10 Weirdest WrestleMania Openers In History

10. JBL vs. Finlay (WrestleMania XXIV)

Right off the bat, it's important to note that JBL vs. Finlay ended up being a pretty decent watch, but it could have been match of the year and fans would have still been scratching their heads about why it was jerking the curtain at 'Mania XXIV. The previous year, WrestleMania 23 had started off with the 'Money In The Bank' Ladder Match, a stunt-filled showcase that had even fans in the bleachers excited. Given that the Money In Bank bout went out second at 'Mania XXIV, it's pretty baffling why WWE didn't simply try to repeat the magic of the previous year, but maybe they were interested in trying something a little different. After all, JBL had previously been feuding with a returning Chris Jericho, but that rivalry had tanked, so at least the Finlay vs. Bradshaw affair was relatively fresh. In essence, it seems like WWE just encouraged these two guys to go out and beat the hell out of one another, something they achieved despite only being given less than 10 minutes ring time.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.