Watch that WM Angle/HBK match very closely Pete and you'll see what a garabge worker Micheals really is when Angle carries the match.
Finally got around to it.
Must say, I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would but can see where you're coming from.
Angle pretty much wrestles himself for the first ten minutes as HBK applies basic holds. Don't really understand the psychology behind this, HBK frustrates Angle and the audience, why? Doesn't matter because the match rarely returns to the mat-work.
Then the brawling starts. Is Michaels one of the worst strikers in the biz? His chops are fine but I've seen better punches from midget mexican workers. Angle isn't much better but he's at least solid and his uppercuts look brutal.
Match picks up after the ankle lock tease. That Angle Slam spot on the ring-post was great and actually gave me a lot of hope.
Angle works the back pretty well here and doesn't just spam german suplexes like a goof. Eventually Michaels makes a comeback and sells the back to the point but then he stops as he starts hitting high spots.
Cool spot on the apron with Angle teasing a super german on the announce table forcing Michaels to resort to the low blow.
Match should have been over when Angle caught Michaels with the Super Angle Slam. They set that spot up pretty well with Michaels going to the well too many times trying to be the show-stopper but his back getting the best of him but it just turns out to be a false fall.
Finish is fine although I hate the logic behind the grapevine ankle lock (why not do it in the first place?!).
All in all, it's a good match but has too many problems to be considered great. The face/heel dynamic was completely wrong (Michaels was more of a heel here than Angle), the strikes sucked, the opening psychology sucked and the selling was inconsistent.
As a package (build up and match) I can see why people rave on about it.
