WWE History: Kurt Angle wins his first WWE Championship
By the time No Mercy 2000 came around, WWE Superstar Kurt Angle had firmly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Having won an Olympic gold medal for the USA in 1996, Angle had arrived in WWE with much fanfare.
The Rock was still one of the biggest names in the business in mid-2000, and was consistently being featured in the main event scene. Kurt Angle, a dastardly heel at the time, defeated Triple H on an episode of WWE RAW and secured a WWE title shot against The Rock at No Mercy.
The Great One and the Olympic hero squared off in a No Disqualification match in the main event of the pay-per-view. At one point during the bout, Angle actually tapped out when The Rock executed the Sharpshooter on him, but the referee didn't see it as he was being distracted by Stephanie McMahon. The Rock ended up hitting a Rock Bottom on Stephanie, which led to Triple H coming out and taking out The Brahma Bull. The Game then proceeded to carry Stephanie backstage.
Kurt Angle vs The Rock was marred with outside interferences
The hullabaloo didn't end here though, as Rikishi came out next and tried to help The Rock. His attempt to hit Angle with a Savate Kick didn't end well for The Rock, as the latter got accidentally hit with the move.
Angle seized the opportunity and hit The Rock with a devastating Angle Slam, which was enough for him to win his very first WWE title. Angle stood on the entranceway, clutching the belt in his hands and tears streaming down his eyes. This would be the first of six World title wins for Kurt Angle in his WWE run. Angle wrestled his final match at WrestleMania 35, in a losing effort against King Corbin. Nevertheless, there couldn't have been a bigger stage than The Show of Shows to let one of the greatest wrestlers ever have his last hurrah.
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