10 Weirdest WrestleMania Openers In History

5. 20-Man Battle Royal (WrestleMania IV)

The idea behind opening a show with a big multi-man match is sound - the chaotic nature of Battle Royal-type bouts makes them seemingly tailor-made to set the tone for any show. On one level, the madness is well-suited, and another argument for such matches is that the promotion can give everyone a spot on the show. Sadly, WrestleMania IV was not the kind of event which suited the inclusion of a Battle Royal, certainly not right at the beginning. Bret Hart was double-crossed by Bad News Brown at the end of the match, which whizzed by in only 10 minutes or so, unbelievably making it the second longest bout on the card, behind Demolition defeating Strike Force in tag action. As if things weren't baffling enough, the trophy afforded to the winner looked ramshackle at best, and hardly fitting of WrestleMania. Maybe sticking the Battle Royal in the middle of the card, to break up the monotonous 14-man WWF Championship Tournament, would have been better. Bored senseless by a series of short, unfulfilling matches, the audience didn't really take to 'Mania IV, at least not until Randy Savage bagged the belt at the end.