vince down in the process. The two fought hard, with Angle torturing the champion with the Ankle Lock at one point. The match fell apart, though, when Triple H came down to go after the Undertaker, distracting him long enough for Angle to get the quick roll-up for the victory! Afterwards, though, Hogan again attacked Angle, putting him in another version of the Ankle Lock. The Undertaker took out Hogan, then got Pedigree'd by Triple H, who was the last man standing.

Angle and Hogan finally faced off at King of the Ring '02, with both feeling the emotion of the moment. They fought both inside and outside the ring, looking to get the victory. At one point, Angle landed the Angle Slam on Hogan, but the legend kicked out, keeping the match going. Hogan then Hulked up, giving Angle the Big Boot, then once again taking off his wig. Angle, furious, grabbed a steel chair, but missed with his swing, bouncing it off the ropes and into his face instead! Just when it looked its worst, though, Angle managed to counter into the Ankle Lock, applying as much pressure as possible. Finally, Hogan was forced to tap out, giving Angle a huge victory over a wrestling legend.

On the next Smackdown, Angle came out to brag about being "the only man to make Hogan tap out". He was so happy, he called out a challenge to anyone in the back that he hadn't faced before. This was answered by newcomer John Cena, who had an exciting match with Angle, actually pushing Angle for a while, until Angle got the win with a reversal. Cena tried to shake Angle's hand after the match, but Angle just walked away (Angle later claimed to have had the flu that night, which is why it took him so long to beat Cena). After getting the win, Angle threw out a challenge to the Undertaker (the Undisputed Champion), wanting to face him for the title the next week. The two wrestlers met in another strong affair, with Angle catching the Undertaker in a Triangle Choke out of the Last Ride. The two fell to the mat, with the Undertaker tapping out to the hold just as the referee counted Angle's shoulders on the mat. After a brief discussion, separate referees wanted to name Angle and the Undertaker the winner. It was finally ruled a Draw, which infuriated Angle, since he didn't get the belt. Angle attacked the Undertaker again, putting on the Ankle Lock while yelling "I made you tap!".

With the victory, Angle was inserted into the next PPV main event, facing off against the Undertaker and the Rock in a "Triple Threat" Match. Angle joined with Jericho in bragging about how Angle had made the Dead Man tap out on the next Smackdown, only to get into a brawl with the Undertaker in the parking lot. Angle later had a confrontation with the Rock, who pretended not to recognize the now-bald Angle, then compared him to Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies. Angle & the Rock soon brawled, with the Undertaker coming down to attack both men. Later on, Angle teamed with Jericho against the Undertaker & John Cena, in a competitive match that surprisingly ended with the rookie Cena rolling up Jericho for the pin. After the match, Jericho took out Cena, but then was taken out himself by the Undertaker. Angle and the Undertaker then exchanged several moves, with the Dead Man catching Angle in a Dragon Sleeper to make Angle tap out. The Rock then came down and attacked both men, eventually being the last man standing in the ring.

On the final Smackdown before the PPV, Angle took on the Rock in singles competition. The Undertaker came down to watch from the announcers' area, which distracted Angle enough to allow the Rock to get the opening advantage. It soon was a back-and-forth battle between the two wrestlers, leaving the ring to continue the battle. At one point, Angle was knocked into the Undertaker, then ducked a charging Rock, who flattened the Undertaker instead. The fight continued in the ring, with Angle getting the Rock in the Ankle Lock. But the Rock escaped, then took Angle down with a Spinebuster, getting him in position for the People's Elbow. The match suddenly ended, though, when a fighting-mad Undertaker entered and attacked the Rock, causing the DQ. As the two fought, Angle got a steel chair and clocked the Undertaker with it, then put the Rock in the Ankle Lock, torturing him as the show came to an end.

At Vengeance '02, Angle had his shot at gaining the Undisputed Heavyweight Title. He was confident before the match, even after a confrontation with the King of the Ring winner, Brock Lesnar. The two former amateur athletes sized each other up, with Angle promising to meet Lesnar at Summerslam, when he wins the championship. The match itself was wild, as Angle, the Rock, and the Undertaker all wanted the gold. Almost every finishing maneuver appeared during the bout, as the wrestlers pulled out all the stops. Near the end, Angle almost got the Undertaker to tap out, then managed to reverse the Rock into the Ankle Lock. But the submission holds kept getting broken up, putting Angle at a disadvantage. Angle later caught the Undertaker with the Angle Slam, but this left him open for a Rock Bottom, which allowed the Rock to pin him, winning the Undisputed Title while Angle was once again kept from regaining the gold.

On the next Smackdown, Angle wrestled against Mark Henry, looking to get himself a win to rebound off of Vengeance '02. However, Brock Lesnar came down during the match and attacked Henry, getting Angle disqualified. Angle confronted Lesnar & Paul Heyman in the back, with Lesnar telling Angle that he's no longer the top guy on Smackdown. At the time, there was a "contracts" war going on between Smackdown's GM, Stephanie McMahon, and Raw's GM, Eric Bischoff. Stephanie had received word that someone was jumping from SD to Raw that night, so she had everyone on high alert. When Kurt was heard speaking to "Eric" on a cell phone, all fingers pointed towards him being the one departing. However, at the end of the night, when Bischoff drove away with someone, Angle showed up next to Stephanie, having been talking to his brother Eric, not Bischoff.

Going into August '02, Angle talked on Smackdown about how the show wouldn't be the same without him. He called out Lesnar, but got Hulk Hogan instead, who also wanted a piece of Lesnar. Stephanie then interrupted, telling them to fight it out in the ring, with the winner getting Lesnar the next week. During the match, the referee got knocked down after an attempted Ankle Lock, which allowed Angle to go for a chair. However, Hogan knocked it into Angle with a Big Boot, then got the Legdrop. With no referee, though, there was no count. Lesnar then came to the ring and distracted Hogan, while Angle got the chair and nailed him with it. Unfortunately for Angle, the ref had recovered by this time, and called for the DQ, costing Angle the match. Afterwards, Angle was thrown out of the ring by Hogan, but then got to watch as Lesnar F5'ed the legend.

Angle took on John Cena the next week, with the match being a pretty even affair. But when Cena threw Angle out of the ring, Chris Benoit (who recently came over to SD from Raw with Eddie Guerrero) came down and attacked Cena, causing the DQ. Rey Mysterio, Guerrero, and Edge all became involved as well, leading to Stephanie making a 6-Man Tag-Team Match, with Angle teaming with Benoit & Guerrero against the faces. Angle's team seemed to have a disadvantage, though, as both Angle and Benoit considered themselves "the master of submissions". The match was all over the place, with some of the best wrestlers on Smackdown going at it. In the wild finish, Angle was surprisingly taken down and pinned by Mysterio, causing Angle to later exclaim "I can't believe I got pinned by a 12-year old!" Angle later claimed that, since Mysterio wasn't the legal man, he was a cheater, so the pin didn't count. In a funny moment, when Mysterio confronted Angle to ask for a PPV match against him, Angle replied "You have to be at least this high to talk to Kurt Angle".

The feud continued to grow between the two, as Mysterio nailed Angle with a Hurricanrana after Angle refused to release the Ankle Lock while wrestling Mark Henry. Angle landed badly, cutting himself open. Angle came back to attack Mysterio later in the night, putting him in the Ankle Lock. The next week, Angle went to prove he could crush cruiserweights, facing Billy Kidman (Mysterio's former tag partner) in a match. Mysterio was a constant factor, though, distracting Angle. When the ref went down, Angle got the Angle Slam on Kidman, but Mysterio then got the West Coast Pop on him. Angle chased Mysterio to the back, with the ref getting up to count Angle out! A furious Angle came back to the ring, then beat down Kidman, finishing him with a brutal Angle Slam over the top rope, showing what he had in store for Mysterio at the PPV.

At Summerslam '02,Angle set out to destroy Mysterio, but Mysterio's quickness kept Angle from doing any damage early on. Eventually, the match settled down to a great competition. Near the end, Mysterio had Angle in trouble, catching him with the 619 and the West Coast Pop. But when Mysterio went for a Hurricanrana, Angle caught him and applied the Ankle Lock, forcing Mysterio to tap out. On the next Smackdown, a #1 Contenders Elimination Tournament was set up to decide who would be facing Lesnar for the Smackdown World Title. Angle was set to face Chris Benoit in the final match, having gotten a great draw. But things got more complicated when Stephanie McMahon added a third contender to the match: the recent Raw defector, the Undertaker! Angle and Benoit fought both against each other, and together against the Undertaker, even having Angle apply the Ankle Lock while Benoit put on the Crippler Crossface. But the Undertaker proved too strong, coming back to pin Benoit and win the #1 Contender's spot.

Angle and Benoit continued to have problems over the next few weeks, with Eddie Guerrero working as the buffer between them. It didn't work out too well for Eddie, as, during one 6-Man Match, Angle and Benoit (after Angle was put in Rikishi's Stinkface and laughed at by Benoit) fought and left the ring, leaving Eddie alone against Edge, Rikishi, & the Undertaker. Needless to say, Guerrero was squashed and pinned. The next week, Angle came down during Benoit's match with Rikishi, causing the DQ. Angle then also held Benoit's arms in the corner, helping Rikishi apply the Stinkface! A laughing Angle left the arena, as Benoit angrily glared at him. Benoit would later demand a match against Angle at the next pay-per-view, which Stephanie McMahon granted him.

At Unforgiven '02, Angle and Benoit had another scientific masterpiece, as to be expected from the two great technical wrestlers. At one point, Angle applied the Ankle Lock, but Benoit was able to free himself. In a surprising ending, Benoit rolled Angle up, then used the ropes to get the leverage for the 1-2-3. On the next Smackdown, Angle demanded a rematch against Benoit, but instead McMahon made a "Triple Threat" Match between Benoit, Angle, and the hometown star of the show, Rey Mysterio. During the match, Angle landed the Angle Slam on Benoit, only to be taken out by Mysterio. Mysterio then tried the pin on Benoit, but only got a 2 count. Mysterio later landed a double 619 on both competitors, showing his speed. Benoit did manage to get the Crippler Crossface on Angle, only to be taken out by Mysterio, who later got Benoit with the West Coast Pop for the victory.

The feud between Angle and Benoit continued the next week, as Benoit caused Angle to lose to Edge, while Angle cost Benoit his rematch with Rey Mysterio. A frustrated Stephanie McMahon then put them in the new Smackdown Tag-Team Title Tournament together, with the threat that, if they didn't work together, they'd both be suspended for a year. Although Angle & Benoit had some problems, they did manage to work together, beating John Cena & Billy Kidman in the first round. However, problems arose when Benoit's former friend, Eddie Guerrero (along with Chavo) told Benoit that Angle was looking to betray him. Later in the night, Chavo told Benoit that Angle was attacking Eddie. When Benoit ran into a room to make the save, though, Chavo locked the door behind him, as loud noises could be heard. Eddie Guerrero then appeared from the room, carrying a bent steel chair.

On the next Smackdown, Los Guerreros were scheduled to face Angle & Benoit in the semi-finals of the tournament. Eddie continued to blame Angle for the assault on Benoit the last week, while Angle accused the Guerreros. While there was obvious tension between Benoit & Angle during the match, Benoit knew the truth, and later nailed both Guerreros with steel chair shots while the referee was down, allowing Angle to catch Eddie with the Angle Slam for the victory. This put Angle & Benoit in the finals of the tag tournament at No Mercy '02, against Rey Mysterio & Edge. The match was amazing, mostly thanks to the high-flying antics of Mysterio. In the end, though, Angle & Benoit shocked all the odds-makers once more, as Angle forced Edge to tap out to the Ankle Lock, winning his team the first Smackdown Tag-Team Titles.

Also at the pay-per-view, Angle & Benoit got some revenge on Los Guerreros. Benoit told Eddie that Angle was attacking Chavo in a back room. Eddie, assuming that Benoit was tricking him, didn't fall for it. Unfortunately for Chavo, he WAS being taken out by Angle, without Eddie coming to his aid. Angle & Benoit's good humor only lasted a few days, though, as Stephanie McMahon presented them a trophy for winning the tournament on the next Smackdown. Both wrestlers wanted the trophy, and went to blows over it, accidentally knocking over Stephanie in the process. Stephanie immediately slapped the taste out of both men's mouths, then said that the two would wrestle later that night to see who gets the trophy. Surprisingly, Los Guerreros came out during the match, with Chavo hitting Angle with one of the tag titles to help Benoit win. Benoit appeared shocked at the Guerreros helping him, but before he could do anything, Angle attacked him, then destroyed the trophy, ensuring that neither man got it.

On the Halloween edition of Smackdown, Benoit faced off against Edge in the opening match. Benoit got the Crossface on Edge, only to be pulled out of the ring by Angle. Edge later came back to win the match with his spear, another big loss for Benoit. Benoit ran to the back to find Angle, but Angle hid under a Scream mask, allowing him to escape. Benoit did get revenge later on, however, hitting Angle with the title belt and making him lose to Eddie Guerrero. Angle ran to the back after Benoit, and attacked a man in a "Scream" outfit, but it turned out to be Brother Love. Benoit then appeared and went after Angle, with the two brawling all over the backstage area. It was becoming hard to believe that the two men were the tag-team champions.

A week later, Stephanie McMahon put Angle & Benoit in a tag-team title defense against Rey Mysterio & Edge, in a "Three Falls" Match. The first fall was decided by Edge, who got a Double Spear on both men, then helped Mysterio get his Bombs Away splash for the pinfall on Benoit. Angle took over for a while, as Benoit recuperated, but Benoit proved to be the major factor in the second fall, clocking Edge with one of the tag-team titles. Angle then got the Ankle Lock applied, forcing Edge to tap. The third and final fall went back and forth, but was nearly decided via controversy, as Mysterio rolled up Angle for a pinfall. Since Angle was grabbing the ropes, the match was restarted, giving Angle & Benoit another chance to win. But the team couldn't get it together, as Benoit accidentally hit Angle with the Flying Headbutt while trying to make the pinfall save. Edge then pinned Angle for the victory, taking away the tag-team titles.

Angle & Benoit each blamed the other for losing the tag titles the next week, and fought in the main event, with both Los Guerreros and Rey Mysterio & Edge watching, since the three teams would face off at the next pay-per-view, the Survivor Series. The match went back and forth as expected, and ended in a DQ, when the other teams rushed the ring. A massive brawl broke out, with Angle & Benoit working together to clear the ring. Angle then hugged Benoit, leaving a shocked Wolverine standing in the ring. The good will continued until the '02 Survivor Series, when Angle & Benoit tried to regain the tag-team titles. Unfortunately, the two men couldn't get along, making them the first team eliminated. Los Guerreros went on to win the tag-team titles from Mysterio & Edge.

Angle and Benoit each faced a Guerrero on the next Smackdown, with the partners banned from ringside. Benoit forced Chavo to tap to the Crossface, while Angle took out Eddie with the Angle Slam. This led to Angle & Benoit getting another tag-team title shot against Los Guerreros during the Thanksgiving edition of Smackdown. Near the end, Angle hit his Angle Slam on Eddie, which allowed Benoit to slap on the Crossface. However, Angle wanted to get the win, knocking Benoit away and going for the Ankle Lock. After a quick dispute, Benoit & Angle BOTH applied their finishing maneuvers, only to have Chavo break it up. The two lost the match when Chavo cheated, smacking Benoit with a title belt. Eddie then made the pin, keeping the gold away from Angle & Benoit.

On the first Smackdown of December '02, Angle was placed into a #1 Contenders Match for the Smackdown World Title, against Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Edge. Edge's knee was taken out by Albert before the match (with a steel chair), but Edge competed anyway. After some fierce action, Benoit got the first elimination, forcing Guerrero to tap to the Crossface. However, Guerrero later got revenge, hitting Benoit with a title belt while the referee was down. This left Benoit easy pickings for Edge's spear, leaving only Angle and Edge going at it. The two men fought furiously, with Angle repeatedly going for the Ankle Lock on Edge's hurt leg. In the end, though, it was Angle's other move that won it for him, as he caught Edge on the turnbuckle and delivered a Super Angle Slam for the pinfall victory. After the match, an exhausted Angle was attacked by the reigning champion, the Big Show.

Angle feuded with the Big Show for the next few weeks, but Angle had to find some way to deal with Paul Heyman at ringside. So Angle approached the suspended Brock Lesnar, telling him that, if Lesnar watched his back and helped him win, Angle would get Lesnar's suspension lifted and give Lesnar the first shot at Angle's title. Angle fulfilled the first part of his bargain, getting Stephanie McMahon to lift the suspension, allowing Lesnar to appear at Armageddon '02. However, during the night, Lesnar was not around, causing Angle to go to the ring to face the Big Show (with Paul Heyman) alone. The match was a tough one for Angle, as he had to worry about Heyman while trying to concentrate on the 500-pound champion. It got worse for Angle when the ref was knocked down, allowing A-Train, the Big Show's partner, to charge the ring and attack Angle. However, Lesnar then appeared, giving the Big Show an enormous F-5! Angle made the pin, winning the match and, for the third time, becoming the WWE Heavyweight Champion.

On the next Smackdown, Angle came out, celebrating his winning of the World Title as a fan favorite. He brought Lesnar out and personally thanked him for helping him win. When Lesnar said that he wanted his title shot that night, though, Angle declined, saying that he was already signed to face Chris Benoit that night in a "Non-Title" Match. Angle claimed that Lesnar would get his title shot the next week. However, in the back, Stephanie McMahon confronted Angle, telling him that he had to set the record straight, or else she would do it herself. Angle came out to the ring soon after and revealed the truth: that Paul Heyman was now his manager! Angle's entire plea to Lesnar turned out to have been a swerve, as he and Heyman both promised that Lesnar would never get a title shot! The Big Show then came to the ring, obviously upset about the betrayal, but Heyman managed to convince him that they were stronger as a team, even giving the Big Show a title rematch the next week. That night, Angle faced Benoit, with the Big Show attacking Benoit late in the match to cause the DQ. The two beat down Benoit until Lesnar tried to make the save, even going for an F-5 on Heyman. But Angle & the Big Show were too much for Lesnar, beating down Lesnar as the night ended.

It was revealed on the next week's Smackdown, though, that Lesnar had fought back after the cameras went off the air, taking out the Big Show with chair shots, then slamming Angle into the ring post with an F-5! This was actually a set-up to allow Angle to have some knee surgery. Angle came out that night on crutches, with Paul Heyman giving Angle something to help him against Lesnar: Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin, known collectively as Team Angle! Later that night, Chris Benoit defeated the Big Show in a #1 Contenders Match, earning the right to face Angle at the next PPV. Angle sent Team Angle down to join the Big Show after the match to beat down Benoit, leaving him a bloody mess as the night ended.

WWE Smackdown: 2003

Angle watched as Team Angle took on Benoit & Edge on the first Smackdown of 2003. He didn't like what he saw, as Benoit put Benjamin in the Crossface, while Edge speared Haas. This caused Angle to enter the ring and hit Benoit with his title, causing the DQ. After the match, Angle went after the referee as well, forcing him to announce Team Angle as the winners. Angle later attacked Benoit again during a match with Benjamin, again causing a DQ. The week before the PPV, Angle reentered the ring, joining with Team Angle to face Benoit & Edge in a "Handicap" Match. Benoit was fighting mad, though, catching Angle in the Crippler Crossface. Angle wasn't the legal man, though, and when Benoit refused to release the hold, the ref again called the DQ, this time giving Angle's team the win. It was small comfort, as Benoit beat on Angle with his own crutch, ensuring that Angle wouldn't be 100% at the PPV.

The '03 Royal Rumble match started off quickly, as Team Angle attacked Benoit before the bell. The referee didn't waste any time ejecting Benjamin & Haas from ringside, leaving Angle alone against Benoit. The two veterans, having faced each other so many times as of late, countered many of the other's moves, forcing new maneuvers to be put together. Early on, Benoit nearly got the win by reversing the Angle Slam into a Sharpshooter submission hold. Angle, meanwhile blocked the flying headbutt by running up the ropes and getting an overhead suplex, getting a very long 2 count. Later on, Angle and Benoit reversed into different submission holds, with Angle shockingly picking up Benoit while in the Crossface and hitting the Angle Slam, with another close count. Finally, after almost 20 minutes of action, Angle forced Benoit to tap out to the Ankle Lock, ending a tremendous match. Afterwards, Team Angle helped the champion to the back, while Benoit was given a huge ovation from the fans in attendance.

Angle watched from the back during the next Smackdown as both Haas & Benjamin lost their respective singles matches. An embarrassed Angle told both to stay in the locker room and watch as he showed them how it's done, then went out and wrestled Rey Mysterio. Angle got the victory, then refused to release the Ankle Lock, trying to make a point. Edge came out for the save, as Angle left the ring. But Angle was ambushed by Benoit on the way back up the ramp, then sent back to the ring, where Benoit, Edge, & Mysterio all beat him down. Team Angle didn't make the save, as Angle had told them to stay in the back. Angle got some revenge the next week, as he coached Team Angle to victory in a "#1 Contenders" Match for the Tag Titles over Benoit & Edge. Angle, of course, helped them cheat to win, continuing his rivalry with Benoit, while also continuing a war of words with Brock Lesnar (who had won the Royal Rumble match, earning a title shot).

Angle faced Benoit again on the next Smackdown, in a "Non-Title" Match. It was a brutal affair, with Benoit getting busted open during the action. Angle got the victory after an Angle Slam, then surprisingly offered to shake Benoit's hand after the match. It was a trick, though, as Team Angle attacked Benoit from behind, allowing the three men to beat him down, until Lesnar & Edge made the save. It was later announced by Stephanie McMahon that a six-man tag-team match would take place at the next pay-per-view, between Angle & Team Angle and Benoit/Edge/Lesnar.

The first assault occurred before the match at No Way Out '03. Early on in the night, Edge was attacked in the back and laid out, taking him out of the match. While it was unknown who took him out, it didn't take Benoit & Lesnar long to blame Team Angle. Rather than replace him, Benoit & Brock Lesnar fought Angle, Benjamin & Haas in a "Handicap" Match. The odds seemed to be heavily in Team Angle's favor, but that didn't stop Benoit & Lesnar fighting back. Near the end, Benoit got Angle in the Crossface, with Benjamin making the save. Lesnar took out Benjmain, though, then F-5'ed Angle, while Benoit locked Haas in the Crossface, forcing him to tap out and cost Angle's team the victory.

Going into March '03, Angle was in trouble, suffering from a painful neck injury that was making it hard to keep wrestling. However, Angle put aside his pain, letting WWE know that he would be wrestling at Wrestlemania. Angle had competition before the big event, though, as Lesnar, after winning a "Steel Cage" Match over Paul Heyman, earned a title shot against Angle on the next Smackdown. Angle pulled an old trick out of his book, though, as he had his brother, Eric, pull the switcheroo and cause Lesnar to be thrown off. Angle then snuck in and rolled up Lesnar, getting a big victory over the challenger. However, Angle had to watch afterwards, as Lesnar took out his rage on Angle's brother, throwing him into the post with the F-5. Eric came out with Kurt on the next show, with Kurt complaining about Lesnar's attack on his family. Stephanie McMahon then came out and announced that if someone interfered on Angle's behalf at the PPV, Angle would forfeit the title. Lesnar then came out and went after both men, with Kurt actually pushing his brother into the way of Lesnar, then using his crutch to beat Lesnar down, before holding the challenger in a Camel Clutch, doing as much damage as possible to Lesnar's ribs.

Angle had a face-to-face with Lesnar in Lesnar's locker room on the final Smackdown before the PPV, telling Lesnar that his first Wrestlemania might be his last. Angle also mentioned that he and Lesnar were a lot alike, but that Lesnar was just a kid. Lesnar responded by saying that he was a 295-pound 'kid' who was coming for Angle's championship. Later in the night, though, Angle did more damage, slamming Lesnar's ribs with a 2x4. At Wrestlemania X-9, Angle and Lesnar finally met for the Smackdown Heavyweight Title (now usually called the WWE Championship). Angle did everything he could to ensure he would get the win, but Lesnar was willing to risk everything for the gold, even trying a Shooting Star Press that nearly killed him when he fell short. Angle tried covering Lesnar afterwards, but Lesnar kicked out at 2, then came back and got an F-5 for the victory, taking away Angle's World Title. The two shook hands after the match, with Angle leaving Lesnar in the ring.

It was announced after Wrestlemania that Angle would be undergoing neck surgery and would be out for 6-8 weeks. This was actually a good thing, since many previous neck fusion procedures (such as with Benoit and Steve Austin) had put the wrestlers out for a year or more. Angle had already had an MRI exam, which revealed bone spurs touching his spinal cord, problems with four vertebrae and two discs, and a badly bruised spinal cord, all of which caused Dr. Youngblood, a well-known specialist, to give Angle second-place behind Austin for the worst condition he's ever seen. Angle went with Dr. Jho out of Pittsburgh, who performed the neck surgery. Angle then rested for the next few months, letting his injuries heal.

On the first June '03 edition of Smackdown, Angle made his return, showing his happiness in being back by asking the crowd to continue the "You Suck" chants that normally go with his music. Angle prepared to thank someone who had supported him, but got interrupted by the Big Show, who wanted to let Angle know that he had to wait in line for a title shot. Angle and the Big Show fought, until the World Champion, Brock Lesnar, came down, sending the Big Show away. Angle and Lesnar then talked, with Angle thanking Lesnar for supporting him during his time on the injured list. Angle next confronted Team Angle the next week, saying that neither Haas nor Benjamin had gone to see him in the hospital, nor were they there when Angle came back. The two replied that they were sick of being in Angle's shadow, and that they wanted to be co-captains of Team Angle. Instead, Angle fired them, disbanding Team Angle! Later on, backstage, Haas & Benjamin attacked Angle, fully breaking up the group.

Angle challenged either of the duo to a match the next Smackdown, and defeated Haas in a singles bout. Afterwards, though, Benjamin came down and attacked Angle, leading to a double-team, with Lesnar making the save. Angle returned the favor by charging in when Lesnar was being attacked by the Big Show, Haas, & Benjamin. However, although Angle got the Angle Slam on the Big Show, the monster came back to Chokeslam Angle. Mr. America (Hulk Hogan) tried to make the save as well, only to be taken out. Angle, Lesnar, & Mr. America fought against Haas, Benjamin, & the Big Show in a "6-Man" Match the next week, but they were hampered by Mr. America's problems with Vince McMahon, as he held Zack Gowen to keep Mr. America distracted, leading to a Chokeslam and pin from the Big Show. A week later, Angle & Lesnar, who had been hanging out together throughout the show, intervened during the "No DQ Handicap" Match between the Big Show and Stephanie McMahon & Zack Gowen (arranged by Mr. McMahon), helping Gowen pin the Big Show and win a wrestling contract.

It was soon announced that Angle would be involved in a "Triple Threat" Match for the Smackdown Championship at the next PPV, against the Big Show and the champ, Lesnar. Angle had a confrontation with both John Cena and the Big Show on the next Smackdown, with Angle falling to the double-team and getting Chokeslammed. Lesnar showed up later, checking on Angle in the back and saying that he had just arrived. As part of their punishment for helping Zack Gowen, Mr. McMahon placed Lesnar into a 3-on-1 Handicap Match that night, against Haas, Benjamin, & the Big Show. Angle planned to help out Lesnar, but Mr. McMahon called him to his office, and Angle never came out. It was revealed later that Angle had been told that he would be severely punished if he interfered. Lesnar was Chokeslammed through the announce table and defeated. A week later, Angle was placed in the very same match, with Lesnar told he would vacate the title if he interfered. This put Angle in the same position, but Angle came out better, as Gowen helped Angle out, enabling Angle to force Benjamin to tap out to the Ankle Lock.

Things began to fall apart for Angle and Lesnar on the next Smackdown, as they teamed with Gowen against Haas, Benjamin, & the Big Show. Gowen was taken out by Vince McMahon's chair shots, making it 2-on-3. But Angle & Lesnar did well for a while, until Lesnar accidentally hit Angle while doing an F-5. A stunned Angle got Chokeslammed and pinned, losing the match. Angle and Lesnar argued after the match, leaving them open to a Double Chokeslam from the Big Show. At Vengeance '03, Angle took on Lesnar and the Big Show for the Smackdown WWE Title, with Angle & Lesnar working together against the giant at first, but then breaking it down into everyone for himself. In the end, Angle proved to be the strongest, giving Angle Slams to both the Big Show and Lesnar, then pinning Lesnar to become the Smackdown Heavyweight Champion for the fourth time.

On the next Smackdown, Angle came out to celebrate his victory, only to be interrupted by Lesnar, who wanted his rematch. Angle agreed, but Vince McMahon then came out and said that Angle had actually been begging him in the back not to allow the match, so he was going to make Lesnar earn it. Angle told Lesnar that Vince was lying, then convinced Lesnar to challenge Vince to a match for next week. Meanwhile, that night, Angle & Lesnar teamed up to go against A-Train & the Big Show. Near the end, Lesnar showed his tremendous strength, by getting the F-5 on the Big Show. Angle then tagged himself in and made the cover, getting the win. An upset Lesnar F-5'ed Angle after the match, only to have Vince announce that Angle would be the special referee for their "Steel Cage" Match. The next week, all eyes were on Angle to turn heel, especially after Lesnar was taken out in the back, with Angle spotted nearby. In the match, Lesnar, though apparently woozy, hoisted Vince up for an F-5, only to seemingly pass out. Angle refused to make the count, instead calling for help. When Vince struck at him, telling him to count, Angle put his boss in the Ankle Lock. But this left Angle open to a 'recovered' Lesnar, who F-5'ed Angle, then brutally beat him down, joining with Mr. McMahon.

After taking a week off to heal, Angle returned to immediately challenge Lesnar and/or Mr. McMahon to a match. Vince refused, though, threatening to fire Angle if he came near either man. Instead, Angle was put in a "tune-up" match against the Big Show. It was later made a "Falls Count Anywhere Street Fight", which seemed to favor the 500-pound giant. But Angle showed his own skills, eventually winning by putting the Big Show through a table. Angle and Lesnar then had a staredown to end the show. At Summerslam '03, Angle defended the Smackdown Heavyweight Title against Lesnar, with Vince McMahon there to interfere on Lesnar's behalf. Lesnar seemed to have the title wrapped up at one point, when he landed the F-5. But when he went for a second one, Angle reversed into the Ankle Lock, managing to pull Lesnar to the center of the ring and force him to tap out, retaining the title. A furious Mr. McMahon entered the ring afterwards, only to be Angle Slammed onto a steel chair, allowing Angle to walk out in complete triumph.

Angle watched from the announce table on the next Smackdown as the Undertaker won a "#1 Contender Triple Threat" Match over Lesnar and the Big Show. This set up Angle vs. the Dead Man a week later, for Angle's World Title. However, the match ended in a No-Contest, as Lesnar attacked both men, brutally taking them out. As part of the plan, Mr. McMahon then announced that it would be Angle vs. Lesnar in a "60-Minute Iron Man" Match in two weeks. On the next show, Mr. McMahon continued to throw his power around, putting his daughter, GM Stephanie McMahon, into a match with Lesnar. Just as Lesnar was preparing to F-5 Stephanie into the post, Angle made the save, ending the match and beating on Lesnar.

In the middle of September '03, Angle and Lesnar had their "60-Minute Iron Man" Match for Angle's Smackdown Championship. It soon turned into a brutal affair, as Lesnar intentionally got himself DQ'ed by hitting Angle with a steel chair! Lesnar then rested for 15 seconds (the mandatory period between falls), before picking up Angle, F-5'ing him, and getting an easy pin to tie the series at 1-1. Lesnar continued to dominate for the next few minutes, getting another fall by making Angle tap out to the Ankle Lock, then later F-5'ing Angle on the outside and reentering the ring, causing Angle to be counted out. This put the champ down 1-3, but Angle started fighting back, getting an Angle Slam at the 26-minute mark to close the gap. But when the ref went down a few minutes later, Lesnar grabbed the title and nailed Angle with it, getting another cheap win to go up 4-2. With 15 minutes left, things seemed impossible for Angle, as Lesnar got another pin after a Superplex, making it 5-2. Angle went into desperation mode, beating Lesnar with a Belly-to-Belly Superplex, then later got the Ankle Lock, bringing it to 5-4. Ankle waited the time limit, then went back to the Ankle Lock, but despite numerous tries, he couldn't get Brock to tap again, as the time ran out with Lesnar in the hold. Angle lost the title, 5-4.

A week later, Angle came out to demand a piece of Lesnar, but Mr. McMahon announced that Angle would have to start out at the bottom of the pile. John Cena then did a negative rap about Angle, causing Angle to throw Cena from the ring. Cena later brawled with Angle in the back, then ran, driving off, with Angle stealing Mr. McMahon's limo to chase after him. Angle kept feuding with both Lesnar and Cena the next week, teaming with the Undertaker to take them on. But Cena cheated, hitting Angle with his chain before pinning him to get the cheap victory. The two had a "Battle Rap" on the next Smackdown, with Angle first rapping, then attacking Cena. Angle continued to get creative as the feud went on, coming out dressed as Cena and having a mini-Angle come down and insult him, then apply the Ankle Lock! Cena finally broke it up, but the mini-Angle was able to position himself and give Cena a low blow, which left Cena open to an Angle Slam from the larger Angle. The two wrestlers met up at No Mercy '03, with Cena looking for the upset. But Angle was too strong, as he forced Cena to tap out to the Ankle Lock.

Angle teamed with Chris Benoit on the next Smackdown, taking on Cena & A-Train. But the old heat between the two surfaced again, when Benoit accidentally hit Angle with a chair, leading to a brawl between the two men. A rematch took place a week later, with Angle & Benoit managing to put things behind them long enough to get the win. Instead, it was Cena and A-Train who fought afterwards. Meanwhile, in the back, Angle chose Benoit as the first member of Team Angle, which would be facing Team Lesnar at the next PPV. Angle later added Hardcore Holly and the APA (Bradshaw & Faarooq), to take on Lesnar, the Big Show, Matt Morgan, Nathan Jones, and apparently John Cena. But Angle's team was changed after Lesnar injured Faarooq's knee with a chair, leaving them one short. Soon after, though, Cena refused the position on Team Lesnar, and got beat down by the A-Train, who took his spot. Cena then joined up with Team Angle, coming to Angle & Benoit's aid after they had had to fight a 4-on-2 Handicap Match. Angle's team was now complete.

At the '03 Survivor Series, Angle's team and Lesnar's team went at it very quickly. Just as the match started, the first elimination occurred, as Hardcore Holly attacked Brock Lesnar, shoving a referee out of the way and being DQ'ed. Bradshaw evened things up by eliminating A-Train with the Clothesline From Hell, but he was then taken down by the Big Show's Chokeslam. After a long series of wrestling, Benoit managed to tag in Angle, who was able to eliminate Matt Morgan with the Angle Slam, then forced Nathan Jones to tap to the Ankle Lock. Lesnar took adva