10 Hot WrestleMania Openers That Blew The Main Event Away

9. Money In The Bank Ladder Match - WrestleMania 25

Cm Punk Wrestlemania 25
WWE

WrestleMania 25, despite the marketing saying so, should never be referred to as WrestleMania’s 25th Anniversary because that’s not how maths works. Still, it was a massive show that marked the third year in a row that WWE outdid itself for highest grossing pay-per-view.

By this point, the Money in the Bank ladder match had become a staple of the event and this year was no different.

The match was little more than a spot-fest but sometimes that’s what an audience wants to see to really get in the mood for spectacle. Shelton Benjamin put in the performance of a lifetime here with numerous high energy ladder spots including, of course, his ridiculous diving headbutt which even on repeated viewings looks brutal.

But that’s not all. There was also Hornswoggle climbing a stepladder onto Mark Henry’s back to get to the turnbuckle to do a splash and CM Punk hanging off the ladder by his foot for the last 60 seconds before his win.

The match kicked off a show that had its ups and downs but largely all bouts overshadowed the final showdown of the night, a tale of vengeance between Triple H and Randy Orton that just didn’t click together right. The only reason that’s not completely at the bottom of the pile is because this is the year that Santino Marella won a woman’s battle royal. Good grief.

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Coming from a content creation background that now spans over two decades, Psy cut her teeth on personal video production and community radio. Originally joining the team as a writer and presenter, she added video editing duties to her responsibilities over time and became the longest-standing editor of the irreverent gaming show Tues Your Own Adventure. Psy has worked on many previews and reviews, long-form editorials (either her own, or supporting as an editor), as a frequent quizmaster and more. Praised for the two-pronged attack of her hard work ethic and light-hearted editing style, Psy is otherwise known as a font of retro video game knowledge which has caused her to rack up many gaming quiz wins. Outside of WhatCulture, Psy runs First Aid Spray Podcast - a long-running channel that focuses on Resident Evil in all of it's forms. You can follow her on BlueSky at http://psywhite.bsky.social and Instagram at http://instagram.com/therealpsywhite