WM 19 main event if Angle hadn't wrestled?

[Next Man’s Knowing Rock]

I don't know if anyone remembers or ever thought about this, but in the run-up to WM19, Kurt Angle was suffering from a severe neck injury and there was talk at one point that he wouldn't make it to Mania. The plan supposedly was for him to lose the title on Smackdown, and for Brock vs Benoit to be the title match at the PPV. Now, Angle vs Brock main-evented the show. I can't see Brock vs Benoit, a match between two uncharismatic babyfaces with no build-up, doing that. So what would have been the main event?

Here's the card - and remember, this is in 2003, so these guys aren't all on the level they are at today or the level they were at in 1998.

WWE Championship - LESNAR vs BENOIT
World Champion HHH vs BOOKER T
HULK HOGAN vs VINCE McMAHON
STONE COLD vs THE ROCK
SHAWN MICHAELS vs CHRIS JERICHO
UNDERTAKER vs A-TRAIN and BIG SHOW
Cruiserweight Champion MATT HARDY vs REY MYSTERIO
Womens Champion VICTORIA vs JAZZ vs TRISH STRATUS
TORRIE and STACY vs MILLER GIRLS
Tag Champions TEAM ANGLE vs LOS GUERREROS vs RHYNO and

I don't see anything there that stands out as the main event for that show. Brock-Benoit, for the aforementioned reason. Rock-Austin, those two guys weren't at the in-ring level they were 2 and 4 years earlier. Michaels-Jericho wasn't a main event feud and HBK was still part time.

For me, Hogan-Vince is probably the one I'd choose. It had the history, the build-up, low expectations and enough gimmickry and gore to live up to the slot.

Or HHH vs Booker, but the finish would have to be a Booker victory.

The other option would've been bringing Goldberg in a few weeks earlier (rather than the night after Mania) and having him challenge Brock. But Brock was a babyface at the time, so maybe not the best idea.

[nibs92]

i think possibly the hogan vince match. from what i remember that was one of the matches WM was hyped on for that year.

[LeighD]

I remember this situation well. I was prayign Angle would make it to WM as I really wanted to see Brock vs. Angle! But I do feel Brock vs. Benoit would have been great as well. AT the time I remember thinking, the wrestling world is expecting a wrestling-based match and no other substitute would be better than Chris Benoit.

But I think the whole card was very solid.(I don't seriously consider Torrie & Stacy vs. The Miller Girls a match)

[Iron Man]

Austin vs. Rock was the best match at WM after HBK/Jericho. It sure as hell could've headlined the show

[HugoOne]

I think Benoit vs. Lesnar would have been fine. Benoit was mad over after the Royal Rumble and he could have easily been Champion. They could even have turned Benoit heel and had Heyman manage him; Heyman was bouncing all over the place anyway.

[starpower]

noone cared about the angle vs brock match fans left before it ended that wm was Bought for Hogan vs Vince and Rock vs Austin BY FARRR

[Deleted]

I think Vince vs Hogan couldve done the job

[madness1]

The best match the one that could have been main event was the Jericho vs HBK. It was by far the best match on the card. I thinks it's HBK's best WM match

[xtremebadass]

Mar 12, 2009 14:50:37 GMT -5 starpower said:

noone cared about the angle vs brock match fans left before it ended that wm was Bought for Hogan vs Vince and Rock vs Austin BY FARRR

But Angle/Brock was an awesome match. People hated that match?

[Ultimate Figure Collector]

Stone Cold vs The Rock could of easily headlined it. I don't know how they weren't at the same in ring level that they were years earlier. The match was fantastic and still one of the best matches both have ever had. Austin's neck was bothering him but that didn't mean he still wasn't capable of putting on a great match(which he did). The Rock also never stopped being good in the ring he just was busy making movies.

[mattclassic]

Mar 12, 2009 14:50:37 GMT -5 starpower said:

noone cared about the angle vs brock match

I remember being more interested in seeing Brock/Angle than both Austin/Rock and Vince/Hogan.

[xtremebadass]

Brock/Angle was way better than Hogan/McMahon anyday. Better build up and better match.

I am not too sure about Austin/Rock though, that was pretty damn good. The match was just complete madness.

[Deleted]

Torrie and Stacy vs the Miller Lite Girls, obviously

[The Dude]

Mar 12, 2009 14:50:37 GMT -5 starpower said:

noone cared about the angle vs brock match fans left before it ended that wm was Bought for Hogan vs Vince and Rock vs Austin BY FARRR

Yeah buddy you are SOOOO wrong.

Angfle/Lesnar was a captivating match. Austin/Rock could have been the main event, but the WWE title match was what I will always remember first about that night. That was a match that fans were waiting to see.

[theforrestgriffin2]

Mar 12, 2009 14:50:37 GMT -5 starpower said:

noone cared about the angle vs brock match fans left before it ended that wm was Bought for Hogan vs Vince and Rock vs Austin BY FARRR

I really do not agree. I remember that weekend being so hyped up for Angle Brock. Maybe you don't remember but smackdown really built that match up. And it didn't dissapoint it was a phenominal match.

Sure I was excited for rock/austin and hogan/Vince. But angle/brock really stook out above everything.

[911999wohwoh]

triple threat booker vs hhh vs lesnar winner take all

[NCWA]

Mar 15, 2009 0:55:07 GMT -5 @theforrestgriffin2 said:

Mar 12, 2009 14:50:37 GMT -5 starpower said:

noone cared about the angle vs brock match fans left before it ended that wm was Bought for Hogan vs Vince and Rock vs Austin BY FARRR

I really do not agree. I remember that weekend being so hyped up for Angle Brock. Maybe you don't remember but smackdown really built that match up. And it didn't dissapoint it was a phenominal match.

Sure I was excited for rock/austin and hogan/Vince. But angle/brock really stook out above everything.

Actually, the guy that said people left during the match is totally right. I was there in person at WM XIX and sure enough, most of the people on the floor started heading for the doors before and during the Angle/Brock match. I ing loved the match, but honestly, people didn't want to see a straight wrestling match in 03 to close the show after a wild Austin/Rock match and a huge Hogan/Vince match. The crowd reaction, at least my impression from being in the audience, was that way. The audience seems to me to be conditioned more to be able to sit back and watch two guys just wrestle, as opposed to six years ago when Angle and Brock and Benoit and all of those guys were just starting to develop that style.

[Jimmy]

one of the things to remember about the time too is that the world heavyweight title didn't mean as much as it does today. at the time only hhh and shawn had held it and hhh had just come off some really brutal matches with steiner. the wwe title was far and away the most important title in the company and everything was leading to lesnar vs. angle in the last match.

now personally, i'd have kept benoit where he was unless they wanted to turn him heel and pair him with heyman like hugo said. with hindsight, i would have had rvd walk out on his tag team with kane and join up with heyman, declaring himself the whole ing show and basically doing what he did in 06, saying he'll make the wwe title the ecw title. they could also have brought in some ecw guys to beat up and ultimately job to brock.

now by following your exact topic, i would still have kept lesnar vs. benoit as the main event. at the time, the wwe title match needed to go on last.

[Liv Is Life]

I was sitting 13th row at that show, and I remember being mostly excited for HBkk vs Y2J and Angle vs Lesnar. Of course getting to see Hogan live again and Austin vs Rock was awesome too. I don't know how many people left before the end of Lesnar/Angle but I can tell you, at least in my section, no one left their spot until after the match ended..

[Mark]

From what I remember, People did actually start to leave during Brock vs Angle. They werent nearly interested in it as other matches