Kurt Angle has named Chris Benoit as his greatest rival after being asked to rank ten of his former opponents.
The WWE Hall of Famer took part in a blind ranking during an appearance on the Stiff Shot Podcast, so he didn’t know which wrestler he was ranking next as he decided where each belonged on his list.
Kurt Angle ultimately placed Chris Benoit first, followed by Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, The Undertaker and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in his top five. Brock Lesnar was ranked sixth, followed by John Cena, Shane McMahon, Samoa Joe and Jeff Jarrett.
Angle and Benoit were frequent opponents during the early 2000s, wrestling at WrestleMania X-Seven and competing in a 30-minute Ultimate Submission Match at Backlash 2001, among several other encounters. Benoit killed his wife Nancy and their son Daniel before taking his own life in 2007. WWE has largely avoided referencing Benoit since their deaths.
Kurt Angle Would Remove Jeff Jarrett From His List
After completing the ranking, Kurt Angle was asked which wrestler he would remove if given the opportunity to make a change. He selected Jeff Jarrett, explaining that their TNA rivalry was driven more by the storyline involving Angle’s former wife, Karen, than by their matches.
“Probably Double J, because I don’t think our rivalry was, it was more about the ex than it was the matches,” Angle said. “I’m really into the matches and the performances. So, I’d have to pull Double J out.”
Karen Angle later married Jarrett, with TNA incorporating their relationship into a storyline involving Angle. Angle already had another former rival in mind to replace Jarrett.
“Nigel McGuinness,” Angle said.
McGuinness competed as Desmond Wolfe during his time in TNA, where he and Angle had a series of matches during 2009 and 2010.
Angle’s complete blind ranking was:
- Chris Benoit
- Shawn Michaels
- Eddie Guerrero
- The Undertaker
- “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
- Brock Lesnar
- John Cena
- Shane McMahon
- Samoa Joe
- Jeff Jarrett
