10 Most Infamous Matches In Wrestling History

4. Daniel Bryan Vs. Sheamus - WWE WrestleMania XXVIII

Chamber Of Horrors
WWE.com

Daniel Bryan was incredibly over in late 2011/early 2012. His self-congratulatory chants of "Yes! Yes! Yes!", borrowed from UFC fighter Diego Sanchez's pre-fight pysch-up routine, were a hit of audience interaction and character development. They captured perfectly his oblivious chancer persona.

None of that mattered. He might have gotten himself over, but he wasn't the man WWE wanted to get over. WWE's tone deaf way of doing that was to depict Sheamus as a chancer, by having him Brogue Kick Bryan when he was distracted by valet AJ Lee's kiss at WrestleMania XXVIII. The sham was meant to create a 'Mania moment, to get Sheamus' finish over, but it backfired spectacularly. WWE achieved the exact opposite of what was intended.

Bryan emerged with even more fierce crowd support, whereas Sheamus struggled to live up to his top face billing. That he was booked as a bully and an opportunist did not help his cause. It exists in hindsight as the most fitting symbol of the company's detachment from the wants of its audience. It's ironic; the match was meant to elevate Sheamus, but it stigmatised him forever. He is known as the man who did not deserve what was handed to him too quickly. That perception exists to this day.

What's even more ironic is that Sheamus doesn't deserve that. He's a talented, consistent and very credible performer - albeit a victim of circumstance.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!