2003 is inarguably one of the greatest years in WWE SmackDown history. Not only was the blue brand dominating RAW in the ratings, it was stacked with insane talent from main event to lower mid-card.
Stars such as Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and The Undertaker reigned supreme as main eventers. The upper mid-card, on the other hand, comprised of versatile performers such as Rey Mysterio, Edge, Shelton Benjamin, and Eddie Guerrero.
These men were involved in the best WWE SmackDown matches of 2003. Join us as we take a look at some of these timeless classics:
Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit & Rhyno (March 6)
Kurt Angle struck gold by recruiting Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin in the lead-up to WrestleMania 19. Team Angle quickly rose to tag team dominance and found themselves against another formidable team in Chris Benoit and Rhyno.
This tag team match featured plenty of technical wrestling. There were some physical spots as well. Benjamin and Haas worked great as a unit as they isolated Rhyno for the majority of the match. The hot tag for Benoit emerged as one of the highlights of this match-up.
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (February 6)
Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit are considered two of the greatest technical wrestlers in the history of this business. Both men defined the term “wrestling” during the Attitude Era. They became exclusive to WWE SmackDown during the Ruthless Aggression Era.
After giving Angle one of his greatest WWE title defenses at the 2003 Royal Rumble, the Rabid Wolverine met the Olympic Hero in a non-title match at the February 4 SmackDown taping.
This match had aggressive grappling and some levels of physicality. The visual wherein Benoit is seen taunting Angle with blood pouring down his face only adds to the drama and action inside the ring.
The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle (September 4)
Kurt Angle regained the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2003. The champion put his title on the line against The Undertaker at the September 2 taping of WWE SmackDown.
Angle used his technical efficiency to try to gain the upper hand on Taker. The Deadman relied on his strength and size advantage to deliver offense. Both men pulled off some creative counters in this PPV quality match on free television.
Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit (WWE Championship – December 4)
Chris Benoit had defeated John Cena in a number one contender’s match for the WWE title in the lead-up to the match with Brock Lesnar. The Rabid Wolverine was already banged up when he took on the unstoppable champion in the main event of WWE SmackDown.
The toll his body had been put through only acted as adrenaline as Benoit gave Lesnar one of his toughest title defenses that night. The champion tried desperately to escape the myriad of German suplexes, but failed.
The challenger even managed to apply the Crippler Crossface, but the champion used his sheer strength advantage to break through and hit him with a decisive F5 for the win.
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE Championship 60-minute Iron Man Match – September 18)
After barely retaining his title against The Undertaker, Kurt Angle met Brock Lesnar two weeks later on WWE SmackDown. The two bitter opponents squared off in a 60-minute Iron Man Match to determine the fate of the WWE Championship.
Lesnar did some stalling at the start of the match to get in Angle’s head. Both opponents managed to keep up the pace with time. The Beast got himself disqualified by hitting Angle with a steel chair, but quickly scored a pinfall due to the Olympic Hero being knocked out.
The final moments of the turned out to be pretty dramatic. Angle got Lesnar in the ankle lock and tried to make him submit before the closing bell. Lesnar, however, fought through pin to come out as the new WWE Champion.
Honorable Mentions
- Team Angle vs. Los Guerreros (WWE Tag Team Title Match – February 6)
- The Undertaker vs. John Cena (WWE SmackDown – August 7)
- The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show (WWE SmackDown – 28)
- Rey Mysterio vs. Tajiri (WWE Cruiserweight Title Match – September 4)
- Brock Lesnar & John Cena vs. Kurt Angle & The Undertaker (WWE SmackDown – October 2)
Also read: Best WWE SmackDown Matches Of 2004
