WrestleMania 28: Ranking WrestleMania's Opening Matches

WrestleMania, like any pay-per-view, is remembered for its main events.  While the big names and world championship bouts draw the crowd, the rest of the card strive to steal the show.    

Andre vs. Hogan, Michaels vs. Undertaker and Rock vs. Austin all sold tickets and pay-per-view buys, but the first impression fans get of a WrestleMania is its opening match.

Which matches left fans soured and which ignited their already-burning passion?

Not counting dark matches, I've ranked—from worst to best—the first bouts of every WrestleMania so far.

How will WrestleMania 28 begin? 

Will they go with Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show or Kane vs. Randy Orton?  Will WrestleMania 28's opening match find itself being compared to the worst of this list or find its way near the top?

27. WrestleMania II

Paul Orndorff vs. Magnificent Muraco.

The worst WrestleMania opening match thus far was short, uninspired and a waste of time. 

For a match that wasn't even five minutes long, there were far too many rest holds and the feeling-out process was too drawn out. 

The most entertaining part of a match should never be Paul Orndorff doing a racist mid-match impersonation of Mr. Fuji. 

The crowd wanted to be into the action, it being WrestleMania and all, but there was little to cheer about. 

A non-PG chant provided the soundtrack to an anticlimactic double count-out ending. 

26. WrestleMania 13

The Headbangers vs. Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon vs. The New Blackjacks vs. Henry and Phinneas Goddwinn.

A Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Elimination Match could be great with the right teams.  Doug Furnas and Phil La Fon are not the right team for many situations. 

Starting off a WrestleMania with the Goddwinns is bad enough, but the confusing stipulations of this match had teammates forced to fight each other for some reason. 

The only reason to have watched this match would be to gawk at JBL's fake mustache as Blackjack Bradshaw. The wrestling itself was lackluster, and no one—but maybe JBL at moments—seemed to have any energy. 

25. WrestleMania XIV

15-Team Battle Royal.

For every pair of talented wrestlers (Farooa and Kama, or D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry) this match featured a filler team like Jesus Castillo and Jose Estrada. 

The match was meant to build up the new-look Legion of Doom, but even their lasting popularity couldn't survive the tepidness of this match.

Most of the action was muddled.  Many eliminations were not even caught on camera. 

The rules seemed to be loosely enforced as well. Mark Henry was thrown in between the ropes, not over them, but eliminated nonetheless.

The surprise of Hawk and Animal (with Sunny!) returning to the WWE was a fantastic moment.  Everything else about this match was forgettable.

24. WrestleMania 2000

D'Lo Brown and the Godfather vs. Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan.

One of the most disparaged WrestleManias didn't begin well. 

Godfather barely got involved, hanging around on the outside watching D'Lo get beat up by the Boss Man and Buchanan. 

Fans are more likely to remember Godfather's outfit than anything they saw during the match.  His ungodly sparkly jacket glittered under the spotlights. 

This was not a bad match, but if asked to name a highlight from it, most fans would struggle.  To kick off WWE's premier event, you'd expect something more noteworthy.

23. WrestleMania XI

Lex Luger & British Bulldog vs. Jacob & Eli Blu.

WWE's fascination with twins certainly did start with the Bellas.  Jacob and Eli Blu kicked off WrestleMania 11 in spite of their lack of star power. 

Davey Boy Smith carried the majority of the workload and was by far the best wrestler in the match. 

There was nothing special about this tag team match. 

Luger gave an unimpressive performance.  The action was dominated by punches and powerslams.   

One of the worst WrestleManias of all time started off slow with this disappointing clash and ended with a football player in the main event. 

22. WrestleMania VI

Rick Martel vs. Koko B. Ware.

With 14 matches on the card and one of those being Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior, you had to know that this match wouldn't get much time.

Both Martel and Koko looked rushed as if Vince McMahon told them to just get it over with. 

The action was fast-paced and included some remarkable dropkicks, but there was little else to enjoy. 

After both men's long and gimmicky entrances, it was wham, bam, Boston Crab and move on to the tag title match. 

21. WrestleMania V

Hercules vs. King Haku.

After two long entrances, this match took its time to get rolling. 

It wasn't until about the four-minute mark that the excitement kicked in.

Bobby Heenan doesn't make his presence felt very often here, but just having him around adds depth.  All of Heenan's wrestlers seemed more legit, more dangerous when under his tutelage. 

A number of near falls, a quickened pace and a hearty kick to the throat, courtesy of Haku, turned this battle into decent entertainment. 

20. WrestleMania III

The Can-Am Connection vs. Magnificent Muraco & Bob Orton.

The fans in the Silverdome were hyped despite the mediocrity of the match.  How much of that was them being excited for Steamboat vs. Savage and Hogan vs. Andre?

Rick Martel showed promise with a handful of quick, exciting moves.  Muraco and Orton had definitely had better matches.

There was nothing special about this encounter. 

This is something fans see on free TV all the time, a typical face vs. heel matchup.  It was understandably forgotten because of the greatness of some of the matches to follow it.

19. WrestleMania IV

20-Man Battle Royal.

Other than the Royal Rumble where the entrances are staggered, battle royals all have one glaring issue, they are demonstrations in disarray.

Much of the initial action is all but impossible to see with so many bodies in the ring.

Announcers Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse the Body didn't even seem to be sure what was going on.  They start talking about Vanna White and newspapers instead. 

What aided this was the amount of star power involved. 

Jim Brunzell, Junkyard Dog, the Rougeaus, Nikolai Volkoff and Harely Race all tried to throw each other out of the ring. 

The most interesting subplot was Bret Hart and Bad News Brown making an alliance that inevitably ended with betrayal. 

After Bad News Brown won, Bret grabbed his trophy and destroyed it in the ring.  This moment, meant to initiate a push for the Hitman, was this battle royal's singular lasting image. 

18. WrestleMania I

Tito Santana vs. the Executioner.

A quick start saw Santana and a masked Buddy Rose go to work on each other and the two men scampered from rope to rope. 

How excited must this crowd have been to see the first match of the first ever WrestleMania?  Could they even have known what they were witnessing? 

The ring ropes hung loosely around Santana and Rose and wobbled every time they touched them. 

It was an average match lost in the hype of the start of WWE's dynasty. 

17. WrestleMania XII

Vader, Owen Hart and British Bulldog (Camp Cornette) vs. Ahmed Johnson, Yokozuna and Jake Roberts.

With the talent involved in this match, it had serious potential—at least on paper. 

Owen performed well, throwing some gorgeous dropkicks in the mix.   Vader did his usual clubbing giant routine. 

Jake Roberts didn't offer much though.  He was clearly out of shape.

In place of a well-told story, there were too many instances of the action devolving into six-man chaos.  Even in those heated brawls, most of the wrestlers didn't seem to be all that interested. 

16. WrestleMania 26

The Miz and the Big Show vs. John Morrison and R-Truth.

We've arrived to the point on the list where the matches start to get better.  This match's major flow was that it just wasn't given enough time.

Big Show dominated, R-Truth got out of breath from rapping and John Morrison proved why he's such an athletic Houdini. 

While it was not the crispest wrestling ever (e.g. a mistimed Starship Pain) there's plenty to love here. 

WWE understandably wanted to save room for Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker II and to fit in the 10-Diva tag match, but just a few more minutes could have earned this an additional star. 

15. WrestleMania XX

Big Show vs. John Cena United States Championship.

It's been awhile since we've seen John Cena cheat to win and roll with the Dr. of Thuganomics gimmick.  It's also been years since we've Cena not be in one of WrestleMania's main events. 

The match was preceded by a typical John Cena rap and a pro-Cena crowd chanting his name. 

Once the action began, we saw a superb big boot by a dominant Big Show, Cena hulking up and Show kicking out of the FU/AA. 

Show does some of his best work here, making himself look overpowering while simultaneously putting Cena over. 

It's a solid match that, for better or worse, marks the beginning of Cena's dynasty.

14. WrestleMania XV

Billy Gunn vs. Hardcore Holly vs. Al Snow-Triple Threat for Hardcore Championship.

This solid brawl saw the wrestlers use some interesting weapons.  Everything from a Gatorade bottle to a broom handle was in play. 

The crowd gave Billy Gunn a great pop. 

A "Let's go Flyers" chant broke out mid-match after the introduction of a hockey stick to the mix. 

There wasn't much of a story being told here, just guys trading spots and whacking each other with odd items. 

While not the greatest match of all time, it easily trumps some of the stinkers that followed it that night. 

13. WrestleMania 22

Big Show and Kane vs. Carlito and Chris Masters—Tag Team Championship.

For the first part of this matchup, Carlito and Chris Masters didn't look like they belong.  Not only were the big men controlling the action, but Carlito and Masters appeared stunned by the magnitude of WrestleMania. 

It looked to be heading in the direction of a glorified squash match, but the pace picked up and Carlito and Masters began to impress. 

Near falls and finishers highlighted the exciting last third of this battle.

Carlito and Masters made their mark on wrestling's biggest stage, but not before Kane and Show predictably crushed their hopes of victory. 

12. WrestleMania VIII

Shawn Michaels vs. Tito Santana

This was worth watching just for Bobby Heenan's hilarious commentary.  He strayed from the action plenty, but all for the sake of comedy. 

As for the actual wrestling, there was far too much talent in the ring for this not to be entertaining.  But Santana applied a surplus of rest holds, which painfully slowed down the match.

Had Vince McMahon had known that Santana was going to pull out that many side headlocks, he would have steered him in another direction.   

Still, this was fun to watch—especially near the end when the pace turned frenzied and Shawn Michaels amped up his game. 

Before he was Mr. WrestleMania, Michaels put matches like this together, where he took what was supposed to be a throwaway bout and turn it into something his opponent would love to put on their own career highlights DVD. 

11. WrestleMania 24

Finlay vs. JBL-Belfast Brawl.

Finlay and JBL both know their way around a street fight.  WrestleMania 24 started with these two men banging anything and everything over each other's heads.

Less than a minute in, they started working each other over with a trashcan. 

While there was a bit too much dependence on the weapons aspect, Finlay and JBL put on a rousing brawl that was fun to watch.    

One's feelings about a leprechaun being involved in a wrestling match may determine how one rates this. 

If you like Hornswoggle's comic relief contrasting with Finlay brutishness, then you're in for a treat.

10. WrestleMania 19

Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio-Cruiserweight Championship.

This match did not take long to get exciting. 

Rey Mysterio threw Matt Hardy out of the ring just as the opening bell rang before twisting into a corkscrew plancha. 

Dressed in a Daredevil-inspired outfit, Mysterio beamed with energy.  He sprang around the ring in a fantastic display of his acrobatic skills.    

Hardy played the heel well, overpowering and grinding down Mysterio. 

How lucky were the fans in Seattle?

Not only did they get to see the classic Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels put on, the Rock vs. Stone Cold and Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle, but this opening treat as well. 

9. WrestleMania X8

Rob Van Dam vs. William Regal-Intercontinental Championship.

A compelling clash of styles pitted the unorthodox technical prowess of Regal vs. Van Dam's unorthodox high-flying style. 

Regal delivered some gorgeous and vicious suplexes.  Van Dam stirred the crowd up with his trademark kicks. 

Their chemistry sizzled and the crowd loved it. 

In hindsight, I'm sure WWE wouldn't mind shaving off a few minutes from the Goldust vs. Maven fiasco to add a few to this match. 

8. WrestleMania 17

Chris Jericho vs. William Regal-Intercontinental Championship.

Just one year before Regal's WrestleMania match with Rob Van Dam, he put on a slightly better show with Chris Jericho. 

This is vicious Regal at his best, grinding and torturing Jericho to our delight. 

The crowd reacted emphatically to both men's entrances, to their taunts, counters and dropkicks. 

Regal dished out a devastating double-underhook suplex from the top rope—one of many highlights from this match. 

The chemistry and the energy from these two men helped a solid WrestleMania start with greatness. 

7. WrestleMania VII

The Rockers vs. Barbarian and Haku.

The Rockers burst onto the WWE scene with their electric, innovative tag team style and fans fell in love with them right away. 

In this underrated match, the Rockers helped start WrestleMania VII with excitement and excellence. 

Barbarian and Haku provided the power in an interesting contrast in styles. 

Compelling storytelling, well-paced wrestling and four talented men worked to steal the show before the likes of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior began their matches. 

6. WrestleMania 27

Edge vs. Albert Del Rio-World Heavyweight Championship.

What ended up being Edge's last match likely wasn't the swan song he would have liked, but was entertaining and one of the better openers in WrestleMania history. 

Edge's neck injuries had been piling up, a result of his daredevil approach to wrestling. 

He seemed hurt and tentative for much of this, but he and Del Rio still managed to mine a healthy amount of drama from this brief match.    

Del Rio's bodyguard, Brodus Clay, and Christian battled on the outside for a bonus mini-match. 

After a run of Del Rio dominating Edge, the two traded beautiful counters near the end. 

The crowd lit up when Edge's eyes began to grow wild, indicating the intention to spear the Mexican aristocrat.

When he took a crowbar to Del Rio’s ride, they got even louder.  

5. WrestleMania IX

Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka-Intercontinental Championship.

If someone ever were to doubt Shawn Michaels' greatness, have them watch this match.  How many guys could make a perpetual mid-carder like Tatanka look legendary?

WWE wisely gave these men time to work.

A full story was allowed to develop.  Quick-paced action, hard chops by Tatanka and sell-jobs supreme from Michaels helped build a gem of a match. 

Sherri Martel and Luna Vachon added depth, playing off Sherri and Michaels' past relationship. 

A superkick to a flying Tatanka and a bounty of near falls injected excitement and wowed the crowd. 

The only thing that held this match back was an unfulfilling count-out ending. 

4. WrestleMania 21

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio.

Few men have had better chemistry than Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.

They were always in sync with each other; allowing them to work fluidly, quickly and often, to perfection. 

An appreciative crowd watched as Lucha Libre met WWE met a WCW Cruiserweight match.  Tag team partners and champions at the time, Eddie and Rey, kicked off WrestleMania 21 as well as you could ask for.    

Had Mysterio's mask not been giving him trouble, this could have been even better. 

3. WrestleMania 25

Money in the Bank Ladder Match: CM Punk vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. Christian vs. Finlay vs. Kofi Kingston.

Fans may buy this DVD for Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker, but are more than happy to have this match in their collection. 

Featuring a mix of giants and acrobats, one of the finer Money in the Bank matches was fueled by innovation.

Shelton Benjamin, an artist with a ladder, showed off his supreme athleticism with some creative moves.  Unfortunately a few them with MVP were botched.

Making his WrestleMania and Money in the Bank debut, Kofi Kingston outdid everyone in terms of showmanship.  He grabbed our attention when hopping over or through the ladders. 

The overall flow of this match was well done and engaging, with all the wrestlers collaborating in harmony. 

2. WrestleMania 23

Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Ken Kennedy vs. Edge vs. Jeff Hardy vs. King Booker vs. Randy Orton vs. Matt Hardy vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay.

Star power and brutal spots defined this excellent Money in the Bank match. 

Fans watched one soon to be Hall of Famer in Edge and at least three likely future entrants (Orton, Booker and Punk) put on a thrilling, well-worked show. 

Had it not been for one Showstopper, this would have been the best match on the card.  

Too often in ladder matches, people plod up the ladder, moving up it unrealistically slow.  From the beginning, the wrestlers here did just the opposite, quickening our collective heart rate by scaling the ladders quickly. 

Along with the stars mentioned above, a bloody Finlay made his mark with some superb brawling.  He may never have been the most talented guy on their roster, but is a perfect fit for this kind of match.

Some of the highlights include Matt Hardy holding Sharmell hostage, an RKO off the ladder, a spear fest by Edge and Jeff Hardy destroying himself and Edge and a ladder with a towering leg drop.

1. WrestleMania X

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart.

Not only was this the best opening match, this brother vs. brother battle was one of the best WrestleMania matches of all time. 

It's not often that real life blurs so serendipitously into a storyline.  WWE couldn't have asked for a better plot.

Bret had long been the more successful and famous Hart brother.  Owen was a rising star, but couldn't avoid comparisons to his older brother. 

Owen set out to prove that he was not only just as good as Bret, but better. 

These two technical wizards threw in aerial moves and a touch of brawling to compose a near-flawless match. 

Viciousness and vindictiveness spilling out of him, Owen went on to match Bret step for step, move for move and ultimately shock the world with a victory.