10 Worst WWE WrestleMania Opening Matches Ever

3. Tito Santana Vs. The Executioner (WrestleMania)

Tito Santana The Executioner
WWE.com

Listen to WWE hyperbole and you'll hear that the original WrestleMania created the blueprint for the pop-culture thrill ride we see today. Watch it on the WWE Network and you'll learn that it took the company some time to get going. Standards were very different back in 1985.

Imagine if WWE opened up 'Mania 34 with Finn Bálor vs. Kalisto, gave them four minutes of ring time and then pretended it was special. That's along the lines of what they did in '85 with Tito Santana and the masked Executioner.

At least Kalisto has always worn a mask. Buddy Rose, the man underneath the red hood here, was playing a one-off gimmick.

The first WrestleMania was laced with short, uninspiring matches like this one. It wouldn't be until 'Mania III that fans witnessed an opener (The Can-Am Connection vs. Bob Orton & The Magnificent Muraco) that, whilst also short, had some decent action.

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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.