33 WWE WrestleMania Opening Matches Ranked From Worst To Best

27. Hercules Vs. King Haku - WrestleMania V

Triple H Daniel Bryan WrestleMania XXX
WWE Network

A short match that did not, at the very least, f*ck around, Haku hacked at Hercules at the opening bell before the somewhat underrated muscle man (he was streets better than the Warlord, with whom he is often lumped together) mounted his opening shine. Retrospectively Problematic 1980s Corner: Gorilla Monsoon somehow shoehorned in a Pearl Harbour reference with nary a Mr. 'Devious One' Fuji in sight. It was slow, and it was basic, but Haku's inherent strength and bad-a*sery made a 101 template in some way believable and interesting. But not really.

It was a seven minute match that included a protracted bear hug sequence.

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!