The Executioner vs. Tito Santana

[2.0] "I didn't enjoy this match. For a Wrestlemania opener (granted, it's the first ever one) I expected a lot more. The in-ring action itself isn't awful, I just wasn't not into it at all. The match being so short doesn't help with that either."

[5.0] "Good match for what It was and how the event was, it's the first match in the history of WrestleMania, and even though this event was just a glorified House Show, this one actually wasn't bad at all, for being less than 5 minutes, it's okay for a 5/10 [***1/4]"

[3.0] "Decent enough for WWF 80s standards, but still very short and uninteresting for it to be anything special."

[5.0] "this match is uhh the first mania match i guess.....thats all i can really say about it, it isnt anythign special."

[7.0] "For this being the first WrestleMania match it's not bad. It's very quick paced which I like Santana and The Excutioner worked really well with each other in this match. The only problem I have in this match is that nothing really happens (Except for maybe Tito dropping Excutioner out of the ring onto a chair), but other than that not a bad match at all."

[2.0] ""Figure Four! He's Got it." ~ Gorilla Monsoon. This was a fun little opener and the crowd seemed to enjoy. You have to give it at least 1 star for historical purposes alone. I would have gone with Valentine vs Tito to open the show for the Intercontinental Championship. Spot of the Match Tito kicking the Executioner over the top right into a chair."

[4.0] "Well, honestly, it's no big deal. Yes, Tito Santana is clearly the better of the two, but this match is just mediocre. [**]"

"Good match by Tito. He was definitely a loved face at the time. The Executioner gimmick was Vince's idea for sure."

[5.0] "Obviously I'm judging for the time with these Mania matches, in 2025 this would be a 2 but Tito Santana looked strong and the match was well put together. The Executioner was a horrendous gimmick my word"

[5.0] "Good Showcase for Tito Santana. It was good for being under 5 minutes. Executioner sold really well. Rating: **1/2"

[4.0] "Huh? A match less than 4 minutes long gets a review? Well, it's the first match in WrestleMania history so that is enough reason for it to qualify. Not a blockbuster even for it's era. Perfectly acceptable mid tier match between Tito Santana Who is still feuding with Greg The Hammer Valentine after losing the IC title which he would win back a few months later. The Executioner as most people know was Playboy Buddy Rose under a mask and they even had him add some tape to his boots to cover up his initials. Exy gets some token offense but this is almost all Santana."

[6.0] "Executioner is from the ole "Parts Unknown"! He gets ok heat on announcement. Don't know why Buddy Rose is under a mask though. Tito looks good in his red robe as he gets a great pop on announcement. Both men run the ropes perpendicular to each other to start, and eventually Tito backdrops Executioner. Looked good. BIG dropkick from Tito that looked fantastic, is he known as one of the greats of the dropkick because that looked fantastic. Executioner going to the floor he hits the camera on the way out. And yeah, people talking about the increased production values does translate even to the camera angles. It just feels so much better. Jesse compares Wrestlemania to Woodstock, not sure this show is _quiet_ as star studded but sure. Executioner gets back in the ring and they lock up, Tito manages to make switching into a headlock look exciting. I really like him as a performer, in ring charisma for sure even if he isn't a great promo. Tito pulls the headlock'd Executioner over to the corner and uses the ringpost to walk up and take him down. Executioner almost gets pinned by a side headlock and Gorilla says that's the closest he's ever see to that happening. After Executioner breaks out of the headlock Tito hits him with some punches and Executioner sells them pretty well. Executioner takes control for a bit, hits Tito with a headbut and then a whip into a knee to the gut and then a stomp to the gut. He's ok but Tito is the real performer here. Executioner tries to go for a figure four, doesn't work out, goes for a more regular leglock, commentary puts over that this was his strategy going for the leg. But Tito reverses that into a brief rollup attempt. Tito rallies now and hits Executioner with some more good looking strikes. Crowd really eats up the comeback they love Tito. Tito sets up what appears to be a piledriver attempt but Executioner powers out and throws him up over the top of his head. Executioner bodyslam (nothing special) and then goes to the top. Tito gets to him in time though and then lifts and throws him, that looked good. Tito tries to do a splash into a cover but Executioner gets the knees up. Executioner drags Tito's leg over the the bottom rope and sits down on the leg, Gorilla points out that that's illegal and the ref isn't doing anything about that. Tito pushes Executioner through the ropes with his feet. Executioner tries to get back in and then Tito body slams him over the ropes back into the ring. Tito hits him with a great looking flying forearm and then locks in a figure four. I don't see a physical tap (was that even a thing then? ) but apparently Executioner gave up because the ref called for the bell. Bit confusing to my modern eyes but still a good, clean finish in comparison to the JCP ones I've been watching before this. Anyway wow I actually really enjoyed this? Maybe its just the contrast between this and JCP but even though it was a sub 5 minute match Tito's physical charisma and energy really carried this and Executioner didn't drag either. I'm actually going to give it a *** (3 stars) and a 6/10 which is higher than its existing average. I actually just really super enjoyed this one, so a good start to the show"

[4.0] "Why was Buddy Rose in a mask for a one-time gimmick? First thing I notice is the flimsiness of the ropes, holy hell, there are loose! Strange that Tito is in this one as he was feuding with Valentine so it would make sense that he gets the IC Title shot later on. The Executioner gets a few spots here and worked over Tito's injured leg, but this was mostly for Tito's benefit. Pretty much nothing of note but the first match in Mania history is something important, so I'll give it an extra point."

"Poor Buddy Rose gets to be in the first match of the first ever WrestleMania, but it has to be under a hood. He was one of the most expressive wrestlers of his time, so the hood really hurts his abilities as a performer. Tito is in his prime. They have the best four minute match the two could possibly have. It was among the best four minutes of in-ring work on the show, actually, even if it was only mediocre."

[3.0] "An interesting match for the historical factor. As far as wrestling goes, it was mediocre. Nothing interesting happened. Considering the standards of the time, I'd say it was acceptable, the babyface won, and the crowd enjoyed it. Both wrestlers had the potential to do better."

[5.0] "First match in WrestleMania history woohoo here we go! And its a short nothingburger. Executioner was very flimsy here but at least it worked in the sense that Santana outworked him in every sense. Love watching Santana run around the ring hitting sick dropkicks running those ropes, so not bad at all! **1/2"

[4.0] "A fairly standard opener that does the bare basics of getting the crowd warmed up. Tito Santana looks sharp -- high energy, good pacing, and connects well with the crowd. He brings urgency to a match that otherwise feels formulaic, and his performance sets the tone for what WrestleMania is aiming to be: spectacle with enough substance to keep fans engaged. The Executioner, played by Buddy Rose under a mask, doesn't bring much presence or threat. The gimmick feels dated even by 1985 standards, and there's little heat behind him. His lone strategy -- working Tito's leg -- is competent but never feels dangerous. That said, the psychology of attacking the leg does provide a neat callback to Tito's feud with Greg Valentine. When Tito reverses the script and wins using the same Figure-Four Leglock that Valentine previously used to injure him, it's a satisfying full-circle moment. This finish serves a clear purpose: it positions Tito for another run at Valentine and the Intercontinental title. It's a quiet statement of intent. For The Executioner, though, this match marks both the debut and the end. He vanishes into gimmick oblivion after this -- a forgettable presence outside of this historical footnote."

[4.0] "Perfectly acceptable opening match that puts Tito over strong. Crowd was really into Tito and a good way to start off the first Wrestlemania."

[4.0] "Good ring work from Santana, and the Executioner lagged behind slightly. The match finish wasn't as convincing, since Santana did little work on the Executioner's legs before the Figure 4 Leglock finish. The pace was decently quick and a decent curtain jerker overall. It hasn't necessarily aged as well, given that it's definitely flooded with "The heel is actually cowardly" despite the Executioner having been billed as undefeated before WrestleMania. [4/10]"

[4.0] "What you could expect from a 80s WWF match. It is the first match in Wrestlemania history and the crowd ate it up. The offense is pretty bland though with Santana winning with the Figure Four."

[5.0] "Looking a this by 80s caesura, it was a really fun opener to warm-up the crowd. Ropes weren't tied strongly enough what caused some obstacles, however it was decent."

[5.0] "Good match for what It was and how the event was, it's the first match in the history of WrestleMania, and even though this event was just a glorified House Show, this one actually wasn't bad at all, for being less than 5 minutes, it's okay for a 5/10 [***1/4]"

[5.0] "Very short for the first match of a big event. Santana was always good and its no exception in this one. Decent wrestling thats too short to be more"

[4.0] "Decent enough outing for the first Wrestlemania match, even if the winner is no surprise, Tito always delivers a good performance."

[4.0] "The first match in Wrestlemania history is well paced but also too short, and therefore ultimately nothing special and simply average (4/10)."

[4.0] "Below average match. It was a quite entertaining opener, but the match consisted with nothing that modern fans can take. But it was very good at that time, you can guess with the crowd. (**)"

[6.0] "The first match of any WrestleMania ever ! This has a good tempo, this was a good solid opner between two great workers."