Its time to write the epitaph on 2015 for WWE, and that means its time to ask: How should 2015 be remembered? Will fans and critics look back fondly on all the memorable moments, or will they slap their foreheads and collectively groan at all the various problems WWE encountered both unplanned and self-generated? Theres no sugar-coating it: Even the most diehard wrestling fan has to be disappointed in the past year. If youre still wearing rose-colored glasses and think everything is fantastic in WWE, then you either are a true Bo-liever who channels New Days power of positivity, or youre using the good stuff. Dont be mistaken, there have been some positive moments throughout the year, and the roster is talented enough when healthy to deliver a solid product that can entertain. There are several things WWE can do to right the ship and have a successful 2016, but we wont focus on those items today (several writers have tackled this subject repeatedly). There are plenty of moments that stood out during the past year, some wed love to relive and others wed just as soon forget. But regardless, they all weave together to form the tapestry of 2015. So what had its WrestleMania moment in the sun, and what got unceremoniously banished to the PPV kickoff show? Lets get to it
Downs...
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22. The Goat Of The Year
Few negative moments are bigger downers than the story of Daniel Bryan, who rose to the mountaintop of WWE in 2013-14, only to be knocked down by injury. Then, just when it looked like he would make a comeback, his return was scuttled just months into his run. Bryan had been shelved since May 2014, but he returned to action just ahead of the 2015 Royal Rumble and entered the match. It seemed like the storybook tale from 2013 was going to play out again. And then it didnt. WWE booked uber-fan favorite Bryan to enter the Rumble in Philadelphia, no less and then have him get eliminated midway through the match and have Roman Reigns win. Bryans mere presence in the match was enough to overshadow everything else that happened. Unless Bryan won the Rumble, fans were going to crap all over it, and they did. Bryan then challenged Reigns for the #1 contenders spot at Fastlane, giving fans another glimmer of hope. That hope was then ripped away when Roman won the match. D-Bry got the consolation prize of competing in the Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania, and while he won that bout, fans couldnt help but feel that it was a poor substitute for the title he never lost.Bryans injury that forced him to surrender the IC title this spring was the latest chapter in a confusing and disappointing 2015 for the goat-faced warrior. Now, his in-ring career appears to be in jeopardy, which would be a sad ending to promising career.