10 Times The Opening Match Stole A WWE Show
1. Royal Rumble 2014 - Bray Wyatt Vs. Daniel Bryan
WWE’s 2014 Rumble kicked off with two of the roster’s most distinct and organically created stars near the peak of their powers. Daniel Bryan, the indie darling riding a groundswell of crowd support, and Bray Wyatt, a character devised and portrayed by a great creative mind, brought contrasting styles and a solid storyline to a head in this barnburner.
The match ran over 20 minutes but was non-stop action, with both stars showing off their pace, particularly dazzling for a man of Wyatt’s size. The ending was smartly booked, with Wyatt snatching Bryan from the air and dashing him against the barricade, and it did great things for both performers. Wyatt looked as dominant a monster as he ever had, and Bryan was surely free to go on to bigger things in the Rumble match that evening.
And then, he didn’t. The midcard was a bit dull, but the titular match was sure to liven things up. Fans waited for uber-babyface Daniel Bryan to enter… and waited… and waited. The result: permanent goody Rey Mysterio got booed as the #30 entrant for the crime of Not Being Daniel Bryan.
2014’s Rumble is a fun car crash watch, but at least we had that dynamite opener to remember.