Kurt Angle vs. Ken Shamrock
Fans missed this feud by two and a half months. Kurt Angle debuted on the main roster of the WWE in November of 1999, in a match with Shawn Stasiak at Survivor Series 1999. Ken Shamrock had just left the WWE and pro wrestling in September of 1999, just before Unforgiven 1999. Both men were combat sports gods by the time they joined the WWE and both in disciplines that would compliment each other well.
Most people thought when Shamrock came into the WWE that he was this big-time striker due to his MMA gloves. Yet anyone who was watching the UFC or PANCRASE at the time would know that Shamrock was an elite-level grappler who knew more submission than people can name breeds of dogs.
Angle, on the other hand, was widely known as an Olympic gold medalist in the 1996 games. He won the gold with a “broken freakin neck” and started looking at pro wrestling as a viable career alternative. When he came into pro wrestling, he heavily relied on his amateur grapplings to get him over with the crowd.
Shamrock’s body was breaking down at this time, so he wasn’t as explosive or aggressive with his grappling but in the world of pro wrestling, he doesn’t need to be as fast as he once was. The two would’ve made perfect opponents for each other and it’s entirely likely that the two, had they been given time, would’ve had a match of the year or thirty across 2000 and 2001.
The chance remains that the two could still tussle it up, after all, there were some loose rumors that in 2008, IMPACT Wrestling (then known as TNA) was talking about bringing Shamrock in. That never happened but now that Shamrock is back in IMPACT Wrestling, and Angle is a free agent with ties to IMPACT Wrestling, it’s entirely possible that the two finally meet. Since both men are in their 50’s, however, it’s still very unlikely.