10 Best Shawn Michaels WWE WrestleMania Matches

3. Vs. Kurt Angle - WrestleMania 21

One of the great things about HBK's second WWE run was that it gave us many dream matches that at one point looked as though would remain a fantasy. 

In Shawn's absence from WWE rings, the man who stepped up and established himself as the company's premier in-ring performer was Kurt Angle, and fans were desperate to see the two mix it up. 

Finally, after three years of keeping them apart, WWE booked the match at WrestleMania 21. The bout was inter-promotional, with Raw's evergreen veteran taking on SmackDown's wrestling machine and the Olympic Hero was determined to show the world that anything Shawn could do, he could do better in the buildup (giving us the immortal 'Sexy Kurt' and much more). 

When the two finally touched, it was instant magic and didn't take too long for the intensity to get ramped up, with Angle in particular showing a lot of aggression. 

As a match, it had a bit of everything, with technical wrestling, brawling, big moves and stunts. What sets this apart from many other matches like it - and sets Angle and Michaels apart form their contemporaries - is the little things, like the facial expressions, timing and belief in themselves and what they are doing. 

The match was a see-saw, with each man hitting their signature stuff and the other finding a way to kick out right at the last second. 

Kurt's tenacity proved the difference, grabbing onto the Ankle Lock and refusing to let go until Michaels finally tapped out. 

A tour de force from both, this was fantasy warfare that lived up to the hype and then some.