The first match at WrestleMania every year is designed to do one thing and one thing only- excite the fans. It's the bout that usually features either fan favourites or a collection of high flyers, all trying to make a name for themselves on the grandest stage of them all.
It's a tried and tested formula that always seems to pay off, and as a result, WWE often starts the night off with a heroic triumph for a babyface character.
That being said, it doesn't have to be that way. No matter who wins the opening contest, in all likelihood the crowd is going to be cheering everyone involved because they appreciate how hard they've worked to get to that point. Sure, everyone else on the card has to, but the show openers have an extra point to prove.
So with that in mind, let's look ahead to this year's April extravaganza. With so many Superstars rumoured to be on the card from both the past and the present, it's both difficult and exciting to predict what the show is going to look like.
It's this uncertainty that makes ‘Mania season all the more interesting, and it's why we're going to take a closer look at the possibilities. Without further ado, here are five possible show opening matches at WrestleMania 33.
#1 Kurt Angle vs. Rusev
In case you've been living under a rock for the few days, WWE has announced that Kurt Angle will be the first entrant into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017. With such a huge honour comes many questions regarding the legend's in-ring future, and the Olympic hero has said himself that he refuses to rule out one more match.
With that being said, step right up Mr Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute taking on Kurt Angle is a bout that people have been predicting for years now, however, with each passing year, it seemed to drift further and further away with Angle not coming back to WWE.
However, now in 2017, there's no better time to pull the trigger on this. It would give Kurt one last big WrestleMania moment, while also allowing Rusev to pick up the biggest win of his entire career.
Given the quality of the card, being the match-opener wouldn't be too insulting, and it would surely get the 33rd edition of the showcase of the immortals off to a great start.
#2 Cruiserweight Championship Ladder Match
The Cruiserweight division hasn't gotten off to the most successful of starts on Monday Night Raw, which you can put down to a number of reasons. Either way, fans haven't seemed as interested as things like the Cruiserweight Classic would've suggested prior to its creation.
That being said, this kind of match would certainly be a better fit for the purple belt as opposed to the white one. A lot of the guys in that division are slowly starting to form storylines for themselves, which is great news, but at the same time, they're going to be first in line as a replacement bout once the writers remember how much more people care about the Intercontinental Championship now.
Who knows, maybe this is the push they need to launch them into that next level of relevancy. Perhaps, we could even witness someone like Neville walk in and out of WrestleMania with the belt in order to further stress it's importance. Yes, the last two ladder matches at ‘Mania have seen a title change, but why not try something different?
Onto an extremely personal contest between two soon-to-be former best friends.
#3 Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho
Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho are best friends, we all know that by now. Despite teasing a break up approximately 78 times over the last few months, the two men have persevered and as a result, now hold the top two singles Championships on Raw. If that isn't considered a successful partnership, then nothing is.
But we all know that the end is surely coming, and it's likely going to happen at WrestleMania. A lot of people can see this being for the Universal Championship, but it seems much more likely that Roman will win the strap in order to carry it forward towards a feud with the Rumble winner.
With that in mind, we need to realise that Owens-Jericho doesn't need the title. It's an extremely personal feud between the two men and once one of them, probably Owens, commits the betrayal the story will kick up a notch. Putting them on first may be considered an insult, but it would give them a chance to prove a point on the night.
From the men over to an extremely stacked women's division.
#4 Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match III
We've seen it at 31 and 32, so why not do it again. Over the last twelve months the IC Title has experienced something of a revival, which can mainly be attributed to the overwhelming talents of The Miz. There have been in-depth storylines, fascinating plot twists and a general feeling of importance surrounding the belt.
With that being said, WWE sometimes just can't resist a spot fest in order to pop the crowd, which means we could see this match type become a trilogy in Orlando. Yes, we all want to see the championship in a bout that means something, but given how many stars are going to be on this card, you just know Vince is going to be tempted by this idea.
At the end of the day, it isn't the worst idea in the world, but it certainly isn't the best either. Throwing a bunch of guys together in order to secure a Mania payday is a nice idea in theory, but you've got to think about what the general audience wants as opposed to just pressing auto pilot and expecting success.
That being said, let's move on to another incarnation of this idea.
#5 Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Nikki Bella - SD Women's Title
Now we'll be the first to admit that fatal-four-way matches aren't the greatest stipulation in the world. However, given the story between these women, it seems like a natural progression heading into the biggest show of the year. Plus, just imagine Bliss' reaction to having to defend against three women at the same time.
Once Nikki has concluded her feud with Natalya, likely with a victory, it opens the door for her to enter the title hunt, which could merge into the imminent Lynch-James feud.
All four women can claim that they're desperate to win the title for different reasons with Bliss saying she's the best, Lynch saying she's tired of getting screwed, James wanting to prove she isn't past it and Nikki trying to prove her long Divas Title reign wasn't a one-off.
There's so much potential within this storyline, and it really does prove how much better the division has been handled on SmackDown as opposed to Raw. Instead of having something like this on the pre-show, stick it alongside the Raw women's title match on the main card to prove for the second year in a row that the females have arrived.
We conclude with a match that has seemingly been years in the making.
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