10 greatest opening matches in WrestleMania history
WrestleMania opening matches set the stage for the show and can create a legacy on the grandest stage of them all.
The opening match is the most underrated aspect to a WrestleMania card. Many legends like Edge, Christian and Chris Jericho have revealed that their ideal spot on a major show is the opening match if they are not in the main event itself. The first match of the show sets the tone with an excited crowd ready to start the show off right. Momentum is key for a long show like WrestleMania, with each match having to do their part before passing the ring over to the next.
There have been quite a few great opening matches to kick off WrestleMania in the ideal fashion. We will expand on what made these matches special and why they did such a great job in the role of opening the show. Despite being the first match on the card, most of these bouts feature future Hall of Famers and legends. Find out just which wrestlers made the most of their opportunity. These are the ten greatest opening matches in the history of WWE WrestleMania.
10. AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon (WrestleMania 33)
WrestleMania 33 featured one of the most surprisingly great opening matches in WWE history. There was controversy over WWE “wasting” AJ Styles’ WrestleMania match against Shane McMahon. Many fans, wrestling pundits and even WWE broadcaster Corey Graves called out WWE for the disappointing WrestleMania opponent for Styles while he was at the top of his game.
WWE doubled down on the match by having it open the show. McMahon delivered by far his best performance since returning to WWE in 2016. Styles proved why he was arguably the best wrestler in the world at this point. Both men left it all in the ring as the fans showed their appreciation for the opening match starting the show off right.
The high point of the match was McMahon attempting a 450 Splash from the top rope. It wasn’t the standard McMahon stunt jumping off a tall structure, but this was more impressive in some ways given it was a standard wrestling match. Styles rightfully got the win, and this is the popular choice for his best WrestleMania match so far in his WWE career.