5 Opening WrestleMania Matches That Ruled (And 5 That Sucked)

5 That Ruled...

5. The Rockers Vs. Barbarian & Haku - WrestleMania VII

Leave it to those bundles of endless energy, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels, to kick off WrestleMania in style! The Rockers had hit something of a glass ceiling at this point (being held in place by the mega-popular Road Warriors), but they could still be counted on to deliver one hell of a match, even if their upward momentum was limited. Their opponents here, Haku and Barbarian (wearing some very silly ring gear indeed) were not exactly known for contesting barnstorming classics or anything, but they certainly pulled their not inconsiderable weight here. This was a typical speed versus power match, with The Rockers trying all their flips and tricks, only to constantly be cut down by the brute force of their larger opponents. Eventually, Marty got the hot tag to Shawn and it was house-cleaning time. After a very good finishing sequence full of sunset flips and dropkicks and all that fiery babyface good stuff, Michaels got the surprise pin on Haku with a crossbody off the top, much to the delight of the frenzied crowd. Nothing world-changing or anything like that, but a solid and very fun ten minutes with a popular result. Just what you want in an opener, really.