10 Most Overrated WWE WrestleMania Moments
8. Daniel Bryan's 18 Second Loss - WrestleMania XXVIII
Lost amid the retrospective importance of Sheamus' pyrrhic WrestleMania XXVIII World Heavyweight Title win is how much of an adverse impact it had on the rest of the card.
When Sheamus Brogue Kicked Daniel Bryan into onscreen oblivion and real-life superstardom, the initial shock pop wore off. The widespread resentment bled into the rest of the card. Kane Vs. Randy Orton, hardly an appealing proposition in itself, was ruined by protracted chants of "Daniel Bryan!" Cody Rhodes Vs. Big Show wouldn't have fared much better, but the depressing gut-punch tainted the undercard entirely.
Yes, it launched Daniel Bryan into the stratosphere. Yes, the real-life underdog narrative may not have unspooled as it did without it. But there's something troubling about the yarn WWE and some of its so-called Universe have attempted to spin in ensuing years, as if that loss and the commentary burial he was subjected to upon his 2010 debut were part of some postmodern masterplan to generate sympathy on his behalf.
That wasn't the case. It's difficult to even credit WWE with acknowledging what should be remembered as an error, given that the company was content to reset his push in favour of Batista two years later.