Who was the greater pro wrestler, Kurt Angle or The Rock?

Without criteria it’s hard to say. Angle was as close to the total package as anyone. Ever.

Rock, was still great at everything that makes an iconic wrestler, but the mainstream appeal and the reach beyond wrestling (even pre Hollywood) is just too hard to ignore.

By my own criteria, which lends a bit more weight to in ring work, it’s Angle, but by the criteria that I think the average fan would go by, Rock is pushing Mt Rushmore status.
 
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Batjester said:
Nobody loves you.
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You shouldn't talk that way to Kurt Bat...he won a gold medal for American back when you were an Octogenarian!
 
I love how this discussion has been damn near 50-50 down the middle.
 
If you're talking in-ring ability then Angle wins, he is top 5 GOAT for me. Don't believe me? Go watch.
Angle vs. Benoit, Michaels in 2005 at WM21 and Vengeance. vs. Lesnar throughout 2002/03. Undertaker at No Way Out 2006. Unbelievable work.

The Rock is about the GOAT entertainer, the man was electric on the mic and could entertain millions effortlessly. His ring work is also amazing.

This is a hard one that I don't think you can really pick a clear cut winner.
 
I kinda go by who made more money and who sold the most tickets. It was the Rock.

Obviously Angle could have better matches even though the rock wasnt bad

Like I consider Hogan the greatest wrestler in my lifetime
 
It really comes down to your metrics. Both were so damn great at very different elements that are all important. I don't think people realize just how short the Rock's career was. The ironic thing is he looks more like a pro wrestler now than he ever did in the ring, even in his post retirement one offs. He's a legit movie star now, but it came after years of struggling. He's a master of getting over, I've never seen anyone so unliked in wrestling and Hollywood push through to dominate both.

Kurt really is the opposite in so many ways. He'll forever be considered an outsider with his amateur success, while the Rock was one of the boys before he ever laced up a pair of boots. Kurt as an outsider had an active career that was about twice as long as the Rocks.

Angle is up near the top in all the things that make a pro wrestler with great work and great promos, he could get opponents over as a face or heel, had a gimmick that never aged, could do comedy or be deadly serious, and was able to succeed in the US and abroad as in places like New Japan with totally different styles. He was around forever and aside from the addiction problems, had damn near as perfect career as a wrestler could hope to pull off.

But wrestling is ultimately about getting over and putting butts in the seats, the Rock is untouchable in that regard. The matches and the promos are just a means to an end, and what took Angle a combination of perfection on every front just required raising an eye brow and a single catchphrase from the Rock.
 
Tldr: For me personally? It's Kurt Angle. I grew up wrestling in youth and throughout school because of pro wrestling, so Kurt was my hero. Being a puro dork, an intense high level wrestling match is my ultimate point of measurement.

Objectively speaking, with what the goal of pro wrestling is, the Rock stands above everyone. Even cultural icons like El Santo and Rikidozan who transcended the sport never made it on the global stage. Hogan was in the movies and a global star, but he didn't really break through in the same way and didn't have the pop culture longevity of the Rock.
 
Angle blows The Rock out of the water with his in-ring ability. The Rock was more effective on the mic in his heyday, but that shit has aged like milk.
 
To the many of you who are saying Angle is much better than The Rock in the ring, have you compared the differences in their opponents and the era they were wrestling in? They aren't far apart in time period, but things changed very quickly in a couple of years. Post Attitude era placed a much greater influence on athletic matches that were suited perfectly for Angle.

When you look at the rivals they both had a program with, The Rock had the better matches/rivalry with HHH and Austin.
 
Slick_36 said:
Tldr: For me personally? It's Kurt Angle. I grew up wrestling in youth and throughout school because of pro wrestling, so Kurt was my hero. Being a puro dork, an intense high level wrestling match is my ultimate point of measurement.

Objectively speaking, with what the goal of pro wrestling is, the Rock stands above everyone. Even cultural icons like El Santo and Rikidozan who transcended the sport never made it on the global stage. Hogan was in the movies and a global star, but he didn't really break through in the same way and didn't have the pop culture longevity of the Rock.
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Lol slick ur tldr is almost as long as your original post yoyrbsunmarizng lmao but I agree with both parties b
 
Jkillah said:
When you look at the rivals they both had a program with, The Rock had the better matches/rivalry with HHH and Austin.
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Yeah but Angle had better matches than those two did against Brock, HBK, Benoit and Undertaker.
 
If wrestling were a calculation of number of suplexes and reversals + speed of movement, Angle would 100 % be the best ever and blow everyone else out of the water. The unquestioned goat.
 
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