Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H

[9.0] "One of the best Wrestlemania openings. One of the biggest underdogs overcomes adversity to get a shot in the main event. Great work by both performers"

[9.0] "This is one of those warranted « If he loses, we riot !  » occasions. It's the final step towards a long overdue opportunity at winning back the gold that was disgracefully stolen from him. It's the man of the people standing up against the authoritarian regime, it's the oppressed workhorse going up against the opressor, the uncrowned king going toe-to-toe with the abusive tyrant in charge who screwed him over one too many times, and it might be the greatest underdog story ever told in WWE for how authentic it feels. It's the most compelling as far as I'm concerned. It goes without saying, it's a quintessential piece of storytelling. But it's also a masterfully structured match with outstanding psychology. Triple H delivers one of his finest performances ever, working on top expertly, doing some excellent work on Bryan's injured shoulder, his character work is great, Stephanie's presence outside adds some good tension as well. It's a low-key clinic really. The start with Hunter offering a handshake, Bryan kicking his hand and rolling him up is such a brilliant way to kicks things off! It's methodically paced and to the point, the crowd is locked in, Bryan kicking out of the Spinebuster + Pedigree combo is bewildering, his comeback is awesome, him getting the win is a huge relief, and Triple H being so embarrassed and attacking him post-match adds to the drama nicely. It might be an unpopular opinion, but to me, it's on par with Bret vs. Owen as the greatest opener ever. That's how good this match is. ****1/2"

[8.0] "The metaphorical value of this match is unmistakable. Triple H is the embodiment of "corporate" sports entertainment and Danielson is the indie darling who was busting his ass in armories while Hunter's reign of terror was driving WWE ratings into the basement. It's the revenge of the smarks, in more ways than one. It ultimately becomes a story of smug snake Triple H *assuming* his size advantage will make this a walk in the park ... only for the plucky Danielson to throw HHH off his game (pun, intended) with his lightning fast counter-offense and old-school technical wrestling skillz. It's a tremendously booked match with a fantastic final five minute stretch; very few matches carry an undercurrent of vindication this strong."

[8.0] "We all expected Bryan to win and that's what happened, but they sure made it close. That's what I loved about it. There was so much drama in this match. It could have headlined a WrestleMania yet here it was in the opening match. What a way to start WrestleMania. They had a really long match, which is why Hunter was able to work on him at a slow pace and then it really picked up towards the end. Hunter's offense was perfect. Bryan's tremendous at selling. That's why there was chemistry between them even though they hadn't wrestled before. They know what they're doing out there. My initial reaction was that Hunter would kick out of that running knee before getting pinned by another one, but I have no problem with it as the finish. It was an outstanding wrestling match that will be remembered as one of the best openers in WWE PPV history. Not at the level of Owen vs. Bret at WM10, but it was still awesome."

[10.0] "Amazing match, match of the night for me. HHH pulled out some unique moves which was cool. The monster promo, Triple H entrance and the actual match all deserve a 10 in my book. Arguably GOAT mania opener?"

[9.0] "Beautiful, one of the best opener in WM history. What carried every single fan int the history of this match was surely the storyline, they managed to generate an enormous quantity of hype. The crowd is hot and the wrestlers rewarded them with an hell of a performance. It's not a crazy match, there's not a crazy spot or an absurd bump, but everything is so well cured. It grew woth the passing of the time. The signatures and finishers are well placed into the flow of the match, the false finishes are few but impactful. Bryan sold the arm very well. The rest is so well done it's difficult to describe. Hero vs tyrant, classic wrestling dynamic but they played it so damn well"

[10.0] "Triple H's cut offs in this match were immaculate. Pulled the rug under from Bryan forcefully and ruthlessly."

[10.0] "About as perfect as a match can be from entrances to final bell. It had a great story and great in ring work from both guys. This is probably Triple H's best match in his career. For once the plucky underdog trope wasn't lazy."

[9.0] "The best match of the night to me, even better than the Triple Threat. One of the best possible Wrestlemania openers setting up an incredible underdog story."

[10.0] "A hot, hot storyline acts as a vehicle in enabling one of the greatest ring generals wrestle an all-timer quasi-technician in what is still considered one of the finest opening matches in wrestling history. This is perfection. Daniel Bryan's selling is on point. He's the perfect babyface in peril. He's so adored that when Triple H is dishing it out on him, the crowd goes numb. They're horrified. Triple H brings his A-game. His offense is crisp, educated, and lethal. He leaves no stone unturned in taking Daniel Bryan to the edge and breaking him. This wouldn't simply be an interlude for Daniel Bryan. This would be the end - of him, of his dream, and of his heart. For over 25 mins., Triple H and Daniel Bryan told a story of desire, survival, and triumph in one saga where the "cockroach" simply wouldn't go away. Like Michael Cole put it, this was the proletariat vs the bourgeois. This was a classy, ring general against the massy, ring technician. And, it was awesome. The stakes were off the charts here. Triple H's pedigree was at stake (no pun intended). Daniel Bryan had one moment to capture lightening in a bottle. When it was all said and done, Bryan defied Triple H's pedigree. Literally as well as spiritually. He lived the greatest night of his career. He conquered the world at 'Mania 30. He wrestled what's arguably the best match of his WWE career, and lived inarguably the biggest moment of his career. Flawless. As the cliche goes, only at WrestleMania!"

[9.0] "An excellent way to kick off the whole thing - Bryan vs. Authority was a compelling storyline and a prelude to Daniel's huge success began right here. Wow."

[8.0] "pretty good opener Trips keeps the pace slow and works on bryan , daniel plays a good underdog and a upset win over trips"

[9.0] "A really good Wrestlemania opener that had a good build and told a good story. Bryan was the underdog who would never give up and would do anything to achieve his dreams, Triple H was the evil authority figure who stood in the way of the story's hero. It's a bit slow, but it works in the story as HHH tries to take aim at an injured Bryan. The crowd was into the match, especially when Bryan tried to mount a comeback and popped for the eventual win."

[8.0] "The fact that this is the one and only time both Bryan and HHH ever been in the same ring regardless of the match type, made the story even better. Also, this, in my opinion is what I consider to be a dream match. A one and done. Only a hand full of others I could think of that fits the bill of my definition of a dream match. Similarly rare was the video package. One of the greatest video package ever. People always give mixed remarks on HHH Wrestlemania entrances, I for one loves it. Except for the bike entrances, he generally has the coolest entrance ever. This by far would be my favorite. Speaking of entrances, a sea of fans scream from the top of their lungs in unison was a sight to behold. For a man who hadn't been in the ring for a year, HHH sure was lacking ring rust. I always thought HHH selling were underrated, especially when it comes to submissions. He was so good. Both were but I was very impressed with HHH. It was as if watching a cerebral assassin plotting against an underdog. In tune with it, Steph at ring side, constantly feeding her husband with "ted talk" made was very well done. For once she was not annoying. She plays an important part in this story and match as much as the men. Fans watching this match live must have been scared and nervous even though they knew Bryan surely was winning, but there was a chance we getting screwed. Tat beat down by the heels made so much sense too. Forcing Bryan to face more obstacle going into the main event was beautifully poetic. Both HHH and Bryan are in my top 10 favorite/greatest wrestlers of all time list, so it was very happy to have this match in history. p.s. "forgetful cows""

[7.0] "A very good match that surpassed expectations. A Wrestlemania classic for a reason. Even though Triple H is past his prime here, he uses a surprising amount of wrestling holds, and adds some good submission work into his game, which he isn't usually known for. The counter wrestling is very on point here, and Triple H is really working Bryan's style of match, which make them both look better. For me, though, it was a bit too long and a bit too slow. 5 minutes could have been chopped from this easily. And I think if there were pieces with a quicker tempo, it would have built more adrenaline. While I wouldn't quite call this one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all time, it's still exceptional. One both men should be very proud of."

[9.0] "hype package was so fire i almost believed imagine dragons were a good band. after watching his mania 25 and mania 29 matches, it feels gratifying to watch a match where triple h's slow methodical style actually works for once, helps that he's nowhere near the main event this time. good story told, bryan sells to perfection, crowd are hype and Bryan actually gets a definitive win over HHH, not some cheap rollup or anything. peak opening match ****1/4"

[6.0] "It's an okay match that doesn't really kick in higher gear and goes on for way too long. Triple H controls most of the match with his offense and while it makes sense logically it's not very interesting. Match could've benefited from faster pace and lower runtime."

[9.0] "[4.25*] I know 8.91 is a pretty high rating but it still feels underrated because this match was a masterpiece. Actually, considerably better than the Main Event. They worked a true ME style, with a perfect limb-work from Triple H on Bryans left arm, doing submissions I did not even know he was capable of doing lol. Bryan sold it all perfectly as always. The match had so much drama, the progression was so great. Each time Bryan tried a comeback, HHH stopped it with a power move. My two favorites were that insane Clothesline/Lariat when Bryan went for the dropkick on the corner and that beautiful Spinebuster when he went for the Busaiku Knee. The Pedigree nearfall was excellent too and the crowd erupted when Bryan won."

[9.0] "[4.25 Stars] Everything about this match is cool, the pre-match clip is legendary, Triple H's entrance is too good, the audience behind Bryan, the In-Ring very correct and the Drama no really it's still great (****.25)"

[10.0] "A real phenomenal match between both men with phenomenal in ring action and psychology between both men and it perfectly set the stakes high for Bryan competing in the main event against Batista and Orton."

[9.0] "This is the ultimate underdog match. Daniel looks like he'll never give up and Triple H works the control really really well, pulling some moves out he never has just to keep him down, but it's not enough. Excellent work between both of them, and a firey crowd helps too."

[9.0] "This was an amazing match. Not only was it wrestled well, but it told an amazing story with Trips targeting Bryans shoulder. Bryan was able to win the match and set up the blockbuster main event later in the night."

[9.0] "One of the best WrestleMania openers of all time, and good enough to be a main event. Daniel Bryan was awesome as always, and the crowd were really behind him. Then you have Triple H pulling off maybe one of his best matches, and at this point in his career, that's a welcome surprise. He pulled out some unique stuff, like the Tiger Suplex. While you could argue it was a little too long, and it slowed down a bit in the middle, I appreciate that they made this match a big deal. And I was still engrossed, even during the slowest moments. The story was really well told, and it served as a perfect opener to Mania."

[5.0] "Daniel Bryan and the crowd are great, unfortunately Triple H is in the match. Despite what WWE has said, Triple H is not a 'cerebral Assassin' he's a boring wrestler who thinks dragging out every spot in the match makes it good. It doesn't, it just means anytime Triple H is 'in control' the match gets real boring. I assume this was more exciting in the moment, but looking back on it, it's just fine. Also the commentary team is atrocious."

[9.0] "It's not quite Owen vs. Bret, but I'd consider this match to be second place on the list of greatest opening matches in WrestleMania history. Triple H and Daniel Bryan have very complementary styles, and Bryan is such a different type of opponent for Triple H that it really gives him the opportunity to dig deep into his arsenal of offence. The match is wonderfully paced and everything feels like it's done with purpose. Daniel Bryan not only getting to kick out of the pedigree, but also putting Triple H away with only one busaiku knee makes him look like a legitimate main event player. I'm still disappointed that we didn't get to see a series of matches between these two, because they felt like such natural rivals here, but I am still very pleased that we got to see it at all given there was only such a brief window of time where it could have been possible. Exceptional match."

[5.0] "in the small minority that probably think this is a tad overrated, good opening first minutes however there is a major pacing issue in the middle that really never recovers. It does its job in terms of storytelling however I just think as a match itself it really can be quite hard to get through."

[10.0] "This was such an amazing match. The character work and psychology and pacing here was just perfect. The match starts off slow and then speeds up as it goes along and eventually hits that third gear. Bryans story of defeating the Authority here was done to perfection."

[8.0] "Yes a little slow but it does build and the pacing works. Triple H is a good heel here and it is difficult to not be behind Danielson for the win, some great spots and moves throughout and a solid Wrestlemania opener!"

[9.0] "One of the best openers of all time. A pumped-up crowd behind Bryan. Triple H as a perfect heel against an underdog supported by the people. It was great. (4*1/2)"

[9.0] "This was a fantastic opener. The crowd was red-hot, and it made for an amazing atmosphere. Both Bryan and Triple H were fantastic here. I loved Triple H's work on Bryan's arm, and him pulling out a Tiger Suplex was awesome. ****1/2"

[8.0] "The better of the two Bryan matches at this Wrestlemania, but thats not a bad thing. Triple H has become somewhat of a master in making injured wrestlers REALLY look injured. I mean, he is destroying Bryans arm this entire match. Glad we got the correct finish on this match because I loved this Mania mainly for Bryans presence, but its a great match on its own."

[10.0] "phenomenal match to start the best wrestlemania of the 2010s. Though the ending of the night is more iconic, I think this is a better match, with triple h honestly having his last truly great performance and living up to his cerebral assassin nickname. Bryan was a fantastic underdog and really sold the story well."

[7.0] "Its good, but its a bit slow, similar to all triple h matches once he became a part timer. Great opening match for a pov though"

[8.0] "We all expected Bryan to win and thats what happened, but they sure made it close. Thats what I loved about it. There was so much drama in this match. It could have headlined a WrestleMania yet here it was in the opening match. What a way to start WrestleMania. They had a really long match, which is why Hunter was able to work on him at a slow pace and then it really picked up towards the end. Hunters offense was perfect. Bryans tremendous at selling. Thats why there was chemistry between them even though they hadnt wrestled before. They know what theyre doing out there. My initial reaction was that Hunter would kick out of that running knee before getting pinned by another one, but I have no problem with it as the finish. It was an outstanding wrestling match that will be remembered as one of the best openers in WWE PPV history. Not at the level of Owen vs. Bret at WM10, but it was still awesome."

[8.0] "Second best match of the night. Triple H & Stephanie played the perfect heels while Bryan's popularity in 2013-14 was unmatched. Slow in parts, but overall very good."

[9.0] "A great opener and Mania match devoid of finisher kickouts and the like. Just a great bout where Triple H showed a side of him that had been missing in his Mania performances."

[8.0] "Proper old-school match and probably the last truly great one in Triple H's career, owing to a phenomenal opponent who was riding a red hot wave of momentum, great psychology and selling from both men, and a match structure that wasn't over-indulgent or complicated and played to both men's strengths perfectly. HHH is as good as the brutal heel as Bryan is as the gutsy babyface, and he sells his overconfidence perfectly, every comeback from Bryan shaking his certainty of victory. The nearfall on the pedigree is great and the crowd buys into it completely, as they do the whole match. Really great stuff, even if I am biased as an eternal Bryan fanboy."

[7.0] "This match was good but I felt like it was really slow most of the time. The pacing made it so that Triple H dominated most of the match and while it makes sense thematically it doesn't make it that entertaining. Bryan only gets a few select moments to comeback when I feel like the match could have used more daniel bryan to put it simply"

[9.0] "At the start of the match Triple H offers a handshake and Bryan declines it and instead decides to kick him and hits him with a surprise rollup setting the tone for this match. Triple H thinking he's the best technical wrestler in the world actually worked wonders here with how good his work on Bryan's injured arm was here. There was compelling back and forth action between the two up until Triple H slammed Bryan's arm viciously into the announcer's table. Bryan's comeback spots all match long after this, and Triple H's arm work were really good from here on out, especially Triple H with the suplex onto the side of the ring and crossface use. Bryan kicking out of the Pedigree was a generally great moment. Bryan's selling all match long was fantastic, both of these two had fantastic performances****3/4"

[9.0] "What a great moment this win at WrestleMania was for Daniel Bryan, it was the beginning of what was to come, many may not have wanted it, but I personally loved the way this story was told until Bryan was finally crowned."

[9.0] "Bryan had a taped-up shoulder as part of a storyline heading into the show, and that played a huge factor in the match. Trips offered a handshake to start, just to be a jerk, but Bryan kicked it away and immediately overwhelmed him in return. Excellent start to the match. Hunter's work on DB's shoulder was downright nasty - snapping it into the announce desk, the apron hammerlock slam, and that damn Tiger Suplex. Using Bryan's crossface against him was also a great heel move on his part. Bryan sold and bumped like a god, extremely laser-focused on every detail. Stephanie, to her credit, was terrific as the evil cheerleader at ringside, putting DB in peril even more as the match went on. Following an unbelievable Pedigree kick-out, Bryan made one last comeback that culminated in a Running Knee to a huge ovation from the New Orleans crowd. A true WrestleMania classic, and the second-best WM opener ever, only behind Bret/Owen at X. [****1/2]"

[10.0] "God I can watch this match all day. The Authority storyline was, a bit rough, but still perfect and Bryan getting the big win is what cemented it."

[10.0] "Awesome match between Daniel Bryan and Triple H which is really a symbol of perfection as everything that surrounded this match was a real success and exactly what it was supposed to be, whether it was the video package with the famous "Monster" song, whether it was the incredible entrances and of course this unreal atmosphere in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that night in front of more than seventy thousand spectators which was a major boost for the success of this opener. I think it's a match who's not mentioned enough when we talk about the best openers in WrestleMania history and yet I have a hard time remembering one as interesting as this one except Owen vs Bret. You had a storyline written for a few months, a perfect heel in the person of Triple H who wants to put obstacles in the wheels of Bryan who's in the middle of his quest to get the world title he never really lost and who has an absolutely surreal connection with the crowd. The irony is that this wasn't even the end of the story as it was just the last step before Bryan got his titleshot, before that he had to beat HHH and he did. A long & absolutely tremendous opening match between these two guys who played their roles wonderfully, terrific action with believable suspense and a crowd that was on its feet for twenty-five minutes, even when Triple H dominated in a basic way. Bryan's kicking out of the Pedigree was an incredible moment, the crowd losed their minds for that nearfall. Bryan was so over with them that Vince decided to put his famous stereotypes aside and push him to the moon, winning in a totally clean way against one of the biggest superstars in the history of this company here as it should be."

[7.0] "I think the rating for this match suffers from a bit of recency bias as people were so happy at the time to see DB get into the main event. It's an ok match."

[9.0] "One of my favorite if not absolute favorite matches of all time, fantastic storytelling is how I would describe it. The huge lead up rivalry building up to this Wrestlemania of underdog Bryan versus Triple H and the story of the authority holding him down would be further told in this match between Triple H dominating Bryan, trying to destroy his arm and Bryans never give in determination during this match. A good technical match you would not expect someone like Triple H to have with Bryan. You had limb targeting, submissions and suplexes both pulled during this match, which is one of my main favorite things about it as well, Triple H cross faces Bryan also pulling out an unexpected tiger suplex that looked brutal. Bryan then eventually gave Triple double connected German suplexes during this match which is a part I feel like gets overlooked by the tiger suplex, maybe tbf because its unsurprising for a technical wrestler like Bryan to be pulling out those kinds of moves. Another thing I like about this match is Bryans reversals, one particular reversal that stands out for me is when Triple H is going for the pedigree and Bryan flips him over on his back is a highlight. The only issue I had with this match is the fact it felt like it ended too shortly/early which is the only reason why it did not get a 10 from me, otherwise I like this match a whole lot better than the Triple threat and I thought it was a better match as well. Triple H and Bryan, especially Triple H here made every move look like it hurt, great storytelling, great psychology and great moves."

[10.0] "Triple H's NWA Champion cosplay wrestling style worked wonders for this match, keeping Bryan down with crossfaces and chickenwings in an effort to further damage his bad arm. Bryan bumps like a madman here, that Tiger Suplex spot had me wincing. We are used to seeing the big stars like Undertaker and Shawn Michaels kick out of a Pedigree, but seeing a guy like Bryan getting a second wind felt shocking. After managing to fight out of every attempt of a second Pedigree, Bryan uses his own momentum from countering Triple H's backdrop to perfectly set himself up to nail his big knee to get the win. This was an emotional rollercoaster packed with the physicality of a 90's AJPW match."

[9.0] "This was a truly fantastic match that just oozed with intensity. For me what elevates it to 9/10 status is just how vicious HHH was, I was really sold on the idea that he wanted to put Daniel Bryan directly into the dirt; that release tiger suplex was especially brutal looking in particular. Bryan's work as always was superb and his comebacks felt all the more impactful due to just how ruthlessly HHH was beating him into the ground, it truly made Bryan seem invincible. Just fantastic work from an established legend and a supremely talented up and comer whom both played their rolls to perfection."

[8.0] "Triple H's last great singles match in his career, assisted by the most complete wrestler in all WWE at that point as his opponent. This is one of the few times that he really plays to that moniker of "Cerebral Assassin", relentlessly assaulting Bryan's arm with an array of moves you'd never expect to see from him. The Tiger Suplex, Crossface Chickenwing and even holding onto the Double Underhook after a pinning predicament is far more in line with Bryan's past work than Hunter's NWA champion cosplay. It also doesn't overdo the drama like plenty of his other big PPV matches from around that time, which is for the best. You don't have 30+ minutes to waste in the opener when everyone already knows what the result will be. What we got was something more palatable, more focused and quite effective in exemplifying their individual roles: HHH as an arrogant heel you love to hate, and Bryan the white-hot babyface that will not be denied. ****"

[8.0] "Pretty great match with an excellent story. Loved the video package and the entrances. The start of the match with HHH acting like a prick with that handshake was awesome. The focus of this match was HHH's work over Bryan's injured arm. Some brutal looking stuff like the announce table spot, and i loved the Tiger Suplex as well. Bryan's gave a fantastic babyface performance and sold very well like he usually does. Perfect opener and set up the main event perfectly. ****"

[8.0] "Good match. Adequate hype and great storyline made it exciting even before it starts. The match itself contains some high spots and Bryan carried the technical part very well. And the crowd is incredible. (****1/2)"