5 best opening matches in WrestleMania history

#2 Triple H vs Daniel Bryan (Wrestlemania XXX)

The match was all about respect..... and a World Title Shot.

In 2014, no rivalry in WWE was more heated and personal than Daniel Bryan and Triple H's. Ever since Bryan's WWE Title victory at SummerSlam 2013, the villainous Authority, consisting of HHH, Stephanie, and Randy Orton, was a thorn in Bryan's success, constantly screwing Bryan during his World Title matches. After fans rejected the Rumble winner Batista, Daniel Bryan hijacked Raw to not only get a match with HHH at WrestleMania but with a condition that if he wins he is added to the main event as well. When the situation between Orton and Batista got out of hands, HHH changed the WrestleMania main event to a Triple Threat with the winner of Bryan vs HHH as the third participant, automatically raising the stakes of this already hot match.

The crowd was red hot for Daniel Bryan, who had his ribs all taped up. Triple H tried to make peace in the beginning, but Bryan refused and attacked him. Bryan controlled the early going of the match, hitting HHH with kicks and jabs before hitting a rolling senton outside the ring. HHH retaliated by targeting Bryan's arm, including smashing his arm on the announce table. For a better part of the next 10 minutes, Bryan's arm was the prime target as HHH backdropped Bryan on the edge of the ring apron before locking him in a crossface chicken wing and a crippler crossface.

With the crowd cheering him on, Bryan fought back with a running forearm smash. Two german suplexes resulted in two close calls but HHH reversed it into his own version of a suplex. Bryan gained some momentum with a sunset flip powerbomb, but a power lariat knocked him down. Bryan reversed a crossface into one of his own, but HHH managed to break the hold. Bryan's suicide dive, dropkick and Yes! kicks were countered with a pedigree, but he managed to kick out. HHH tried to hit another pedigree, but Bryan reversed it to hit the running knee before pinning HHH to win a classic match. With the crowd in New Orleans chanting YES!, Bryan booked a ticket to the main event of the night.