What do you think of World title matches as opening matches

[ChitownKnight]

I remember the first time it really happened (during my fandom atleast) with Edge vs Del Rio at Mania 27. At the time everyone was shocked and not in a good way. Last year when Drew and Lashley opened, it was more accepted, and same with the Bryan/Hangman matches. What changed?

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

I think there's been a more concerted effort by the talent to explain to fans and others that like...the opening bout is just as important as the main event. I think that's been the biggest change, TBH.

[chazraps]

It makes sense in two situations:

1)to properly pace a longer show when it's co-main eventing with something of at least the same magnitude as the world title.

2) It's on television in a situation where you would want as many eyes as possible, so either the start of a prime time special or the opener of a episode that's on at a later time than usual for whatever reason.

[tafkaga]

I enjoyed when they did this on SNME.

[Lance Uppercut]

I think aew likes to do it because their time limit rules and tv time remaining rule kind of spoils how long the match is going to be if it’s the last one

[Cvslfc123]

WrestleMania 35 opening with Seth beating Lesnar was wonderful.

[Bo Rida]

Feb 8, 2022 13:30:14 GMT -5 Lance Uppercut said:

I think aew likes to do it because their time limit rules and tv time remaining rule kind of spoils how long the match is going to be if it’s the last one

Yep that's the main benefit. Especially for Hangman Vs Bryan 2 as that could have finished anytime.

Also prevents running out of time which somehow WM has suffered from despite being so long and in aew led to the notorious Suzuki incident.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

I'm fine with it under the right circumstances. WrestleMania 35, once they announced the triple threat for the Women's titles was main eventing, it made total sense to have on of the World Title matches open. And Brock/Seth was a good choice, because it got things off to a roaring start. Lashley/Drew was also a good opener, since Bianca and Sasha were closing the first night. If you're not going on last, you want to go on first. Most eyes on the match and best chance to catch the crowd when their wide awake. That's why AJ/Nakamura bombed (apart from them deciding not to strap up Nakamura...), because by the time it happened, everyone was exhausted. I fell asleep and missed most of it lol

In AEW, they've only done it so far for Hangman/Danielson, which makes sense for the story they were telling with those matches.

[chazraps]

Feb 8, 2022 12:13:10 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

I remember the first time it really happened (during my fandom atleast) with Edge vs Del Rio at Mania 27. At the time everyone was shocked and not in a good way.

I will say that some context is missing here. Edge vs Del Rio for the World Title - the big gold belt most synonymous with WCW, was opening the card in Atlanta - WCW's home base - on the 10th anniversary of WCW being purchased. So, a lot of the shock thought it was a legitimate choice to be mean-spirited about WCW's legacy at that particular moment, not just that the world title had opened the show.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Feb 8, 2022 12:13:10 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

I remember the first time it really happened (during my fandom atleast) with Edge vs Del Rio at Mania 27. At the time everyone was shocked and not in a good way. Last year when Drew and Lashley opened, it was more accepted, and same with the Bryan/Hangman matches. What changed?

Roman and Seth was the first match at the rumble as well.

[fw91]

I still don't like them. I like my shows to build up to the important stuff. It makes you appreciate the undercard and not feel burnt out imo.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

It works well when you have a reason for something else to main event a show.

Take for example, Limitless Wrestling just aired a show where Ace Romero came out and demanded that he get his title match to start the evening because he didn't want to wait any longer for his match. The match ended in a no-contest to set up a rematch at the next show. This decision to use a draw finish as a storytelling device made sense consdering they weren't ending the show on that note. What did they end the show on? Charles Mason vs. Gnarls Garvin in a Dog Collar match based on a blood feud where Mason taunted Big Beef over the death of his childhood pet dog, stealing the only photograph Beef had of Yoshi and burning it, and going through the trouble of stealing Yoshi's collar.

By running the Dog Collar match last, no one has to go through the trouble of following a brutal Dog Collar match based on a blood feud, and they have the luxury of not needing the title match to end with a decisive finish.

[Aceorton]

With PPVs (excuse me, "premium live events"), if you have one world title, then the world title match should not open the show.

If you have four (WWE, Universal, Raw Women's, Smackdown Women's), then sure. Go nuts. You almost have to do one right out of the gate in order to avoid bunching them up later in the show and burning out the audience (which often still happens anyway).

[RKTaker]

Feb 9, 2022 19:45:52 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

It works well when you have a reason for something else to main event a show.

Take for example, Limitless Wrestling just aired a show where Ace Romero came out and demanded that he get his title match to start the evening because he didn't want to wait any longer for his match. The match ended in a no-contest to set up a rematch at the next show. This decision to use a draw finish as a storytelling device made sense consdering they weren't ending the show on that note. What did they end the show on? Charles Mason vs. Gnarls Garvin in a Dog Collar match based on a blood feud where Mason taunted Big Beef over the death of his childhood pet dog, stealing the only photograph Beef had of Yoshi and burning it, and going through the trouble of stealing Yoshi's collar.

By running the Dog Collar match last, no one has to go through the trouble of following a brutal Dog Collar match based on a blood feud, and they have the luxury of not needing the title match to end with a decisive finish.

i am literally watching that Limitless event right now

[One-Armed Drummer of Defrebel]

All depends honestly. Like all the recent examples of it have been great but the Edge/Del Rio one was at a point where WWE fans were still kinda conditioned to expect something super whatever to open up the show (as I've super realized lately going on Network binges), so it wasn't rly a good look on a world title match at all to be in that spot. Also it was a very whatever feud in a very whatever match in a very whatever spot on the card so it was kinda the perfect storm of Whatever. 

[Cyno]

I don't like to make a habit out of it, but it's an interesting booking tool in moderation.

[Chiral]

I think it works for major Wrestlemania caliber PPVs as well as TV episodes, but feels weird on say like No Mercy 2016 where they put the world title match first because of the presidential debate then closed on a boring ass Bray vs. Orton match.

In general it's not a trend I mind especially on stacked cards, sometimes it's best to have the heavy hitters at the start, middle, and close rather than have them all at the end which can burn a crowd out.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

In WWE's case, it is often a consequence of having multiple world titles

[Mid-Carder]

Feb 8, 2022 12:37:15 GMT -5 Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story said:

I think there's been a more concerted effort by the talent to explain to fans and others that like...the opening bout is just as important as the main event. I think that's been the biggest change, TBH.

This is definitely true in "real life" and is an important match, but in kayfabe it's definitely not

[Mozenrath]

There is a time and place for it, especially shows like the Royal Rumble, where the Rumble match is going to be the most important match that night. It just kind of depends, I guess.