WWE WrestleMania 35: Picking One Last Opponent For Kurt Angle
By Tom Thomas
WWE WrestleMania 35 will potentially be the last time Kurt Angle laces up his wrestling boots. Who should face the Olympic Gold medalist in his final match?
This week on WWE Raw, Kurt Angle announced his intentions to retire with a farewell match at WWE WrestleMania 35. A longtime veteran of professional wrestling, a celebrated athlete and the only Olympic Gold medal winner in WWE history, Angle’s retirement couldn’t have come at a better time or at a better venue. Moreover, he got to make the announcement in front of his hometown crowd.
Angle then announced to the WWE Universe that he would like to have one final match before his hometown fans and had a decent match with Apollo Crews. Later in the night, in a backstage interview, Angle discussed how emotional this has been and how he is looking forward to the one final match of his storied and historic career. When questioned about who he wants to face in his final match at WrestleMania, Angle threw a number of named around, ranging from John Cena to AJ Styles and Samoa Joe; people he has had plenty of history with.
Now might be a good time to analyze the field and figure out who will be the best option to face Kurt Angle in his final match. Of course, the moment he said John Cena, I was sold to the idea. It doesn’t take a genius to call back to Cena’s debut match against Angle and the story writes itself from then on. The fact that Cena does not have an opponent set in stone for the Show of Shows as of now is another plus point. But will that be the best match the WWE can give Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 35?
You have to decide on a number of factors here too. Does Angle go out with a bang? A big win and a memorable performance? Or does he go out by putting someone over? How much of this match will be a call back to the final matches of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, both of whom ended the match on their own terms? The final moments of those matches were a thing of beauty and encapsulated all their heart and emotion in one subtle moment where they asked their respective opponents to finish it.
If that be the case, creative has a number of options to play with. Kurt Angle’s perfect opponent then would be Shelton Benjamin, who just happened to return to Monday Night Raw out of the blue to take out Seth Rollins, doing Paul Heyman’s bidding. Benjamin was then put over massively by Brock Lesnar’s advocate and if he is a Paul Heyman guy from now on, I’m all in for the idea. If anything, being associated with Heyman and Lesnar instantly adds credibility and star power to Shelton Benjamin who hasn’t done anything of relevance since returning to the WWE.
Moreover, he shares a lot of history with Kurt Angle, who at one point acted as his mentor and teacher in Team Angle. Throw in Jason Jordan and/or a returning Charlie Haas and you can be sure that Angle’s last match would be memorable both inside the ring and outside it. There is no other active wrestler on the roster who has as much history with Angle in the WWE as Shelton Benjamin does as of now. Moreover, a mentor and protegé locking horns never gets tiring.
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If creative does not want to go with Shelton Benjamin, someone who even remotely has a connection with Angle in recent times is Braun Strowman and Finn Balor to an extent. Strowman does not have any plans for WrestleMania at the moment. That has been the case for the past couple of years. The same goes for Finn too. However, unlike Strowman, Balor would actually be able to carry the load of the match and guide Angle through a pretty decent contest, getting the crowd to invest in the match too. Strowman’s power moves alone would not be enough to do that.
Lastly, if Angle really wants to go out with a bang, putting over someone new in the process, then look no further than Johnny Gargano. With Tomasso Ciampa out for neck surgery, Gargano’s main roster run has been halted without his tag team partner. But we all know he is one of the best singles wrestlers out there too. He might not have any history with Angle. But regardless, he is a fine worker inside the ropes and always delivers under the spotlight. Moreover, unlike Finn Balor who is a clear babyface, Gargano has shown in the past how he can channel the dark side when the need arises.
John Cena Would Be The Best Option For Kurt Angle’s Final Match. dark. Next
A match between Kurt Angle and Johnny Gargano will be one for the ages should creative let it happen. If Shelton Benjamin is not Angle’s final opponent, I’d much rather have that person be Johnny Gargano. However, one person who absolutely should not be facing Angle in his farewell match should be Baron Corbin. What are your thoughts? Who would you like to face Angle in his final match in the WWE? Do let us know in the comments section.