Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio

[9.0] "The wrestlers began an unstoppable action from the very first minutes, showing a large number of counter-attacks and reversals. A great showdown of strength and agility, where Rey tried to seize the initiative with his speed, and Kurt responded with power moves and submissions. The match lasted only 10 minutes, but it was a spectacular sprint that set the tone for the whole show."

[9.0] "Holy hell, what a debut for Rey Mysterio on WWE PPV. Kurt and Rey had immaculate chemistry in the ring together from the get-go. I agree that Rey with the mask was much more marketable than maskless Rey in WCW. I don't know what Bischoff was thinking. This match had the crowd HOT, but it was too short and should have been a bit longer and it would have been perfect."

[9.0] "[4.5 Stars] Truly a superb match, but it's 2026 now, so we need to stop with the "best opener in history" agenda"

[8.0] "This was one of the best ten-minute matches I've ever seen. You can call it a "sprint" meaning they worked at a very fast paced from the moment the bell rang and it didn't slow down. This is the kind of match where you wish they could have got 5-10 more minutes, but they made the most of their time. Angle getting the win was fine because he was the more established top guy in WWE while Mysterio was still trying to prove himself in the company. Losing to Angle didn't hurt Mysterio at all. They ended up wrestling eachother a lot in singles and tags as part of the "Smackdown Six" group of wrestlers that had some incredible matches together."

[10.0] "Oh my god that's beautiful, that is wrestling. Completely crazy, high speed, technically perfect, awesome atmosphere. Instant classic."

[8.0] "When Rey had the upper hand, he operated with a frenetic pace, unleashing his high-flying offense to thwart Kurt and countering him with his speed. Conversely, Kurt slowed down the pacing, but it wasn't detrimental; he expertly engaged with the crowd, heel'd it up with crowd work, which helped Rey retain his underdog charm when selling. This dynamic allowed Kurt to appear rabid and determined to trounce on Rey, adding significant personality and depth to their bout. Moreover, Kurt's offense was charged with palpable intensity, and his measured approach allowed that intensity to truly resonate, communicating its damage and severity. Kurt was more smash-mouth, with his technical side still present, cutting Rey off with extraordinary impact, using his environment to keep him grounded in some instances. This pairing produced exhilarating action with mechanical intensity, and all of these elements and components complemented the euphoric atmosphere that elevated the bout's quality twofold. ****"

[9.0] "Classic contest with Rey Rey in his first ever WWE PPV going up against the very best in the business. While the match is short, it is just packed with so much fast paced action it's hard to keep up with it. They just click so well with the counters looking really smooth throughout. Mysterio had the crowd behind him throughout while Angle did a good job keeping up with him. The abundance of suicide dives you see in wrestling today probably waters spots like this down somewhat but that centon over the top rope and over the referee looked insane. Great match to get the crowd going."

[9.0] "Excellent opener, couldn't take my eyes away for a second. Kurt and Rey had some epic matches throughout 2002, whether it was a singles or tag team match."

"this match is lowkey beast as fuck and one of the best openers in wrestling history. NO BULLSHIT. there's just only action and the crowd is so into it. It's 0% Chungus."

[9.0] "This is one of the greatest opening matches of all time. Angle and Rey do so much with what little time they are given. Max out every possible minute given. Perfect Pro Wrestling match structure. Crowd going crazy throughout. ****1/4"

"I thought this was a real fun match to start off with. Very fast paced and got right to the point great way to start the show."

"To me this is a perfect ppv opener! Great work from both men in this match. Kurt sold for Rey and made all of his offense look like a million bucks. Great heat from the crowd the entire match. Some of the counters in this are top notch. Lots of quick paced action. Kurt has his cracker jack attire he not my favorite. Lots of fun sequences with kurt trying to get into the ankle lock. Really about as perfect as ten ish minute opener can ever hope to be. Divine pro wrestling. An All time opener on an all time show could not recommend this match enough."

[8.0] "A banger of an opener and about as good as an under 10 minutes match can get. Amazing action with some slick counters and fantastic showing from Rey Mysterio against arguably the best wrestler in the world at the time. ****"

[9.0] "Kurt and Rey had such amazing chemistry, they made it one of the best opening matches ever. The only beef I had was that I wanted it to be longer. This match left me wanting more, but was able to pack so much in ten minutes. What a great PPV debut for Mysterio."

[8.0] "Not a perfect match, but a perfect opening match. Rey and Kurt did so much with under ten minutes it's astounding."

[10.0] "An absolutely brilliant match between both men with really fantastic and fast paced action and psychology between each other, Rey gave a brilliant performance for his WWE PPV debut and so did Angle who proved to be the perfect opponent for him and this was just a perfect opener."

"This is my one of my go-to matches to get someone into wrestling. The energetic crowd coupled with the incredibly fun and fast paced in ring performance which worked to both wrestlers' strength makes this a treat to watch."

[8.0] "A phenomenal opener match for a phenomenal show. This was my second favorite match with HBK vs HHH being my favorite."

[7.0] "This is a great case study for how to open a show, they worked a good, fast paced match to get the crowd going, didn't linger too long, and got the crowd nice and hot for the rest of the show."

"It is amazing to think that this match featuring two all-time greats was the opening match of SummersSlam 2002, but it delivered on every second! Angle and Mysterio seem perfect for each other while in the ring and it shows throughout this match. Kurt Angle clearly gets over by throwing Rey Mysterio around like a rag doll but Angle's bumps are just as good and you can tell that the crowd is caught up in what might happen. The finish seems quick but that's just because you don't really want the match to end."

[6.0] "Mysterio kicks out way too much in this one is what I have to say really bad in this one. Other than that, it is rather great opening for this event. Mysterio and Angle work really well together, crafting something that just keeps going and going and never lets go of you."

[8.0] "Really a great match, ableit if anything just a bit short. But man, this is a really good match. It's such a trip watching both of these guys in their prime. A very, very good match."

[10.0] "(*****.5, five and one-half stars) an all-time clinic on in-ring psychology and how to use size as a storytelling element. every time i watch this match i'm suprised afresh at how great it is. one of the first personal 5-star matches i ever saw and probably how i fell in love with the style now ubiquitous on the american indies."

[8.0] "A really fun match, and a perfect opening match. Very fast paced, the wrestlers had good chemistry together and there were some good moments in it, like Angle managing to lock in the Ankle Lock at the end."

[8.0] "Amazing opening match. Very fast paced and moves executed almost flawlessly here by both Rey and Kurt. Only negative I guess I can say is that the match did feel a tad short, but that probably plays into favor into Reys style to be honest"

[8.0] "A magnificent opener, one of the best of all time. It moves quickly and the two wrestlers have a chemistry that is fun to watch. The crowd is really into it. (4*1/4)"

[8.0] "Very Solid match, such a great start also very fast-paced and had a very fun and energetic opening to start Summerslam off in a good way, the crowd's energy was great and the chemistry between Rey and Angle is amazing!"

[9.0] "This was Rey Mysterio's first PPV match in WWE and, wow, what a match it was. Kurt Angle made his way to the ring first; Michael Cole states that Kurt's goal was to break Rey's ankle in this match. Rey's music sounded throughout the arena, however the masked man was nowhere to be seen...Until the camera turns back to Kurt, who, unbeknown to him, was about to be hit with a Springboard Inverted Hurricanrana! The action in this match was fast paced, both men go for finishers early - Kurt first with the Ankle Lock, and then Rey with an attempt at the 619. As the match was fast paced, you could easily blink and miss something, however there were some really nice spots; Kurt stretched Rey, with what appeared to be a Camel Clutch, using the ropes, Rey went for a head scissors, which Kurt turned into a Sidewalk Slam, Angle went for an Angle Slam, only for Rey to reverse it into an Arm Drag - you certainly couldn't get bored watching this action. At one point, Kurt was on the outside of the ring, Rey went to dive onto him, but the referee prevented him from doing so and turned his attention back to Kurt, this gave Rey the opportunity to run back and dive over the top rope AND the referee in order to hit his man. Fans of the 619 did get to see Rey hit it, followed up with the West Coast Pop, however, this wasn't enough to keep the Olympic Gold Medallist down for the 3 count. The match came to an end when Rey went for a top rope Hurricanrana, only for Kurt to reverse it on the way down into an Ankle Lock. After numerous attempts throughout the match to lock in the submission, Kurt finally made Rey succumb to the pain and tap out. It's been said time and time again, but it's very hard to dispute that this is one of the best opening matches on a PPV ever. Both men are absolutely phenomenal at what they do, and their styles work well together, making it very easy to watch them face off against one another. If you're strapped for time and want to watch some fun and exciting wrestling, Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterion from SummerSlam 2002 is a match you can't go wrong with!"

[8.0] "[3.75*] One of the best under-10 minutes match I can remember. Of course there was not an awesome development and progression or anything like that because it was too short, but the action was amazing while it lasted and their chemistry was on point."

"I dont think its a hot take to call this one of the greatest openers of all time. Super fun and fast paced, Rey comes out looking like a imediate megastar even in defeat, and Kurts heel work is just one point like always."

[8.0] "This is an really good fast paced match between Kurt and Rey, super fun and entertaining the best match under 10 minutes of all time"

[8.0] "really good match with some great spots. Kurt hits a great wheelbarrow suplex and a lovely sidewalk slam counter, Rey does some great highflying including a great dive to the outside. Its fast, its well done and its pretty fun."

[9.0] "One of the best openers of all time, this match does not let up for its entire runtime. It's not given a lot of time but Angle and Mysterio use every single milisecond. It's very exciting, fast paced, and makes both wrestlers look fantastic. Great crowd too. [****1/2]"

[8.0] "Great little match that never takes a second to breathe. Both men attempt, and fail, within the first minute to execute their finishers, but both will connect by the end of the match. Rey is the GOAT babyface and Kurt is in absolute insane monster mode here. Works great. The size and strength difference is very apparent and very well explored in such a short amount of time."

[5.0] "Excellent opening sequence followed by generally solid action and some great dramatic false finishes. Despite the middle section being a little dull and essentially conforming to the typical style of a WWE heat segment, they mostly keep a great pace throughout. Considering the length, ultimately the match is unique and memorable."

[8.0] "can only leave comments because i am new, but i have to come in and leave a comment on this match. it is a great, short opener. one of the best opening matches in wwf/e history. the wrestlers are at the top of their game and meeting at a point where they are both very over with the crowd. i would give it a 8/10."

[8.0] "I would give this an 8.5. The things I appreciate so much about this opener - one of the best in SS history - are the fluidity, the speed, the chemistry they proved to have between them and the fact that Rey's great performance didn't look unnatural. In the first half we see Kurt's dominance, but however is never enough to finish Rey who manages to escape every try of Angle to hit him with a finisher. The second half shows Rey going to the chase of Angle, who took advantage countering an Hurricanrana and closing the match with the Angle Lock. Angle proved to be a supreme athlete, perfectly applying his technical skills to a small man like Mysterio. And this was the best PPV debut he could ever had, although maybe it would've been better to not having him lose via submission."

[8.0] "This was awesome. The match was only about ten minutes, and there wasnt a second wasted. The action was very fast paced and back and fourth, Kurt brought the technical wrestling and Rey brought the high flying action."

[9.0] "Gotta be one of my favorite openers to a PPV ever. In 9 minutes they put on an absolute banger and set the example for the rest of the card."

[8.0] "What a PPV debut for Rey! Absolutely incredible from the pure technical standpoint. I mean Mysterio was out of this world with his high-flying abilities, but Angle needs to get his flowers too. A lot of guys would be stumbling around waiting for Rey, making it look like an obvious cooperation, but with Kurt he made it look so natural that you believed everything they did. The crowd was popping for everything and they absolutely loved - a fantastic way to open the show."

[8.0] "The platonic ideal of the opening match. Love these two as oppentants, angle was so unbelievably good around this era and the spot where rey jumps over the ref is magic"

[9.0] "A great match to open a show. This match is probably more of an 8.5 rating but I rounded up instead of rounding down because the match was not given too much time but Rey and Kurt made the most out of what they had. A lot of great momentum swings in this match and you really believed that both of these guys were going to pick up the win at different points of the match. Loved Mysterio's entrance from behind the ring to get right into the action."

[8.0] "This match was sick as shit and insanely well worked. Loved the tope over the ref spot. I don't know if I've ever seen that before. No complaints at all."

[7.0] "This was a perfect match to open the PPV with. Angle and Mysterio's styles gel well together and the magic of this match is in the lightning fast sequences and the full stop cut off spots from Angle. Angle slows down the pace when he begins his control segment.. This section is fine yet uninspired. Angle throws some nice punches, but doesn't do anything particularly memorable or interesting. Some character work would have elevated this part of the match. It is a minor gripe, as the pace soon picks up and they are back to going at full spin. Mysterio wows fans old and new with some of his his high spots. There is a small notch when Angle counters Mysterio's top rope hurricanrana, but he is able to quickly cover for this mis-step. This was Mysterio's WWE PPV debut and it was an incredibly strong outing for him, even in defeat. If you were only a casual fan who watched the PPVs, you would have had a hell of an introduction to Mysterio."

[9.0] "Crikey what an opening match, this is pretty short but every moment and movement counts through the whole thing, two different styles of wrestling meeting to create something that works brilliantly on so many levels"

[8.0] "We should take exemple from this kind of opener, this was short but every seconds mattered and the wrestling was impressive here, both had an excellent chemistry and everything went so smooth, they wrestled at an insane pace without botching anything, moreover, they still told an interesting with Angle controlling Rey Mysterio on the ground, he knew that he wont succeed to follow Rey Mysterio's pace so this was a really good strategy, on Mysterio's side, he tried to do his best to avoid Angle's Ankle Lock and they built up the ending perfectly well with Angle having the best counter when he reversed Mysterio's Top Rope Hurricanrana with an Ankle Lock leading him to the win. Both arent legends for nothing, their job was awesome here - ****"

[6.0] "Rey made his debut about 2 weeks ago and between now and Mania 19 was probably his most over period, after that he got stale. Angle is wearing his ugliest outfit yet. The candy cane singlet. Cole shows his stupidity as Angle waits on Rey's entrance and Rey sneaks in from the crowd and perches on the tope rope RIGHT IN FRONT OF COLE and he doesn't know Rey is there until the camera does a wide shot and he see's Rey on the TV monitor. Rey jumps in with a rana, then Angle takes him down and tries the anglelock but Rey sends Angle outside and they fight. Back inside Rey tries a bulldog and gets German suplexed. Rey rolls him up for 2. Angle back breaker gets 2. Angle blocks a head scissor with a back breaker. Into a half crab, but Rey cradles for 2. Rey gets a jawbreaker, Kurt blocks a sunset flip and gets a suplex. Rey reverses the angle slam and dumps him. Rey somersault plancha's over the ref over the top rope onto Angle outside. Back in, springboard leg drop gets 2. Kurt counters to an anklelock, but Rey counters that and hits the 619 on Angle. West coast pop gets 2. Leg lariat and Rey goes up, and then dodges the possum suplex. Rey tries a top rope rana, and Angle catches him with the ankle lock and Rey gives it up. Short but hot opener."

[9.0] "****1/4 (8.5/10) Interesting singlet Angle chose to wear for the match. From his podcast, I heard Kurt once claim that it was one of his favorite singlets. I believe this was Mysterios PPV debut for WWE. Love the choice of having him enter by sneaking into the ring from behind. Great entrance into Reys new home. When I was a kid this was my introduction to Rey Mysterio. I had no idea about the ECW/WCW years. The argument could be made that both of these men are on the Mt. Rushmore of Pro Wrestling. My personal Rushmore would have either/or. I gave this match 4 1/4 stars. Had it been another five minutes longer, I easily would have given it a five. I believe Vince and everyone behind the scenes knew that they had something special in this SummerSlam of 2002: an excellent exhibition for the company to show off Raw and Smackdowns talent as two separate brands."

[8.0] "[4.0*] Nine minutes that passed like five, Kurt and Rey made it rain during that short period of time they were given, if they had at least five more minutes this would definitely be an all timer from Angle. He reversed a huricarana into an Ankle Lock in a way that I never imagined was possible."

[8.0] "Kurt is such a good foil for Rey. Not only does he do a great job of selling his offense, but he has the technique and athleticism to offer some really nice counters. Electric pace and the crowd was rightfully all over this. This match was one of the best openers of the year"