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Top 10 Opening Matches In WrestleMania History

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The first match of a show is one of the most important bouts on the card. When it comes to WrestleMania that’s especially true. There have been some really fantastic matches to open up the show of shows. These are the 10 best.

10. JBL vs. Finlay - WrestleMania XXIV

Two of the stiffest brawlers to step in a WWE ring shared the squared circled in a no holds barred contest deemed a "Belfast Brawl". They spent about 10 minutes beating each other up with their fists, forearms, boots and all sorts of weapons. Plus, JBL threw a trash can at Hornswoggle standing at ringside and toppled him over. That totally made the match.

9. Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio - WrestleMania XXVII

It wasn't that great of a match, but it holds a lot of significance in that it turned out to be Edge's grand finale. It also led to the fantastic rivalry between Christian and Randy Orton in the summer of 2011.

8. John Cena vs. Big Show - WrestleMania XX

Another match that wasn't particularly great but holds historical significance, this was not only John Cena's first WrestleMania match but also his first title victory. He defeated Big Show for the United States Title in front of a New York City crowd that was absolutely in love with Cena. It led to his meteoric rise in popularity and eventually his WWE Title victory one year later over JBL.

7. Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio - WrestleMania XIX

This match was disappointingly short with a lackluster finish, but for the five or six minutes they were given, these two men put together a darn good Cruiserweight Title match to open up the 19th annual WretleMania. They would later main event an episode of SmackDown with the same title on the line in a TV classic that saw Mysterio win the title in his home town.

6. Chris Jericho vs. William Regal - WrestleMania x-Seven

In a classic clash of styles, Chris Jericho opened the show defending his Intercontinental Title against William Regal. They threw each other around with some suplexes and Jericho took home the victory with the Lionsault in what was essentially a basic TV match, but it got the crowd amped up for the rest of what many consider to be the best WrestleMania of all time.

5. Money In The Bank Ladder Match - WrestleMania 23

The third annual MITB ladder match was a spectacle worthy of a spot at WrestleMania. Randy Orton RKO'd everybody (some even out of nowhere), Jeff Hardy killed himself, Edge and a poor defenseless ladder and Mr. Kennedy was still a relevant up-and-coming future World Champion. Turns out he was actually injury prone with a fairly bad attitude, so Edge took the briefcase instead and went on to steal the World Title from The Undertaker.

4. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero - WrestleMania 21

If only Rey Mysterio wore a mask that fit him correctly. He spent so much time adjusting his mask that it caused him to blow a couple spots, plus it threw off his timing. The match itself was still very, very good, and if not for that one snafu it would be in the running for THE best WrestleMania opening match, not just top five.

3. Money In The Bank Ladder Match - WrestleMania 25

In what was one of the best Money In The Bank matches ever, CM Punk would claim his second briefcase in a row amid a sea of chaos. Kofi Kingston actually outshone Shelton Benjamin with innovative spots and scary bumps, but Shelton was still no slouch. There was a little bit of everything in this match, between little guys, big guys and really little guys that turned out to be Vince McMahon's son.

2. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart - WrestleMania X

A match that is not only a great opening match but also an all-time classic, Bret Hart opened the show by losing to his brother on the night he would go on to win the WWF Title in the main event. This was the epitome of a mat classic with both men (as always) doing all of the little things right, which made the big things look that much better. For a long time, this was easily the best opening match in WrestleMania history.

1. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H - WrestleMania XXX

20 years after Bret Hart did it, Daniel Bryan would surpass the Hitman by winning both the opening and main event matches. He actually had to win the opener in order to make it to the main event, and both turned out to be stellar contests. This match could have easily been the main event of WrestleMania. Instead, on top of being an all-time classic, it set the tone for a really good milestone WrestleMania event.

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