50 Ups & 50 Downs For WWE's Decade: The 2010s
34. 18 Seconds
When a World Title match between champion Daniel Bryan and Royal Rumble winner Sheamus was announced for WrestleMania XXVIII, it was thought as much to be an atonement for some poor treatment the pair were given on the pre-show the prior year. Having had their United States title clash dumped to the dark match slot (and then converted to a battle royal won by the Great Khali half way through) in 2010, the rematch a year later looked to vindicate their pair for the previous mistreatment.
Fans knew it, and thus uttered their incredulous indignation when, after just 18 seconds, Bryan had been defeated. Part of a bigger storyline involving the crumbling relationship between Bryan and AJ Lee, it served merely as a backdrop to their inevitable collapse. Overbearing douchebag boyfriend Bryan demanded a kiss, then had his lights knocked out with a Brogue Kick.
The sentiment from the "Yes" chants that followed birthed an entire moment and the match itself can now be viewed through that. On the night at least though, the anger and fury was very, very real.