Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
(SEXY BOY PLAYING)
(BELL DINGING)
FINKEL: The following contest is scheduled for one fall!
Introducing first, from San Antonio, Texas,
weighing 227 pounds,
the Heartbreak Kid,
Shawn Michaels!
JERRY: JR, you said that you thought
the Christy Hemme, Trish Stratus match was rooted in jealousy.
What about what we heard from Kurt Angle?
If that's not some jealousy of Shawn Michaels, I don't know what is.
JR: And the irony of that
JERRY: Right! I don't get it!
He's the only gold medal winner Olympian in WWE history.
But Shawn Michaels, competing in his 11th WrestleMania, has done it all.
The first grand champion winner.
Shawn was the first man in the history of the company
to win every major championship.
The Showstopper.
Perhaps the icon, the wrestler of the decade.
Or so... Kurt Angle disagrees.
JERRY: Well, you're right there.
That's what this match is all about.
This should be a classic.
(MEDAL PLAYING)
CROWD: You suck!
JERRY: You said it, the first and only gold medalist
in WWE history.
JR: The fans still think he sucks,
but, be that as it may...
FINKEL: From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
weighing 229 pounds,
the only Olympic gold medal winner
in WWE history,
and a former WWE Champion,
Kurt Angle!
JR: Angle also, ladies and gentlemen,
a two-time NCAA heavyweight champion.
Just named to the 75th annual NCAA All-Time Team.
Angle won the NCAA title at 199 pounds at heavyweight,
beating a 275-pound man.
My point in that is Angle is an amazing mat wrestler.
Shawn Michaels, a catch-as-catch-can stylist.
JERRY: Boy, but look at the intensity on the face of Kurt Angle.
I don't think either one of these guys are going to be intimidated.
(INAUDIBLE)
JR: Michaels with the edge in experience and...
And that may, uh,
prove to be a very effective asset for the Showstopper
as this match progresses.
A SmackDown referee, Brian Hebner, assigned to this contest.
Angle, again, representing SmackDown.
Shawn Michaels representing RAW.
JR: Oh!
JR: And Michaels, uh...
And, whoa, a takedown by Angle!
An aggressive takedown by Angle
after being slapped in the face.
Michaels trying to sit out on Angle, but Angle the consummate mat wrestler.
There's no one in the WWE
that can out-mat-wrestle Kurt Angle.
Not in my opinion, anyway.
JERRY: Oh, I'm going to tell you, I don't like the...
I don't like the strategy of Shawn Michaels.
You're right, he may have more experience than Kurt Angle,
but you said it yourself,
nobody has the wrestling ability,
nobody in the entire WWE
has the wrestling ability of Kurt Angle.
For Shawn Michaels to come out here and slap his face to start this thing off...
JR: I think what you're...
I don't know, King, but, you know,
there's a lot of mind games being played in these big-match confrontations.
We saw it earlier with the Undertaker and Orton.
JERRY: Right, that didn't work too well for him, did it?
JR: And maybe Michaels is just trying to get
Kurt Angle out of his game, out of his wrestling mentality,
and make this a fight.
Nice side headlock takeover by Shawn Michaels.
And a hair pull by Kurt Angle.
Michaels' side headlock, keeping it very basic here.
And both men, their legs are so important in this match.
Michaels with his Sweet Chin Music,
Kurt Angle with the Angle Lock.
And right now, Angle, grounded shoulders.
Pinned to the mat for a...
A long two... Uh, a short two-count.
JERRY: Don't get me wrong either. I don't think, uh...
When it comes to wrestling ability, certainly Shawn Michaels is no slouch.
He's beaten the best of them.
I just don't think you want to
kick Kurt Angle, start off on a match like this on the wrong foot.
JR: Angle trying to free himself from that predicament he's in, the side headlock.
Michaels holding on. Look at the position of Michaels' hands.
How they are locked.
Wrist to wrist, and a suplex by Angle.
And, somehow, amazingly,
Michaels' able to retain the control of the headlock,
albeit being suplexed.
JERRY: You've got to give Shawn Michaels credit there.
This Kurt Angle,
he is calculating. He is...
He's cold, JR. I've heard you say it, "Cold as a stepmother's kiss."
I mean, this guy is just, uh...
JR: A shot there. A nice shoulder block by Michaels.
Oh, a high headlock takeover by Shawn Michaels.
And Michaels
literally pulling a page out of the Kurt Angle playbook.
Side headlock takeover.
And look at Angle. Turning it into a pin! And...
I don't know how the referee kept... Those shoulders were up.
JERRY: Whose shoulders was he counting then?
JR: Again, Michaels keeping it very basic.
Michaels a master of the catch-as-catch-can style.
Michaels can brawl.
We've seen Michaels in many situations but again...
Oh, a nice...
JERRY: I'm gonna tell you something.
This is more the strategy that I think Michaels can be successful with.
I didn't like the slap to start off with, but now,
ever since then,
what Michaels' has been doing has been successful.
JR: I'm impressed with
the strategy employed early on by Shawn Michaels.
As Angle forces Michaels back into the corner.
Referee calling for a clean break.
And somewhat surprisingly, we get one.
JERRY: Angle checking those ears.
JR: Oh, they're huge, I'll tell you.
Cauliflowered from all those years
of wrestling as a youngster
through the amateur ranks.
Nice standing switch by...
And another side headlock. Shawn Michaels again very impressive
with a side headlock takeover.
And a little frustration
beginning to boil by the Olympian Kurt Angle,
grabbing the hair!
JERRY: Well, that's because the mat game is supposed to belong to Kurt Angle!
And I don't think, for one minute, that Kurt Angle thought,
in his wildest dreams, that Shawn Michaels would come out here and out-wrestle him.
JR: Yeah. Waistlock... Oh, hard elbow!
Hard elbow by Kurt Angle. Shoulder block.
Angle with a shoulder block, knocking down Shawn Michaels.
JERRY: Oh, look out!
High hip block.
And Michaels, now, applying a short arm scissors.
JR: Haven't seen that in a long time.
I got to believe, and I'm only assuming,
that Kurt Angle did not prepare
for a mat wrestling match
as far as the offense of Shawn Michaels is concerned.
JERRY: And why should he have? I certainly would have thought that...
JR: Oh, look at this!
Nice reversal, and Michaels reverses back.
And Angle has got to be careful.
Those shoulders on the canvas for a long two-count that time.
Well, the short arm scissors is a time-tested maneuver
we don't see a lot of anymore.
And Michaels trying to... The shoulders are down!
At least one of them was. And Michaels again using his leg strength
and the leverage applied
with that short arm scissors there.
JERRY: I can't get over the fact that Kurt Angle's been grounded in this match.
I mean, if you were Kurt Angle, would you have ever thought
that this is what you were gonna see
from Shawn Michaels, that this would be his game plan?
JR: I would have thought Michaels would have a real fast pace,
JERRY: Oh, man!
JR: Look at the strength... The strength and power of Kurt Angle!
And Michaels counters, sunset flip... Oh!
And a near fall.
JR: Backslide!
Backslide, by Shawn Michaels, and another near fall.
And a flip to a side headlock.
And I just heard Kurt Angle slap the mat and said, "Damn it!"
So he's becoming very frustrated.
I'm almost speechless at this wrestling, uh,
clinic that Shawn Michaels is putting on
on an Olympic gold medalist!
JR: Well, if you'd have watched tapes...
If you're Kurt Angle scouting Shawn Michaels,
preparing for this match, you'd have seen Michaels' Sweet Chin Music,
the high-risk, the catch-as-catch-can style, the brawling.
But you would have never thought that mat wrestling would've been
an influence in this match.
JERRY: And I'm sure that that's what Kurt has done.
He's a student of the game. Look at this now!
JR: Angle, the right hand and Michaels now retaliates
with rights of his own.
Angle, again, trying to gain advantage.
JERRY: And look at Michaels. He's trying to wrap his legs
around Kurt, and wrap him up. Once again, wrestling.
JR: Referee's having a challenging time separating these two men
and getting them out of the corner.
Michaels again retaliates with a right hand.
Kurt Angle, now, trying to just shut down Michaels.
JERRY: Kurt Angle with the hair. A handful of hair.
Something Michaels can't, uh...
JERRY: Where's the ref?
JR: Oh, what a hard shot, from behind! And then the Ankle Lock!
There's the Ankle Lock!
The shot from behind led to the Ankle Lock!
And a quick counter by Shawn Michaels!
JR: Oh, what a clothesline!
Both men over the top from the clothesline.
And Michaels in a desperate state, quickly,
and I mean quicker than a hiccup,
got out of that Ankle Lock.
JERRY: Well, I'm gonna tell you something, this... Uh-oh! Oh, no!
JERRY: Oh!
So much for the wrestling, JR.
...short fuse, as Michaels has...
JERRY: This is vintage Shawn Michaels. This is what I expected from HBK.
JR: Michaels in a more...
This is more WWE-style right here.
And Michaels rolling back in the ring
to break the referee's 10-count.
JR: Oh, what a right hand
right in front of us,
and a hard European uppercut forearm
by Kurt Angle, the Olympian.
Another big shot!
JERRY: It looked like Shawn had lost his temper
and was gonna plan something with that table.
JR: Look out. Look out, here. Look out here, King.
JERRY: Now Kurt Angle's gonna use that announce table!
JR: Kurt Angle trying to suplex Michaels on the announce table.
And Michaels now retaliating.
Kurt Angle!
JERRY: He's going for the Angle...
Good grief!
JR: Shawn Michaels' spine and his lower back from the Angle Slam
into the steel ring post!
You talk about a difference-maker,
a tide-turner in the match...
As Kurt Angle in the ring to break the referee's count.
But then, the end may have been called.
The bell may have been sounded for HBK.
JERRY: Check this out!
JR: God, that's sick! That is sick!
The lower back... That back just torqued.
And we know Shawn Michaels was away five years,
approximately, from the WWE
from a back injury,
having major back surgery.
JERRY: Yeah, we know it, and so does that man.
Kurt Angle certainly knows it.
And he's gonna capitalize on it right now.
JR: Angle focusing on the lower back,
the kicks, the knees, the forearms.
The high-impact moves.
Concussion moves to the lower back.
Trying to knot up that back and continue to apply the pressure.
And this will certainly slow down the ultra-quick Shawn Michaels.
The momentum has changed in this match.
The suplex! The suplex! The cover! And a lateral press.
REFEREE: Two!
Well, you heard the referee with a two-count.
JERRY: Well, you said... I mean, an emphatic statement there that
the momentum has certainly changed.
I mean, the first part of this match was all Shawn Michaels, but now
Angle is really in command. Hair pulling.
JR: Kurt Angle applying the old Joe Stecher body scissors.
Applying pressure to that lower back and abdomen.
Those strong legs wrapped around Shawn Michaels.
JR: Look at this. The forearm.
All legal, in that regard.
That forearm's not an illegal maneuver but it's...
It does show the tenacity of Kurt Angle
as he runs that forearm across the face,
the bridge of the nose of Shawn Michaels.
Reverse chinlock.
Michaels back up. In a fighting mood here.
Here he comes!
And caught Angle with a hard knife-edge chop.
And another one. You could hear that one.
Reversal!
The velocity that Angle sent Michaels to the corner
turned Michaels inside out.
Oh, belly-to-belly overhead suplex!
Michaels landing on that injured lower back.
And Kurt Angle is in control.
Momentum is in the court of Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle has got to be feeling that victory is near for him.
JERRY: I think right now Kurt Angle is so confident,
There's a cover!
A cover. Can Michaels...
No, Michaels kicked out.
Angle popped those hips so expertly.
Textbook suplex by the Olympian.
Look at that knee. Look at that right knee.
JERRY: That right knee intended to do more damage
to Shawn Michaels' already damaged lower back.
JR: Pressure not only on the neck, but more primarily
on the lower back of Shawn Michaels
after being Angle Slammed
and whiplashed around the ring post just a few moments ago.
JERRY: Oh, hey, come on! Look at this now.
JR: He's gonna get a break there.
JERRY: Well, you'd think the referee might
make him break the entire hold, but no.
JR: Yeah, you would think. Be that as it may.
JERRY: SmackDown referee, of course.
JR: Michaels has not been the same since this move right here.
Just the tweak of that back.
Again, no one really knows exactly
how tender Shawn Michaels' back is right now.
JERRY: Well, after seeing things like that,
it's just a testament to who HBK is
that he's still in this match.
JR: Michaels standing and fighting Kurt Angle.
And maybe this is Michaels' strategy here. Now let's just fight.
A right hand by Angle, but Michaels
known for his brawls and his slugging.
And Angle known for his wrestling.
And another slap to the face.
And that just PO'd Angle,
who almost beheaded Shawn Michaels with a clothesline.
The cover! Oh, and Shawn Michaels
barely, I mean barely, able to kick out.
Angle thought that he had the Showstopper.
JERRY: Slaps are never a good idea.
All they do is, like you say, PO somebody.
JR: What a shot.
JERRY: This came right after the slap.
Angle didn't slap Shawn, he tried to take his head off.
JR: Angle, now, setting Shawn Michaels up on the top turnbuckle.
This classic battle
between two future Hall of Famers. Don't do it now here.
Michaels with that bad back.
Michaels trying to hold on.
He knows the results of a suplex from this position.
JERRY: I don't think that HBK can withstand one of those,
and he's not going to have to!
JR: Michaels knocked off the top.
Shawn Michaels, he's... Wait a minute.
Uh-oh!
Here comes vintage Shawn Michaels!
Not a wise move here with a bad back!
Here comes the Showstopper!
Oh, the Showstopper could not connect!
Michaels again crashing and burning
on his lower back.
JERRY: Uh-oh!
And now Kurt Angle has got to be sensing victory.
Get up! Come on!
JR: Angle poised and ready for Michaels to stand.
And Angle, going for the Angle Slam!
Nice counter arm drag.
The arm drag by HBK.
JR: Oh, my God!
A back body drop over the top!
Shawn Michaels, the veteran, using
Kurt Angle's own momentum against the Olympian
and back-dropping Angle over the top rope
all the way to the floor.
JERRY: I'm going to tell you something. A few seconds ago,
I thought Shawn Michaels was out of it
when he missed that move off the top rope.
JR: What the hell is Shawn doing?
JERRY: I don't know.
Shawn goes for the crossbody!
Michaels with a crossbody.
His knee may have hit Angle in the face.
JERRY: I think you're right, there. Watch Shawn Michaels' knee.
Oh, wow!
JR: That is an ill move, I'll tell you.
A nasty move, to say the least.
Angle laying out here in front of us.
Michaels trying to fight his way back in the ring
to beat the referee's 10-count.
JERRY: As you said, I think Shawn Michaels' leg or knee
went right into the face or mouth or nose, I don't know what.
JR: Michaels looks to be bleeding from the nose.
And Angle trying to angle back in this thing.
And Angle up on the apron. Oh, my God!
Oh, no!
Angle's going to try to... He's trying to German suplex Shawn Michaels
off the apron of the ring, through the table!
JERRY: Hang on, Shawn. Hang on for your life!
My God... Shawn Michaels has got to hang on!
His... His career's at stake here!
A German suplex
from the edge of the ring through a table
could break Michaels' back.
Michaels fighting, desperately fighting.
Throwing those elbows right to the face of Angle.
Oh! Low!
JR: And the referee is...
Looks like Michaels went undetected with the low blow.
JERRY: Well, desperate men
have to resort to desperate measures.
And I think that Shawn Michaels,
his entire... Certainly this match,
his entire career, maybe his life,
could have depended on him not getting suplexed into that table.
JR: And Michaels... Michaels kicking Angle away.
And Shawn Michaels...
JERRY: Oh, look out!
JR: Oh, my God!
Michaels...
Michaels leapfrogging, springboarding off the ropes.
Putting his body and soul on the line!
Oh, my God! This...
Michaels and... Michaels and Angle are motionless.
JERRY: You can see that these tables, they're...
We've had so many people busting through tables
that they've reinforced these tables with steel.
And look at this!
Oh!
JR: Michaels hit the mark, but, man.
The price paid by both men.
That table did not snap.
As you said, reinforced.
Human bodies bouncing off a table.
The referee out to check on both of these men on their...
Well, their well-being, I guess you would say.
Their health.
This match could end momentarily, quite frankly.
JERRY: Neither one of these men may be able to continue.
REFEREE: Two!
JR: The referee is counting, starting his 10-count.
These men have got to return to the ring before that 10-count.
JERRY: Blood coming from the mouth of Kurt Angle. I don't know if that's from
that knee into his face,
earlier from Shawn, or from internal injuries from
being smashed into that table.
JR: The referee is up to seven now.
These men are in danger of being counted out here.
What a shame for a match to end, of this magnitude,
by a count-out. Angle's trying to crawl back in.
JERRY: Shawn is in.
JR: Shawn is in.
JERRY: The referee saying both men are in.
JR: Both men are in.
About a second to spare is all they had.
But, nonetheless, as Angle bleeds from the mouth,
you don't know what shape Michaels' back is in.
JERRY: I think that may be from some sort of internal injury.
JR: Both men trying to stand. And they do, looking eye to eye.
These two icons.
Anybody's game here!
And a right hand. Angle swung a right, got blocked.
Michaels with a knife-edge chop.
Fighting back into it. The will of Shawn Michaels.
The will to win this match is overwhelming.
And the same can be said for Kurt Angle.
JERRY: These guys are trying to literally destroy each other.
Look out!
JR: Flying forearm by Shawn Michaels.
The Showstopper
JERRY: Oh, no!
JR: And Michaels somehow reaching down
into places men don't have,
able to nip up
JERRY: Oh!
And a right hand to Kurt Angle.
And another right hand.
Inverted atomic drop.
Michaels, now, building momentum.
You can feel the momentum changing.
You can feel the momentum.
Back in the corner, Shawn Michaels.
As he may be thinking about one of his favorite tunes.
JERRY: I'm going to tell you something, Kurt Angle keeps...
Oh! He's holding his stomach there.
I think there's internal injuries
on Kurt Angle. Blood coming from his mouth.
This could be it right here!
JR: Michaels is going to take another chance.
Michaels going for it all here.
It will be all or nothing for Shawn Michaels!
JERRY: He got it!
Stuck the elbow!
Michaels stuck the elbow from the top.
Driving it into the sternum.
Into the heart of Kurt Angle.
And now Michaels feels it.
He can sense it!
His body filled with adrenaline!
JERRY: I'm going to tell you, the turning point
was Shawn landing into the rib cage and midsection
of Kurt Angle out on that announce table.
JR: Michaels tuning up the band for some Sweet Chin Music.
Michaels needs one shot with that right foot.
He's looking for it. He... No, he didn't!
Angle counters!
Angle blocked! Angle blocked!
Oh, my gosh!
Angle blocked Sweet Chin Music into the Angle Lock.
JERRY: I can't believe that Kurt Angle
still had the stamina, the wherewithal
to catch Shawn Michaels in mid-kick!
JR: An excruciating maneuver
that could easily break a man's ankle.
And Angle is tenacious, pugnacious, will not let go.
JERRY: He's going to break his leg! He's going to break his leg!
JR: The referee in great position to ask Michaels if he wants to give up.
Michaels...
JERRY: He's trying desperately to get to the rope.
It is absolutely the only thing that can save him.
JR: Michaels reaching, desperately reaching for the ropes.
JERRY: He's just inches away. Push!
WrestleMania's meant so much
to Shawn Michaels' career,
to his life, and now he finds himself
in a position where he may have to give up
at the hands of Kurt Angle and his Angle Lock.
JERRY: It means so much...
And... Oh, he's got it!
JR: Referee counting... Got to let go.
JERRY: Maybe this is why Shawn Michaels calls himself Mr. WrestleMania.
He excels.
He somehow pulls it all out at WrestleManias.
And he saved himself once again.
JR: But Michaels was in the Angle Lock for a long time.
Oh!
Reversed!
Oh, no!
Angle got it again!
The ankle lock applied again to Shawn Michaels.
And Michaels counters! He's got him!
Oh, did he get him?
Did he get him?
JR: That's a long two-count.
A real long two-count.
Angle looking for a clothesline.
Again, Michaels...
Oh, Angle Slam!
Angle Slam in the center of the ring!
A crash of a car wreck!
That should do it!
The hook of the leg!
Oh!
No! It's not a count of three!
I thought it was a count of three.
What are these men going to have to do?
I mean, Kurt Angle has lost some teeth!
JR: Angle saying...
I don't know what he said, but the expression tells the story.
He's frustrated.
Wondering what the hell he's got to do
to beat Shawn Michaels.
And maybe it's not Kurt Angle's night.
JERRY: Uh-oh.
He just rededicated himself to this match.
What's he doing now?
JR: Wait a minute, that's a Shawn Michaels-like maneuver.
Look out! Oh!
JR: Angle went for the moonsault!
A page out of Shawn Michaels' book.
Angle has said, "Whatever Shawn Michaels can do,
"I can do better."
Angle left his ground attack,
left his wrestling fundamentals and went for the high risk.
JERRY: The high risk is right, and look at this.
High in the air...
Oh! But nobody home when he came down.
JR: That may be the deciding factor
in this match if Shawn Michaels
can fight back into it.
Because Angle knocked the breath out of himself.
He took that huge chance.
And now what is Shawn Michaels doing?
JERRY: I don't know. I don't know how he would be able to climb, much less...
I mean, even stand here.
He's had that ankle lock clamped on not one, but both of his legs.
And he's still going to the top.
Michaels fearless. Absolutely fearless.
Trying to... He's climbing to the top
to put the finishing touches on Angle.
Oh, no, no, no!
The Angle Slam off the top!
Angle with a cover!
Angle! The cover! The three!
Oh, my gosh!
Oh, no! A long...
A long two and somehow
the will to survive for Shawn Michaels
again comes to the front.
He is Mr. WrestleMania!
I'm a believer!
This capacity crowd of over 20,000 fans,
absolutely stunned.
And, by God, so am I.
Look at Kurt Angle! Nobody is more stunned than Kurt Angle!
You can't beat him tonight!
The tenacity of these two men.
And now Angle with a...
Your days are done! Your days are done!
Tap out!
Do you hear me, Michaels?
Tap out!
JERRY: Oh!
Angle talked too much!
He talked too long!
He got a foot in his mouth!
Angle was bad-mouthing Shawn Michaels.
He told Shawn to tap out.
"Your days are done."
The next thing you know, Kurt Angle...
He's out like a light!
JR: The thing about it is that Michaels scores with Sweet Chin Music
but he can't capitalize at this moment!
Bam!
Oh, what a knockout shot!
What a knockout shot!
What... What have we got here?
Both of these men are down. Both of them are out.
Referee's only got one option here and that is to count.
Shawn's stirring.
Let's see this kick one more time. And hear it, listen.
Oh! Man!
JR: Perfect. That was a shot.
A shot heard round the world, if you will,
by Shawn Michaels.
Knocking down Kurt Angle and Michaels trying to just crawl...
JERRY: Just get an arm across him. He's out!
Shawn?
Just cover him any way possible!
JR: Michaels' eyes glazed.
And the arm over.
It'll count. It'll be over!
It'll count!
Oh, wait a minute!
Did he get his shoulder up?
JR: Angle got his right shoulder up.
Some fans, certainly cheering for Michaels,
thought it should have been a three.
But it is not a three.
JERRY: SmackDown referee. That might have been the longest count I've ever seen.
JR: Well, in any event, Angle got his shoulder up.
The match continues.
This is a one-fall match
between two men who, no doubt in my mind,
will both be in the WWE Hall of Fame some day.
JERRY: Shawn, he... I think he thinks he's won right now.
Does he even know
that the referee said that was just a two-count?
JR: Michaels is out of it. Michaels is absolutely out of it here.
JERRY: And so is Kurt Angle.
Angle is still on his shoulders. And Michaels...
Michaels is not sure where he is.
If he was, he would be covering Kurt Angle right now.
JERRY: He... I think Shawn Michaels thinks he won!
JR: Oh, but Angle!
Angle out of nowhere!
Angle out of nowhere with the Angle Lock.
Angle out of nowhere with the Angle Lock!
JERRY: That was like something from a scary movie.
He rose from the dead and grabbed that ankle!
JR: And Angle, by God, will break Shawn Michaels' ankle.
He'll snap it like a twig
and enjoy doing it.
He needs to go to the ropes!
JERRY: Kurt Angle dragging him back.
JR: Michaels fighting with everything he's got.
JERRY: Kurt Angle will not let go!
JR: Michaels fighting desperately,
with a huge sense of urgency.
Oh, my gosh! He's going to break your ankle!
Michaels in excruciating pain
from the Angle Lock from the Olympic champion.
Michaels pulled out to the center of the ring.
Michaels is writhing in pain!
He doesn't want to tap at WrestleMania.
JERRY: He's fighting for his life here.
Michaels reaching, he's leaping,
he's lunging for a rope.
Oh, no!
JR: Angle's grapevined the legs!
And look at that hideous position of Angle's...
Of Shawn Michaels' ankle.
It's in a sick position.
It could break at any moment.
JERRY: Ah, I can't think of anything short of a miracle here.
What can he do?
JR: Michaels... The pain has got to be riveting.
Scintillating pain.
Michaels cannot... He can't get to the ropes!
(JERRY STAMMERING)
Michaels' ankle could snap at any moment.
Michaels refusing, refusing to give up!
Refusing to die here!
He will not! He will not! He's Mr. WrestleMania!
JR: Michaels doing all he can
to counter, but how do you counter?
JERRY: Oh, no!
No, no, no!
I thought he was going to tap, but he didn't!
And... Once more with the will!
The will to win!
Michaels trying!
Everything he's got! Everything he has!
JERRY: How long has this Angle Lock been locked in?
How much can he stand?
Michaels taps out!
(MEDAL PLAYING)
Michaels tapped out to the Angle Lock!
JERRY: He may have broke it.
I think it may be broken.
FINKEL: Here is your winner,
Kurt Angle!
JR: Wow!
JERRY: Boy, only at WrestleMania
will you see a match like that.
JR: Kurt Angle finally able to
grapevine the leg
while he had the Angle Lock applied.
JERRY: Look at this. I mean, even...
Even fans that are saying "You suck!" are applauding
this effort by both of these Superstars.
JR: It was a phenomenal effort by two amazing athletes.
JERRY: I'm worried that Shawn Michaels' ankle may be broken.
That may be the only reason he would tap.
JR: The WWE has no two finer athletes
than Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels.
But on this night it was SmackDown's
Kurt Angle and his Angle Lock
that has led him to a very impressive victory,
one we will talk about for years, at WrestleMania XXI.
JERRY: Well, I'm going to tell you, "impressive" is the word.
I'm exhausted just watching that.
I can't imagine what these two individuals feel like right now.
I'm telling you, Shawn's ankle may be broken. It may be fractured.
JR: Michaels is going to need some medical attention, no doubt about that.
What a great effort. The fans cheering Shawn Michaels.
NARRATOR: Michaels and Angle succeeded in putting on a match for the ages.
And while Shawn was up for the task
of keeping up with an Olympic gold medalist,
the following year posed an entirely different kind of challenge.