Which Match Should Start WrestleMania 34?

Fans are going to be anticipating seeing Bryan in action, so if you dangle that in front of them as something to keep tuning in to see coming up soon, it will mean more when they get to see it than if that’s already pushed aside from the start.

It could also be a bit of a wacky match, with Owens and Zayn doing odd things to try to keep their jobs and Shane, well, being Shane.

Plus, do you want to start off the show with two people being fired? That comes off like a downer, even if they are the heels.

This leaves one more on the table, and it sounds sacrilegious to say the WWE Championship match should go on first, but that might be the best possible match to book for that opening slot.

Over the past few years, WrestleMania has clearly not had that opener be anything short of something important, so it isn’t like it has as much of a stigma as it used to, particularly when the card is as packed as it is.

It’s good to start off with something the fans will enjoy, as it sets the tone for the rest of the evening and at least gives the crowd hope that all is well and this will be a fun night, rather than starting with something controversial that could convince everybody to start worrying.

The WWE Championship is still the most prestigious belt, even if more attention has been given to the Universal Championship since its inception, and it’s weird to say the Royal Rumble winner’s “main event match” is the first one, but it’s still a main event—just not THE main event.

There will be plenty of time for hijinks and oddities throughout the night, but the first match should be something that is just a straight-up solid wrestling match and the only thing guaranteed to do that is Styles vs. Nakamura.

It checks off the boxes for being fun, having a title change, a babyface winning, it being important enough for people to not want to miss it, and it helps spread out the other focal points without things getting too clustered.

If this happens, there will be a temporary outcry of fans saying it’s ridiculous that this match is starting off the event and that it spits in the face of both competitors as well as the WWE Championship and the Royal Rumble, but my advice to those who feel that way is to wait until the event is over with before fully judging that call.

By the end of the night, if WWE hasn’t balanced out the rest of the matches, then it would certainly be a mistake, but if it feels like it would have gotten lost in the shuffle anywhere else or hindered another important match at the expense of itself, then it’s time to rethink what we imagine the opener for WrestleMania to be.

This is the biggest show of the year, with arguably the biggest card we’ll get in all of 2018. Every minute is precious and to be entrusted with the responsibility of opening the show and setting the mood isn’t a demotion, it’s a privilege.

Also, lastly, if you have a problem with this being the first match you see, you’re already doing yourself and the card a disservice, as you’re ignoring the three matches on the pre-show.

As the kickoff, they are the true official openers of the night and their purpose is to warm you up, so you should treat this main card opener with a sense of importance, as well as give credit where it’s due to the men and women performing on the pre-show.

By the time those matches are done, you should be clamoring for something big, and that’s where Nakamura and Styles will come in to light the fuse and get everybody fired up for the rest of the pay-per-view.