10 Best Ways Wrestlers Recovered From WWE WrestleMania Defeats

6. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan Sheamus CM Punk
WWE

Defeat: World class worker though he was (and still is), Daniel Bryan still suffered the embarrassment of losing in just 18 seconds to Sheamus as 'Mania XXVIII kicked off. There, in the opening match on the pay-per-view, Bryan kissed kayfabe ladyfriend AJ Lee and ate a big boot from his flame-haired Irish counterpart before being pinned.

Bummer.

Recovery: What's that old saying? 'Cream rises to the top'? It's certainly apt when it comes to Bryan. He used the indignity of 'Mania XXVIII as fuel and went on to prove that he was indeed one of the best to ever lace a pair of boots. DB's mid-2012 feud with CM Punk was stunning, and then he formed a hit tag-team with Kane.

Any humiliation of the Sheamus loss was wiped away by the end of the year. In spite of WWE's best efforts to ignore it, fan support also swelled and Bryan redeemed himself in the biggest way possible two years later by winning the big one at WrestleMania XXX.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.