33 WWE WrestleMania Opening Matches Ranked From Worst To Best

13. Shawn Michaels Vs. Tatanka - WrestleMania IX

Triple H Daniel Bryan WrestleMania XXX
WWE.com

Far too long both in itself and as an opening match, at 18:13, Michaels Vs. Tatanka was nonetheless really good when it was good, as an eye-raking Michaels slowly learned the minutiae of the heel game while mastering also his luggage-handling side gig. The intriguing dynamic - both men were in the midst of the big push on opposite ends of the babyface/heel spectrum - helped the crowd buy into the attraction as a high-stakes affair.

But that dynamic ruined the finish; a match of such epic duration demanded a conclusive result, and the cheap count-out Tatanka win only served to magnify the pointlessness of it all.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!