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WrestleMania is undoubtedly the Grandest Stage of Them All. When a superstar walks down that aisle, they know that they have to give a hundred percent. They have to make the fans feel everything they are feeling, both emotionally and physically.
Some superstars rise to the occasion more than others, and always display excellence when they wrestle at the huge event.
WWE’s long-running wrestling extravaganza has seen countless classics over the past three decades, but there are very few opening matches that deserve the honor of being called the best WrestleMania opener.
With another WrestleMania set to take place in two months, I will take a look at 3 matches that I think are the best openers in WrestleMania history.
#3 Money in the Bank ladder match, WrestleMania XXIII
WrestleMania 23 was one of the most hyped WrestleMania events in WWE's history. The event took place in Detroit, exactly twenty years after WrestleMania 3. It turns out the event had two really memorable matches.
The "Money in the Bank" Ladder Match was one of the best ever. Fighting for the money were Edge, Randy Orton, King Booka, Finlay, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, and Mr. Kennedy. Every wrestler hung in the match to kick off the event and keep fans on the edge of their seats.
The most memorable moment was Jeff Hardy's leg drop from the top of a ladder onto Edge, knocking the Edge off his ladder and out of the competition. Every wrestler fought hard in the "Money in the Bank" match, and fans were wound up. Mr. Kennedy won after whacking Punk with a ladder.
This was one of those well-timed, all-out matches that keep viewers invested in the entertainment sport.
#2 Daniel Bryan vs Triple H
This great match wasn't even supposed to happen at the grandest stage of them all. Instead, the plan was to do Triple H vs CM Punk while Daniel Bryan would wrestle Sheamus in a mid-card match.
Thankfully, CM Punk quit WWE after the Royal Rumble and the WWE had to come up with another match idea for Triple H.
In the following weeks, WWE pressed forward with the planned Batista vs Randy Orton title match, and after a sudden exit from CM Punk, planned for Daniel Bryan to face Triple H. The fans though, refused to accept this, and actually managed to force WWE into changing their plans.
In the memorable “Occupy Raw” segment, Bryan and his fans overtook the ring, not letting the show continue until Bryan was placed in the title match, resulting in Bryan vs Triple H, with the winner going on to join the WWE World Heavyweight title match.
Simply put, this match had something for everyone. For almost 30 minutes, Bryan and Triple H held the gigantic Superdome crowd in the palms of their hands, with some of the best in-ring psychology seen in years.
The match ended with Bryan countering a pedigree attempt and hitting a running knee a few seconds later for the victory.
Bryan then went on to outlast Orton and Batista in the main event in one of the most crowd-pleasing WrestleMania moments of all-time.
#1 Bret Hart vs Owen Hart, WrestleMania X
The setup for this one was so simple - younger brother Owen gets jealous of older brother Bret and turns on him after a tag team match, challenges him to a match to settle who the better man is, Bret reluctantly accepts, and voila! - instant classic.
Both guys end up going a little dirty here and there, but for the most part, this one is a mat wrestling clinic, the likes of which you'd never see in the WWE today - unfortunately. If you think watching guys trade headlocks and armbars for twenty minutes are all this style of pure wrestling can offer, you don't know much about pro wrestling or the Harts.
The psychology on display here is awesome, as Owen spends most of his time on offense working over Bret's leg to set him up for the Sharpshooter, and Bret busts out a couple moves we don't get to see from him too often - including a Pescado - to keep up with his little brother.
The finish is brilliant and comes totally out of nowhere - Bret attempts a victory roll on Owen out of the corner, but Owen blocks the roll halfway through and sits down, pinning Bret instead.
No need to feel too bad for Bret though - he wins the WWF title from Yokozuna later in this show and has a classic rematch with Owen for the title in a steel cage at SummerSlam '94.
Owen went on to have entertaining feuds with Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin, but unfortunately never held the WWF title before he was killed in an accident before a pay-per-view match in May 1999.
