4 WrestleMania openers that stole the show
WrestleMania is known as the show where WWE leaves no stone unturned and amps up the quality of the event tenfold. It's no surprise that fans get to see some of the best matches of the year on a WrestleMania card.
For years, The Undertaker was known to be the one who would give us a 5-star match at the show of shows, as he gave us instant classics with the likes of Edge, Michaels, CM Punk and Triple H in consecutive WrestleManias.
On some occasions, the very first match on the card ends up being the very best bout on the entire show. Let's take a look at some of the instances when a WrestleMania opener stole the show.
#4 Daniel Bryan vs Triple H, WrestleMania XXX
After a months-long buildup that saw the "Yes" movement gain mainstream attention and made Daniel Bryan an absolute fan favourite, The Game was hell-bent on destroying Bryan's dream to main event WrestleMania and win the top prize.
The match turned out to be the best one on the entire card and nothing came close to topping it in terms of match quality. Triple H's ruthless strikes on an injured Bryan, who made good use of his incredible speed and lethal kicks, made for a spectacle to marvel.
Bryan won the bout and went on to have his fairytale ending at the grandest stage of them all.
#3 Money in the Bank Ladder Match, WrestleMania 23
Quite possibly the most star-studded MITB match until that point, this was a visual treat from start to finish. Pitting the likes of Hardy Boyz, Edge-Orton, King Booker, Finlay, CM Punk, and Mr Kennedy, the match was the perfect opener to fire up the sea of 80,000 fans inside the arena.
At one point, Booker was almost on the verge of grabbing the briefcase, but was forced to come down by Matt Hardy who threatened to hit a "Twist of Fate" on Sharmell. Jeff did his usual high flying shtick in the match, resulting in himself and Edge leaving the ring on stretchers. Mr Kennedy won the match, but would go on to lose it to Edge on Raw.