10 Wrestlers who would make a better final opponent for Kurt Angle instead of Baron Corbin

Way back in the last century -- 1998 to be exact -- Kurt Angle made his debut in the WWE during the height of the Attitude Era.

Kurt Angle had become a bonafide American hero after winning the Olympic Gold Medal in wrestling after suffering -- in his own words -- 'a broken freaking neck'. Never before in the history of professional wrestling had an Olympic Gold medalist competed in a sports entertainment environment, a fact which Angle reminded the fans of, repeatedly.

In his initial incarnation, Angle's matches were made to be deliberately boring, as he used a variety of amateur takedowns instead of the smash mouth style popularized by athletes such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock. However, over time his style evolved to become both brutal and technical, and he added graceful high flying moves like the moonsault to his repertoire. Angle can float through the air during a moonsault as easily as a water bug skims over the surface of a pond.

Angle would go on to capture virtually every title the company had to offer, including their 'big belt', the WWE World championship. He left the company for several years and competed primarily for TNA/Impact, but he did return to the WWE where he has been a part time wrestler and full time on screen talent.

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However, all good things must come to an end, and Kurt is scheduled to wrestle his last match ever at Wrestlemania 35. That's why so many fans and critics are confused as to why WWE would choose Baron Corbin as the final foe when the roster is so stacked with talent.

Don't get us wrong; Corbin is a skilled wrestler, but he has been primarily used in non wrestling roles, and to be honest, is no where near Kurt Angle's level at this stage of his career, if he ever will be.

Here are ten wrestlers under contract with WWE who would be better choices for Kurt Angle's final opponent. The list does include wrestlers who already have matches scheduled at Wrestlemania 35, but plans could be adjusted to make room for the last ever time Angle will lace up the boots.

#1 Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe has been in the wrestling business for a very long time, making his debut almost twenty years ago. He has been a Ring of Honor world champion, a TNA World champion and X division champion, and has held the NXT championship as well as being the current United States champion.

Much like Angle, Joe mixes in a lot of real-life grappling moves and striking into his repertoire. The two men have already had a fantastic match against each other when they were both under contract to TNA, which many believe actually influenced the direction that wrestling has taken in recent years.

A match between the two men is bound to be both exciting and emotional, as they have a storied rivalry even if it did not take place in the WWE. Also, Joe is an international star of at least close status to Angle himself.

#2 AJ Styles

AJ Styles and Kurt Angle are certainly no strangers to each other; they also enjoyed a rivalry in the TNA promotion and also ran into one another in other federations.

Their matches for the X Division title were all instant classics, and they mesh well performing in the ring together. Much like Angle, AJ is a smaller, quicker athlete, as skilled working on the mat as he is sailing through the air.

And when it comes to superstar status, AJ is possibly at an even higher level than Angle, having competed more places and has captured more titles than almost anyone else on the WWE roster. AJ Styles and Kurt Angle definitely respect each other both in and out of the ring, and that respect will lead to stiffer shots, more impactful suplexes, and a willingness to pull out all the stops for the final contest of Angle's career.

#3 Adam Cole

There's no need to limit Angle's final opponent prospects to the Raw and Smackdown brands. Adam Cole has been putting on show-stopping performances ever since he signed with WWE's yellow brand and serves as the current leader of the Undisputed Era.

Adam Cole is an international superstar, having competed in Ring of Honor--where he captured both the world tag team titles and the World Heavyweight championship--and the New Japan Pro wrestling promotion, where he was the one-time leader of Bullet Club.

Cole has all of the speed, agility, and timing to give Angle a run for his money, and a match between the two has wrestling purists practically salivating. It would mean Cole would have to wrestle Takeover and then work Wrestlemania the next night, but we have a feeling that the Undisputed Era leader would be more than willing to do so.

#4 Abyss

First off, Chris Park -- the man who plays the Abyss character -- is officially retired from the ring. But, he is under WWE contract as a backstage producer. This means that he could easily be put into a match if he were willing to put his battered body on the line one more time.

And for a dream match against Kurt Angle -- indeed, Kurt Angle's final match -- he might just be willing to do it. Abyss is one of the most criminally underrated wrestling superstars in the world, possessed of great timing and strength that belies his somewhat robust looking frame.

Abyss and Angle have already had some fantastic matches while they were under contract for TNA. Also, it would give Abyss a chance to have a Wrestlemania moment, something his career is sorely lacking. It would be a much more compelling contest than Baron Corbin vs. Kurt Angle.

#5 Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin was once the tag team partner of Brock Lesnar in Ohio Valley Wrestling, the one-time developmental territory of WWE. As the Minnesota Stretching Crew, they proved to be a dominant force, but Lesnar received his call up first.

When Shelton Benjamin received his call up to the main roster, he was put into another tag team with Charlie Haas, and they were named Team Angle. Kurt Angle gave both his blessing and his name to the team. Eventually, they split from Angle and became the World's Greatest Tag Team, but the comparisons to Angle have followed Benjamin throughout his career.

Shelton and Kurt both have strong amateur backgrounds, and are possessed of uncanny agility. A match between them would be both emotional and technically sound, making it a better choice than Corbin. Also, Shelton may be winding down his career as well, and it would be fitting if one of his final opponents was the Olympic Gold Medalist.

#6 Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose, the Lunatic Fringe of WWE might be leaving the company after WrestleMania

Dean Ambrose may not be continuing his career after his contract is up shortly after Wrestlemania 35. Why not have one of his final matches also be the final match of Kurt Angle?

The two have been teammates in the past, when Kurt Angle filled in for an ill Roman Reigns, even doing the Shield entrance with Ambrose and Rollins. Also, Dean has been in the business nearly as long as Angle, and the two men are of a similar size, making the contest that much more competitive.

It would be a contest of technical wizardly vs. top-notch brawling and unpredictability, not to mention a great contrast in characters. The Lunatic Fringe might be a good choice to give Angle and himself one final Wrestlemania moment before both of their careers come to an end after Wrestlemania 35.

#7 Shinsuke Nakamura

The King of Strong Style Shinsuke Nakamura

In a battle of East vs. West, you can't get much better than Shinsuke Nakamura versus Kurt Angle.

The two men had a barn burner of a match back in the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, where they competed for the coveted and prestigious IWGP Heavyweight championship. However, back in those days, Nakamura had yet to fully evolve into the artist he is today.

A match with a fully realized Nakamura would be even more compelling than their earlier bout, and make a fitting swan song for Kurt Angle. It would also make a much better Wrestlemania moment for Nakamura, who lost cleanly to AJ Styles last year and made an ill-received heel turn in the process. Kurt Angle vs. Shinsuke Nakamura would feature all the smash mouth striking, stiff suplexes, and top-notch artistry that we have come to expect from both men.

#8 Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels, the Heart Break Kid, is officially retired from in-ring competition, but he has returned to the ring when the event is big enough to coax him out of his comfortable lifestyle in Texas, such as Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

Shawn Michaels has also said that he doesn't want to wrestle against youngsters, but people in his own age bracket. Well, Kurt Angle certainly fits that bill. Because Angle's career coincided with a long retirement by HBK, the two men never really had a satisfying encounter between the ropes.

What more fitting of an opponent for Angle's final match than the man who retired the Nature Boy Ric Flair, and a grand slam champion who has left an indelible mark on sports entertainment? It would be hard to find a reason to decree HBK unworthy of the honour of being Angle's final opponent ever.

#9 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is already booked to defend his title at Wrestlemania, but it would hardly be the first time the American Dragon has done double duty at the biggest sports entertainment event of the year. Daniel Bryan and Kurt Angle have also yet to meet in a major promotion, which ups the stakes for this match emotionally.

The parallels between Daniel Bryan and Angle are myriad. Both are on the smaller side, more junior heavyweights than massive bodybuilders like John Cena or The Rock. Also, both are supreme ring technicians and have the ability to strike and use submission holds.

Daniel Bryan vs. Kurt Angle is a dream match on paper, and given that it would be Kurt Angle's final match, ever, we are betting the two men would pull out all the stops to put on breakneck performance to stun the world.

#10 John Cena

Longtime WWE fans know that John Cena's first night on the main roster involved an in-ring confrontation with Kurt Angle. The master of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect didn't back down an inch from the Olympic Gold Medalist, and the two men have fought several times over the course of their WWE careers.

John Cena is not a full-time wrestler, instead of splitting the difference between the WWE and his acting roles in Hollywood. However, when it comes to wrestlers strongly associated with WWE, you really can't look any further than Cena. He has been the 'face that runs the place,' the 'measuring stick,' and 'the champ' for over a decade, and is probably on the same tier of marketability as Hulk Hogan and the Rock.

Who more fitting to give Angle his final wrestling match, ever, than the man who faced him in his first ever main roster WWE bout? John Cena has the star power and the history with Angle to make the bout emotionally compelling and full of grit.

There you have it; Ten men who would make better final opponents of Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 35 than Baron Corbin. Who would you like to see take on the Olympic Gold Medalist? Please comment and let us know and as always thanks for reading!

Edited by Anirban Banerjee