10 WrestleMania Openers Better Than The Main Event
9. Rob Van Dam Vs. William Regal ('Mania X8)
Going into WrestleMania X8, a lot of fans cared only about one match. Returning alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall as the dastardly nWo, Hulk Hogan was nonetheless treated like a God by WWF fans. People were excited to see Hogan after a near decade-long absence from the company.
This created quite the dilemma for Vince McMahon, who stuck to his guns and stated that the WWF Heavyweight Title match simply had to headline the show. Despite a lacklustre build to their bout, Chris Jericho defended the Undisputed Title opposite Triple H in the main event slot.
Needless to say, 'The Game' and YJ2 struggled to follow what the spectacle of The Rock versus Hulk Hogan. In the eyes of many, that was the true main event, but Triple H vs. Jericho wasn't even a great match.
In fact, Rob Van Dam's capture of the WWF Intercontinental Title from William Regal in the opener was better. Fans were delighted to see RVD win, and both he and Regal contested a match which must be considered underrated.
There was a better dynamic here than there was in the main event, that's for sure.