5 best opening matches in WrestleMania history

#5 AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon (Wrestlemania 33)

Truly A Phenomenal way to start Wrestlemania.

AJ Styles was easily the hottest act in WWE in 2016. Walking into Royal Rumble 2017 as the WWE Champion, Styles wrestled a fantabulous match against John Cena, albeit in a losing cause. With WrestleMania season fast approaching and AJ losing his #1 contendership to Randy Orton, AJ was without a match at the Grand Spectacle. Blaming Shane McMahon for his situation, Styles attacked McMahon backstage, driving his skull through the window of a car and igniting a feud with 'The Boy Wonder'. With no stipulation added to their match at WrestleMania, no one expected the match to be a success but both the participants surprised everyone with a clinical masterpiece. Opening the 33rd edition of Wrestlemania in Orlando, Styles vs McMahon was a splendid contest full of drama.

With a vocal crowd cheering on, the match started off as a grappling contest, with both the competitors trying to keep the other down on the mat. The pace picked up with Styles gaining the upper hand and Shane later getting some offense with his surprising smooth ring work. A memorable sequence saw Shane reverse a Calf Crusher first into a rear naked choke and then an armbar. Styles' 450 splash was reversed into a triangle choke but he countered it with a Styles Clash for a close call.

With the referee knocked down, Styles brought a trash can and tried a Coast to Coast on Shane, who knocked Styles out with the can before hitting one of his own for a close call. A failed 'Leap of Faith' saw Shane crashing through the announce table. Styles attempt for a phenomenal forearm was countered with a DDT. With the crowd on its feet, McMahon hit a Shooting Star Press on Styles in the moment of the match but crashed on the floor. Styles capitalized and hit McMahon with a Phenomenal Forearm to win this "phenomenal match". The match drained the crowd so badly that it ended up affecting the subsequent clashes.