The Top 10 Opening Matches of Wrestlemania

To preface, I am not counting any pre-show or dark matches in the list. The official openers are the opening matches of the main program.

#10 – The Rockers vs Haku & The Barbarian – Wrestlemania VII

A very underrated Rockers match here. I know almost nothing about The Barbarian, but he had an enjoyable performance here and Haku is wondeful. There’s a really great spot where The Rockers go for a dropkick/huracanrana combo for the 2^nd time in the match, but the ref catches Michaels and it allows the heels to take advantage. Michaels ends up getting the hot tag and the match really picks up with the Rockers ultimately winning!

#9 – The Shield vs Big Show, Sheamus & Randy Orton – Wrestlemania XXIX

While this might not even be a top 15 match of The Shield in 2013, it’s still a very good match and one of the better matches on this card. The Show/Sheamus/Orton team had little chemistry, as storyline intended and The Shield were running on all cylinders, seemingly always knowing where their partners were. Rollins takes a beautiful RKO out of the air but The Shield manages to take the victory after Reigns spears Orton and Ambrose grabs the pin.

#8 – Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler vs Dean Ambrose vs Luke Harper vs R-Truth vs Stardust vs Bad News Barrett – Wrestlemania XXXI

What a star studded ladder match this was! Despite Barrett being the IC champ, the title had unoffically changed hands via theft multiple times in the preceeding weeks. This match was just filled with action. Stardust had his diamond encrusted ladder, Ambrose takes an insane powerbomb through a ladder and Ziggler and Bryan share about 20 headbutts with each other. Bryan manages to open Wrestlemania XXXI in similar fashion to how he closed XXX, winning a title.

#7 – CM Punk vs Kofi Kingston vs Finlay vs Christian vs Mark Henry vs Kane vs MVP vs Shelton Benjamin – Wrestlemania XXV

Another ladder match! This was the fifth installment of MITB and it absolutely delivered. Despite generally being a high flyer match, Kane and Mark Henry had some great spots in this one. Kofi Kingston really stole the show as well and this was the first time we really got to see the kind of crazy and innovative things he can do. One of the best spots in this match was when Christian and CM Punk were atop the ladder and Chrsitian slipped Punk’s leg through the rung, hanging him upside down. This was a callback to the previous year’s MITB where Punk slipped Jericho’s leg through. Ultimately it comes down to CM Punk and Kane with Punk kicking Kane off the ladder and winning his second MITB.

#6 – Finlay vs John Bradshaw Layfield – Wrestlemania XXIV

This was a Belfast Brawl match between two of the hardest hitters in WWE history. JBL had brutalized Hornswoggle in a steel cage in the lead up to this match. Finlay and JBL beat the living hell out of each other in one of the most fun and underrated matches on a Wrestlemania undercard. I truly believe this match is just overshadowed by the amazing matches around it on the card. JBL manages to win with a brutal clothesline from hell.

#5 – Shawn Michaels vs Tatanka – Wrestlemania IX

Wrestlemania IX certainly isn’t the most well remembered Wrestlemania. As a matter of fact, there are people that consider it the worst of all time. However, Shawn Michaels and Tatanka are absolutely not the reason this show is looked down upon poorly and it would be a much worse show without this match. Tatanka and Michaels duke it out in a great match while two of the most influential women in wrestling history, Sherri Martel & Luna Vachon, duke it out on the outside. Tatanka was undefeated going into the match and was extremely hungry for HBK’s Intercontinental Championship. Tatanka nearly has it won after the End of The Trail, but the referee calls for DQ because Michaels had dragged him out of the ring moments earlier. A very good and overlooked match!

#4 – Zack Ryder vs Sami Zayn vs Dolph Ziggler vs Kevin Owens vs Stardust vs Sin Cara vs The Miz – Wrestlemania XXXII

This is definitely higher on the list for me because of Zack Ryder’s improbable win, which is one of my favorite Wrestlemania moments of all time. But the action in this match is just fantastic and everyone from the higher card guys, like Owens and Ziggler, to the lower card guys, like Stardust and Sin Cara, get their moment. It’s a very fun, high octane, match. The ending was wonderful too, with Miz trolling the crowd before Ryder sneaks up and takes him out, winning the IC title and celebrating with his father in a beautiful moment.

#3 – Mr Kennedy vs CM Punk vs Randy Orton vs King Booker vs Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy vs Finlay – Wrestlemania XXIII

The third installment of the Money in the Bank ladder match at Ford Field in Detroit! This was the first ever big ladder breaking spot, as Jeff Hardy soared off a ladder onto Edge, shattering the ladder Edge was lying on. Another multi-man ladder match at Wrestlemania with a fantastic amount of action in it. Orton goes RKO crazy and at one point, even RKOs CM Punk off a ladder. We even see Hornswoggle take a crazy bump, as Mr Kennedy gives him the Green Bay Plunge off a ladder. Kennedy manages to come out with the victory, however he was never able to cash in his MITB and Edge won it off him weeks later.

#2 – Daniel Bryan vs Triple H – Wrestlemania XXX

This match was to detirmine who would be the final entry into the triple threat main event for the WWE Championship. Would it be the leader of the Yes Movement? Or would we be seeing an Evolution main event? Bryan and Triple H went head to head in a match of the year candidate to open the show. Triple H bullied Bryan for the majority of the match but Bryan kept showing his spirit and was willed on by the crowd. Bryan got the victory with the running knee, however Triple H would get the last laugh, attacking Bryan after the bell. However, Daniel would get the actual last laugh, winning the WWE title in the main event!

#1 – Bret Hart vs Owen Hart – Wrestlemania X

It was a fairly tough decision between this and Bryan/Triple H, but I just had to go with Hart vs Hart. It had such a rich story, mixed in with some of the best wrestling of all time. Oddly enough, both of the top matches on this list were matches where one competitor would go on to wrestle a second match. Bret and Owen put on a clinic and shockingly, Owen gets the victory despite Bret being in the WWE title match later that night. This match was incredible but still not my favorite match between these two, that honor goes to their Summerslam ’94 match.