5 Opening WrestleMania Matches That Ruled (And 5 That Sucked)

source// wwe.com

So much importance is placed on the main event of WrestleMania and it’s true that, yes, the so-called main event (or main events) are what a great deal of people are watching the event for. Such importance is placed on the show-closer and other blockbuster matches in the buildup to the event and, traditionally, they are given the most time and all the bells and whistles they need to match expectations.

Nobody is doubting the importance of what is, in theory, the biggest match or matches of the year. Everyone recognises what is riding on them. However, fewer people seem to realise just how crucial the first match of the night is. If the main event is seen as the most important match of the show, then the opener can justifiably be called the second most important.

It is the opener’s job to get the crowd ready for the rest of the show and, ideally, the curtain-raiser will be a well-received and exciting affair that gets the crowd off their feet and excited for whatever is to come after it. WrestleMania has played host to many a rousing opener throughout the years, matches that have got the Showcase of the Immortals off on the right foot.

Saying that, WrestleMania has also presented some truly dire opening matches in its 31-year history, contests that don’t belong anywhere near pay-per-view, let alone the biggest show of the year. Whether it was down to the wrestlers in the match, time constraints or truly baffling booking decisions, these matches started the show on a truly sour note.

With that in mind (and with WrestleMania 32 mere days away) let’s take a look at five WrestleMania opening matches that ruled and their much suckier counterparts.

5 That Ruled…

5. The Rockers Vs. Barbarian & Haku – WrestleMania VII

Leave it to those bundles of endless energy, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels, to kick off WrestleMania in style! The Rockers had hit something of a glass ceiling at this point (being held in place by the mega-popular Road Warriors), but they could still be counted on to deliver one hell of a match, even if their upward momentum was limited.

Their opponents here, Haku and Barbarian (wearing some very silly ring gear indeed) were not exactly known for contesting barnstorming classics or anything, but they certainly pulled their not inconsiderable weight here.

This was a typical speed versus power match, with The Rockers trying all their flips and tricks, only to constantly be cut down by the brute force of their larger opponents.

Eventually, Marty got the hot tag to Shawn and it was house-cleaning time. After a very good finishing sequence full of sunset flips and dropkicks and all that fiery babyface good stuff, Michaels got the surprise pin on Haku with a crossbody off the top, much to the delight of the frenzied crowd.

Nothing world-changing or anything like that, but a solid and very fun ten minutes with a popular result. Just what you want in an opener, really.

4. Money In The Bank Ladder Match – WrestleMania 23

The third Money in the Bank ladder match in WWE history kicked off WrestleMania 23 in 2007. The concept had been used in the second match of the preceding two WrestleManias, but it was the perfect choice for an opening match. This MITB match also had, arguably, the most star power out of the lot.

Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Edge, Randy Orton, King Booker, Finlay, Ken Kennedy and a young upstart named CM Punk did battle for the heralded briefcase, which would guarantee a World title shot within the space of one year to the victor. The action was fast and furious from the get-go, with all manner of brutal bumps and inventive spots occurring at a breakneck pace.

Things really picked up a notch with Jeff Hardy’s suicidal leg drop from the top of a ladder, through Edge and through another ladder, outside the ring. The breathtaking stunt took both men out of the match and then, one by one the rest of the combatants fell by the wayside, allowing the promising Kennedy to unhook the briefcase and secure himself a WWE title shot*.

This one was almost 25 minutes of non-stop action which had the 80,000 plus in Ford Field on the edge of their seats for the duration. A hell of a way to kick off a PPV, this, and one of the best of the WrestleMania Money in the Bank ladder matches.

*Kennedy didn’t end up receiving his shot after all: Edge beat him for it in an impromptu match on the May 7th 2007 edition of Raw after Kennedy suffered an injury which was thought to be more serious than it actually was.

3. Eddie Guerrero Vs. Rey Mysterio – WrestleMania 21

You can’t put Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio in the same ring and get a bad match. It’s just a physical impossibility, such was the chemistry between these legendary luchadores. The two men had battled in rings in Mexico and WCW, but had never had the chance to have a major one-on-one singles match on a big stage in WWE.

WrestleMania 21 was their chance.

Eddie had been telling everyone in the weeks leading up to the event that he and Rey would steal the show and while the pair didn’t come close to matching the superlative showdown between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels, they still assembled a damn fine opener, one of the best in WrestleMania history.

Not even Rey’s ill-fitting mask (the chin strap of which broke off within the first exchanges) could hamper this one, as Rey and Eddie put on a clinic full of smooth exchanges and state-of-the-art wrestling. Face versus face matches are hard to pull off, but Latino Heat and Mr. 619 managed to get the balance just right. The crowd were invested, too, popping huge for Rey’s fluke roll-up win.

Eddie was supposedly disappointed after the match, feeling that he and Rey had let themselves down by not matching the quality of their Halloween Havoc 1997 classic. He needn’t have been since, while not an all-time great or anything, he and Rey had managed to put on a supposedly ‘bad’ match that was so much better than the ‘good’ matches you’d expect to see from a great many performer.

2. Daniel Bryan Vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXX

Ladies and gentlemen, bow down to the…bow down to THE KING. Triple H once again proved that he really is that damn good in the opener of WrestleMania XXX, going toe-to-toe with one of the best in the world for 26 nerve-shredding minutes.

Given Triple H and The Authority’s treatment of Bryan in the weeks and months leading up to the show, many wondered whether Bryan could actually topple The Game on the night, with some fearing that Trips may have used his backstage stroke to get the main event changed to an all-Evolution affair.

This is something that the match played up beautifully, with Bryan narrowly avoiding defeat courtesy of a rarely-seen Tiger Suplex, a crossface submission hold, a Pedigree and some Stephanie McMahon ringside shenanigans. Bryan gave as good as he got, mind, delivering a jumping tornado DDT from the apron to the floor, a huge summersault plancha and the usually dependable Yes Lock.

The bearded wonder and Vince’s son-in-law had the New Orleans fans hooked and biting on every false finish until Bryan finally rallied and hit his running knee strike to secure a very popular briefly. Most remember WrestleMania XXX as either the night the Streak ended or for Bryan’s WWE Title-winning performance in the main event, but this wonderful opener must not be overlooked, either.

1. Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart – WrestleMania X

The best opener in WrestleMania, and possibly wrestling, history. Bret Hart versus Owen Hart was a masterclass, two guys as close as can be going out there and producing a near-perfect match for twenty wonderful minutes.

It was as good as you can get, and would be considered the standout match of the show, if not for the first ever televised WWE ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon that went on after them. Going into their match, the two brothers got together and started mapping out what they were going to do, including all their high spots and plenty of Owen’s high-flying.

Realising that, if they were going to do the match they were planning on doing, Owen would no doubt get cheered, Bret decided to flip it and had Owen nix all of his showing-off. Instead, Owen did every dastardly heel trick and took every shortcut in the book, en route to a surprising victory over his older sibling.

The exchanges between these two were as smooth as silk and the match just built and built, with the MSG crowd getting more and more into at on every nearfall. The result also casted doubt over Bret’s WWE Title match later in the night and also meant that Owen would be one of the first in line when Bret did capture the gold.

If you haven’t watched this match, do so now.

And 5 That Sucked…

5. Big Show & Kane Vs. Chris Masters & Carlito – WrestleMania 22

There’s nothing terribly wrong with this one or anything. No, there were no major botches and there were at least two worse matches on the card (Boogeyman versus Booker T & Sharmell and Candice Michelle versus Torrie Wilson). But, as an opener for the biggest show of the year it was so very underwhelming and there were plenty of more suitable candidates.

Such as, JBL versus Chris Benoit for the US Title or the second ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Those were both great choices for an opener, and the MITB match in particular was exciting and would have gotten the crowd going. This average, sub-six-minute World Tag Team Title match did not.

Kane and Big Show got the win by pinning Carlito after a double chokeslam, putting an end to this glorified Raw match. For what it’s worth, the crowd were pretty into Carlito here and didn’t really seem to care for the lumbering Kane and Show.

4. Tag Team Battle Royal – WrestleMania XIV

Don’t you just love those battle royals full of way too many guys you don’t even care about? The WrestleMania XIV opener was a fifteen-team affair full of no-hopers like the New Midnight Express, the Headbangers, Too Much, The Rock and Roll Express, Steve Blackman and Flash Funk, the DOA and oh God there were so many crappy teams in this match.

It also featured the return of the ultra-over Road Warriors as LOD 2000, complete with new craptastic entrance gear (which took them about five whole minutes to take off) and Sunny as a manager. Supposedly, Sunny was lumped with them as a way to get her on the show so that her backstage rival, Sable, wouldn’t be the only one with a ‘Mania appearance.

The ‘action’ consisted mainly of kicking, punching, throwing over the top rope, punching, stalling, choking, punching and kicking and throwing and lying around. It was, shall we say, less than inspired. The inevitable LOD win was about as obvious as Tammy Sytch getting a DUI, too. Seriously, no other team could have possibly won the thing.

The whole thing lasted nearly ten full minutes. Triple H versus Owen Hart or Aguila versus TAKA Michinoku, which took place later on the card, would have been so much better in the opening slot.

3. Paul Orndorff Vs. Magnificent Muraco – WrestleMania 2

This must have been some comedown for Mr. Wonderful. One year after headlining with Roddy Piper against Hulk Hogan and, erm, Mr. T, he was jerking the curtain against a past-it Don Muraco. Even with only four minutes to play with, these two still managed to produce something that was so boring it felt like at least twelve.

The majority of the match was Muraco trying to get out of an armbar. Seriously. The bulk of the ‘action’ is one freakin’ hold. I mean, if you wanna work a submission hold for an extended period of time during a longer match, that’s fine. But in a four minute long opener? Come on, guys. This isn’t a house show – it’s WrestleMania.

Eventually, Muraco lands a Samoan drop and they begin brawling. Then they go outside. And then both men are counted out. Oh yeah, and Orndoff at one point makes a very racist gesture towards Mr. Fuji, because wrestling in the 1980s was just horrible.

So, not only was the action barely there, but the finish was inconclusive and insulting, tooand there was some unnecessary racism. Just horrible all-round and a poor way to start what was a poor show overall.

2. Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan Vs. The Godfather & D-Lo Brown – WrestleMania 2000

The Godfather is a perfect guy to use in the opening match, because he was over like Rover and, despite not being the greatest worker in the world, could work a basic match just fine (after going through his pre-match schtick, of course). D-Lo Brown was, at one point, a hell of a worker. Big Boss Man was a sure and steady veteran, and Bull Buchanan was a damn impressive big man with huge upside (as Jim Ross would call it).

On paper, this one works. In practice, it didn’t really. Sure, it had one or too good moments (Buchanan had a hella fine Axe Kick), but it was pretty damn clunky and way too long at almost ten minutes. When only one guy in the match is really over, you shouldn’t be going that long.

Things got off to an annoying start, with Ice T coming out with Godfather and Brown to sing the conductor of the Ho Train’s new, crappy theme music. No grown man should be saying ‘pimpin’ ain’t easy’ that much. Oddly, the heels went over here, deflating the hot crowd early.

WrestleMania 2000 is generally considered a huge disappointment and it certainly got off to the most disappointing of starts. Well, not the most disappointing…

1. Daniel Bryan Vs. Sheamus – WrestleMania XXVIII

What more really needs to be said? Yes, this had the unintended effect of propelling Daniel Bryan to superstardom to the point where he would actually main event the show two years later, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this was an insult to two very talented performers, not to mention millions of fans who actually wanted to see the match.

Following a kiss from AJ Lee, Sheamus hit a single Brogue Kick and pinned the World Heavyweight Champion in eighteen seconds. EIGHTEEN SECONDS. This, one year after their United States title match was bumped from the main card to the pre-show in order to make way for The Rock’s thirty-minute opening monologue.

There’s no doubt that goat-face and the Celtic Warrior deserve far, far better here. They proved in subsequent weeks and months that they could have some damn fine matches together, if given the time. To deny them the chance to do so on the grandest stage, just to provide a little bit of shock value, was a big mistake and made for a seriously disappointing opener.

10 Wrestling Matches So Brutal They Hurt to Watch

source// wwe.com

Extreme violence is not common in today’s World Wrestling Entertainment, mainly because certain nuances which constitute a brutal match have been outlawed by those calling the shots. Since going PG in June/July, 2008, things like unprotected chair shots and blood have rarely been seen on WWE television. This hasn’t exactly helped matches like Hell In A Cell or Street Fight-style bouts come across as edgy, but it’s perhaps understandable that the company would like to protect performers.

There’s a common misconception that matches are only ‘hardcore’, ‘extreme’ or even brutal if they’re accompanied by the sight of blood. In truth, seeing claret spill from the foreheads of pro wrestlers does add an element of excitement, but it’s not the only aspect of a match that makes those watching wince from the other side of the TV screen. 

In all of the matches listed here, there are some seriously stiff strikes and moves. The wrestlers involved held absolutely nothing back, seemingly willing to put their bodies through unimaginable hell in order to entertain. That’s admirable, and shows a dedication to providing excitement, but it’s also difficult for some grappling fans to watch.

There’s an emphasis on selling in these bouts, although – telling the truth – much of the pain is visibly real. It’s been said that fans shouldn’t try pro wrestling at home, and these matches prove the sanity of that idea!

10. Cactus Jack Vs. Big Van Vader (WCW Saturday Night, 1993)

April 17, 1993 is likely an evening that Mick Foley can’t really remember. Naturally when analysing brutal wrestling matches, the ‘Hardcore Legend’ features a fair few times. He may pepper the list, but only some of his more choice (violent as all hell) encounters have been featured.

Some have referred to Foley in the past as someone who would often take things too far. If the violence presented in many of Mick’s matches seemed real, that’s because it most definitely was. When facing Big Van Vader in WCW, it was far from uncommon to see strikes so stiff that they would seem more at home in the UFC’s Octagon.

During one edition of WCW Saturday Night in 1993, Foley was on the receiving end of some shots that almost instantly split open his eyebrow. Hearing Foley document the horror on his WWE-produced ‘Greatest Hits & Misses’ DVD is a painful experience. 

Making things even more shocking, Foley is then staring blankly at the venue’s ceiling, following a brutal Powerbomb on solid concrete. The whole occasion is simply one which dodges the idea of wrestling pretending to stage real violence. It is real violence.

9. Roddy Piper Vs. Greg Valentine (NWA Starrcade 1983)

The art of selling pain effectively to the watching audience is something many veterans would claim is lacking in today’s industry. There’s a case for that, because it’s rare that a performer will sell danger for longer than a few moments, before suddenly looking miraculously healed. Something a lot of young wrestlers could do is watch Roddy Piper’s work.

Back in 1983, the NWA presented the first ever Starrcade show. One of the feature attractions was a Dog Collar Match between Piper and Greg Valentine, and it turned into quite the bloody affair. Notably, Piper’s ear bled horrifically, making for quite the striking closing sequence.

The announcer did a wonderful job of selling the fact that Roddy’s balance had been affected by the injury, and it just looks plain gnarly. Such a match stipulation really needs blood in order to look realistic, due to the metal chain that hooks both wrestlers together. 

Bloodied and battered, Piper is a sorry sight by the conclusion of the match.

8. TLC (WWF SummerSlam 2000)

As aforementioned, blood isn’t a strict requirement for matches to come across as brutal wars. The very first ‘Tables, Ladders & Chairs’ bout didn’t really focus on slicing the competitors open, it was much more about huge bumps and eye-watering impact with metal ladders, chairs and wooden tables.

The Dudley Boys, Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian deserve a lot of credit for raising the bar with what fans could expect from such matches. SummerSlam 2000 may have featured the first TLC bout in history, but people had witnessed matches involving the items on display before. It was the interesting ways the performers used them that really opened eyes.

It’s almost impossible not to wince when re-watching Jeff Hardy’s glaring miss as he attempts a Swanton Bomb from the top of the ladder. The fall seems huge, and Hardy smashes through the prone table after Bubba Ray manages to move out of the way.

Jim Ross on commentary often referred to these matches as a ‘human demolition derby’, and there’s a grim fascination which comes from watching them time and time again. If anything, they get more painful each time!

7. The Undertaker Vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE No Mercy 2002)

2002 was a breakout year for Brock Lesnar. Looking like a raw beast when he made his debut in March, Lesnar was a fully-fledged headliner by the time he met The Undertaker in October. Winning the ‘King Of The Ring’ and beating The Rock at SummerSlam were ideal preparation for a feud against ‘Taker.

A decent double disqualification at Unforgiven in September did not give any indication as to what would occur come No Mercy the following month. Fans did get excited when a Hell In A Cell clash between both men was announced, but few could have predicted just how intense an occasion it would prove to be.

Arguably, this was Lesnar’s most important WWE performance to date at that point. He proved he was willing to put his body through hell, and the moments when Undertaker and he slammed against the steel mesh looked violent and thrilling. Bust wide open by his foe, Brock’s head and face were caked in claret by the time he emerged victorious.

More than any Cell encounter up to that point, this one sold the actual threat of the structure itself.

6. Eddie Guerrero Vs. JBL (WWE Judgment Day 2004)

When looking back to bloody matches from recent WWE history, shocks are often found. People are so desensitised to such violence now, so it’s incredible to watch performers put one another through so much torture in their respective bids to entertain. There’s no doubt about it, Eddie Guerrero and JBL suffered for their art at Judgment Day in 2004.

The beloved Guerrero had become one of the best babyfaces of his generation when he became WWE Heavyweight Champion at No Way Out just months before. Contrastingly, JBL had morphed into a hated heel. The stage was set for a routine battle to headline the pay-per-view, but it would turn into one of the most bloody main events some fans had ever witnessed.

Cracked over the head with a steel chair, Guerrero’s blood flow appears instant. Within mere seconds, the man’s chest had plasma all over it, although that’s later reciprocated by another corking blade job from JBL. Both gushed incredibly during the match, and the amount of blood alone is enough to turn some stomachs.

5. Brock Lesnar Vs. John Cena (WWE Extreme Rules 2012)

Straight away, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar from WWE’s Extreme Rules 2012 pay-per-view stood out from the rest of the pack. By 2012, WWE had fully embraced the idea of a PG product, and there was a cartoon-like level of violence in some matches. It was light and rarely too dangerous looking.

Lesnar’s return to the fold changed all of that, because he borrowed heavily from his UFC career to make it look like he was really battering Cena’s head and body with his strikes. Somewhat shockingly, he was – at least for the most part – and Cena bloodied quickly. To the benefit of proceedings, the match wasn’t stopped.

Absolutely everything Brock Lesnar did during this bout came across as painful and decidedly real. His punches, kicks, slams and submission holds all looked credible, and it’s fair to assume that Cena and he had some bruises and cuts the following morning. 

The saccharine nature of WWE programming around this time only helps the match stand out. If people watch the whole pay-per-view, they will be captivated by the brutality on hand by the time the main event rolls around. At times, it looks like a real fight.

4. Mankind Vs. The Undertaker (WWF King Of The Ring 1998)

There’s no way any list looking at painful-to-watch wrestling matches could feel complete without poor Mick Foley’s beating at the King Of The Ring 1998 show. It’s not hard to imagine that this specific match has become one of the most-watched on the WWE Network, so infamous are the titanic bumps it contains.

For new wrestling fans, The Undertaker vs. Mankind is simply must-see content. Within minutes of the brawl erupting, the latter was hurled from the top of the steel Cell through an announce table more than 15 feet below. Incredibly, that’s not where the actual sensation of pain (through simply watching) sets in.

It’s upon seeing the second major bump that things start to get frightening. A crude Chokeslam through the top of the cage into the ring below looks downright cruel, especially when seeing the unnatural angle Foley’s legs are at once his head, beck and back collide with the canvas. 

The whole match is like watching a dear friend get the kicking of their life, it’s pretty blood-curdling in general. By the time Mankind is shown with his own bloody tooth embedded in his nose, nausea begins to set in.

3. Cactus Jack Vs. Randy Orton (WWE Backlash 2004)

Randy Orton deserves a medal for the pain he was willing to put himself through at Backlash 2004. Up against Mick Foley’s maniacal Cactus Jack persona, the then-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion tortured his frame beyond belief. More accurately, sharp thumb tacks tortured Orton.

Facing Foley in a Hardcore battle, Randy and his peer used such delights as barbed wire boards, a barbed wire baseball bat, meaty bumps off the entrance stage and the aforementioned drawing pins to great effect. Watching this match with a non-wrestling fan is an enlightening experience, because they are very much likely to stare in abject horror and question preconceived ideas that wrestling isn’t real.

When Orton goes for his patented RKO onto the tacks, instead receiving a flat back bump on top of them, fans in the front row just about seem to lose their lunch. The gore isn’t exactly wild, but the shaking Randy performs upon feeling the pins pierce his skin seems totally real.

Seeing little trickles of blood trail down his back from each puncture mark is grim, it’s very unlikely anyone can watch this match without feeling their eye twitch and face start to contort.

2. Abyss Vs. Sabu (TNA Turning Point 2005)

Trust Sabu to up the ante on this list and introduce an actual spike to proceedings. Wrestling fans – of a certain age anyway – are well versed in seeing performers thumped over the head with steel chairs and even crashing through tables. Someone few people can stomach is seeing one man get lacerated time and time again by a crazed lunatic wielding a knife-like object.

That’s what happened just moments into Sabu’s match against Abyss at TNA’s Turning Point pay-per-view in 2005. Stunningly, this so-called ‘Barbed Wire Massacre’ was the very first match on the show, and nothing else on the card could top the level of violence on display. Not only did both men bump liberally on the wire itself, Abyss also had his arm torn open by his foe.

The whole altercation is just painful viewing, and there’s a sense of relief once it’s over and done with. Adding to that sick feeling in the pit of stomachs everywhere, Sabu’s belly-first bump on the barbed wire scratched up his mid section pretty good. 

Seeing blood coming from the head is one thing, seeing it emerge from arms and stomachs is another.

1. Cactus Jack Vs. Terry Funk (IWA 'King Of The Deathmatch' 1995)

Undoubtedly the absolute king of sore-looking wrestling matches is (rather fittingly) Mick Foley vs. Terry Funk’s ‘King Of The Deathmatch’ bout from 1995. Actually the final of an entire tournament, neither man was leaving anything to chance with this one. There’s barbed wire, but there’s also the small matter of C4 explosives set to erupt at the 10-minute mark.

Again going under his Cactus Jack moniker, Foley and his dear friend beat the absolute !*$% out of one another to try and entertain the fans. Some people dislike this kind of match, because there’s no real ‘art’ to it all, this is simply a pair of men putting themselves through hell for the benefit of others.

Even before the match got underway, Funk was showing the scars of previous battles in the tournament. His t-shirt was even soaked in blood, giving a grisly look. Eating up the impact of bumps onto barbed wire and numerous explosions, it’s a wonder that either man could stand by the time the bout was finished. 

There’s absolutely nothing about the match that doesn’t hurt to watch, only those with an iron will should elect to watch it.