10 Times The Opening Match Stole A WWE Show
2. WrestleMania X - Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart
The headline match of WrestleMania X was built around a convoluted, if effective, story. Lex Luger and Bret Hart each had a claim on being the next big thing. They had tied for first place in the Royal Rumble, and as such would both have a shot at champion Yokozuna’s belt. There was a coin flip involved; it got quite involved.
By contrast, Bret and Owen Hart’s opener couldn’t have been more simple: two wrestling brothers, one living in the other’s shadow, a clash to see who was better. Naturally the Harts had been wrestling one another their entire lives, and it shows: their opening match is 20 minutes of the most fluid, technically sound wrestling ever to grace WrestleMania.
No frills or gimmicks here, just a battle of wills between two of the best ever to do it. The match feels competitive and real, and while there are other highlights - a certain ladder match starring Shawn Michaels, for example - nothing ages better than this.
Bret’s moment of glory comes in the finale when he ushers in a new era by taking the strap off Yoko, but his finest work from the tenth ‘Mania is the battle of the brothers.