WWE: Who is the 'The Best in the World'?

Nowadays, the title ‘The Best in the World’ is being used very often. This has stirred on a lot of talk about who really is the ‘The Best in the World’.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we? (The below mentioned list is of people who have actually used the phrase)

It was the one and only Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart who had ushered in the use of the phrase ‘The Best’ through his Moniker – The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be’. Maybe, for his time during the Golden Era of the WWE he was, and he lived up to it.

His Battles with the likes of The Undertaker (Summerslam 1997), Stone Cold (Wrestlemania 13) and Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 12, Undoubtedly the greatest Wrestlemania match in WWE History) are just proof of the fact.But the moment, he decided to switch sides, everything changed and The Montreal Screwjob took place. He never regained the status he had in WWE while at WCW and his career ended with a painful injury.

Then came ‘The Game’ Triple H who started calling himself The Best, as his status and position in the WWE during 2000-2002 required that, with him being a constant main-eventer and a multiple-time WWE Champion.

Afterwards came in our favourite Canadian, The Rated-R Superstar Edge! He brought Prestige and value back to the World Heavyweight Championship and showed that it was equally important as the WWE Championship (Though from a logical standpoint, that doesn’t mean anything).

Next on the List is Y2J who is the self-proclaimed ‘Best in the world at what he does’. Judging by his accolades, it’s hard to disagree. He has won every major and minor championship there is to win in the WWE. His Mic skills, dialogue and segment delivery are simply fantastic!

Finally on the list comes everyone’s modern day WWE hero, the Older Generation’s savior, The Second City Saint – CM PUNK! Starting from the independent circuits, to a minor stint in WWE’s Rival Company , TNA Wrestling, to Ring Of Honor (the real talent developers) and finally to the Biggest stage there is in the Wrestling Industry!

Starting from the C-show in the form of ECW and working his way to being a Main-Eventer and having amazing feuds with world champions, the likes of Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Chris Jericho; the man has done it all and has won the world over. He has earned the right to call himself that.

There are many people who follow the Independent Wrestling scene in the United States, Mexico and Japan. These bunch of people would argue that wrestlers like Davey Richards, Kevin Steen, Kenta Kobashi, Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan) deserve this moniker just as much. Considering their talent and performances, you can’t really find a point of disagreement that would seem valid in their minds.

However, none of the above mentioned superstars deserve that Moniker because there is only one Man who truly deserves it – Kurt Angle. Yes, you read that right! Kurt Angle is the man who has done it all! He is arguably the most all around wrestler in the world. He is also well versed with the amateur, Olympic style of wrestling. He is deemed by critics and personalities in the industry as one of the best technical wrestlers of all time.

His sheer strength and brute power has been displayed time and again against larger/heavier opponents. His picture perfect, high-elevation, fluidic moonsaults are the best example of how athletic he really is even at this age!

Being an All American in Wrestling, he is the only amateur wrestler to have competed in the Olympics and won a Gold Medal, not only for his country, but himself. He did it with a Broken Neck! And then came his minor slump in ECW which was followed by arguably the most promoted and well-worked strategy of all time in the entire wrestling industry.

He won the European and Intercontinental Championships (becoming the only ‘EuroContinental Champion’ in WWE History) to start with, after which he went on to become the King of the Ring. Then he went on to defeat the Rock at No Mercy 2000 to win his first WWE Championship. All these accolades in a matter of one year means that there was something really special about him that Vince McMahon would’ve wanted to see him get such a push.

He went on to have some of the greatest , and in some cases funniest, yet memorable feuds of all time with Chris Benoit, Edge, Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michaels. At the same time he would go on to win 3 more WWE championships, 1 World Heavyweight championship, a Tag team championship. His most memorable battles were with the technical specialists Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho.

He then went on to TNA Wrestling, winning the World Championship 5 times, and then went on to become the only superstar in that company to hold all the TNA titles simultaneously. He has also been an IWGP world champion. He has already been announced as the 2^nd inductee in the TNA Hall of Fame despite still being an Active member in their Roster.

To top all the aforementioned reasons, Wrestling Observer Newsletter has declared him ‘Wrestler Of The Decade (2000s)’. But all these reasons, they are just the metaphorical cake and their icing. The real reason that he is the real ‘Best in the world’ is because in an interview with him, he had said that the beyond amazing match at No Way Out 2006 between him and the Undertaker was actually planned for the main event of Wrestlemania 22 and that he was supposed to end ‘The Streak’ back then.

But plans changed and it was done a month in advance as WWE wanted The Undertaker to continue his Legendary Streak. And he also claims that The Undertaker was willing to go under him and lose his first ever match at a Wrestlemania. If these claims are true, then nothing more needs to be said. For me, Kurt Angle is, was and always will be ‘The Best in the World’!