10 WrestleMania Openers Better Than The Main Event
6. 7-Man Intercontinental Title Ladder Match ('Mania 31)
Absolutely everybody involved in this particular Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Title looked like they had something to prove.
Wade Barrett went into the match as the reigning champion, and he was challenged by six other men hungry for recognition. Joining Barrett were Stardust, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, R-Truth and Daniel Bryan.
Everyone seemed motivated to put on a show and open WrestleMania 31 in spirited fashion. Admittedly, the Ladder-based stipulation allowed them much more freedom than Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns had in the main event spot.
But fans were noticeably frosty towards Reigns, questioning his validity as a participant in the show's featured bout.
Notable spots in the ladder car-wreck included a Dean Ambrose dive from the top of the ladder, as well as a nasty looking Powerbomb to the same man from the inside of the ring to the outside of it by Luke Harper. Ambrose crashed right through a ladder that had been bridged between the apron and the ringside barrier, and it looked awesome.
Reigns and Lesnar tried, but they were more limited in their main event. It trundled along a little at times, before Seth Rollins cashed-in his Money In The Bank briefcase to win the WWE Title. The ending was exciting, true, but the meat of the match wasn't quite up to the standards set by the seven midcarders in the show's opening bout.