10 Great Matches Hidden On WWE PPV Kickoff Shows
4. The Usos Vs. RybAxel Vs. Los Matadores Vs. The Real Americans (WrestleMania XXX)
Though WrestleMania XXX was all about Daniel Bryan's grand triumph (and Brock Lesnar snapping The Undertaker's streak), you could make the argument that this pre-show tag bout was the strongest match that didn't feature the current SmackDown General Manager.
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt was mechanically fine, but ended in disappointment, with 'The Face That Runs The Place' essentially burying the entire Wyatt Family all on his lonesome. 'Taker vs. Brock was a dud, and the rest of the card was nothing special. The tag cluster, on the other hand, was an absolute barnstormer, and a match far greater than the sum of its parts.
Los Matadores and RybAxel are names that don't exactly set pulses racing, but both had a clear role to play at WM XXX, and the elimination rules allowed WWE to dispense with Diego and Fernando early. The psychology started coming together thereafter, with The Real Americans in control, The Usos playing underdogs, and RybAxel stuck in the middle, looking to capitalise on any lapses from the other two teams.
Axel and Ryback were gone after 12 minutes, whittling the match down to its two most exciting teams. A thrilling closing stretch followed, and The Usos retained, prompting Cesaro to turn on Jack Swagger - a moment that drew a huge pop from the crowd.