10 REALLY Long WWE Title Reigns That Didn’t Work
3. Sheamus - World Heavyweight Champion (210 Days)
Sheamus may have experienced an 'Irish Curse' the moment he won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII in just 18 infamous seconds.
His victory over Daniel Bryan inadvertently poured gas on a gently-simmering 'YES! Movement', and the flames blew directly back in his face. Despite strictly occasional strong performances in defences throughout 2012, 'The Celtic Warrior' never shook off a smattering of boos that stuck around long enough to guide his heel turn upon a 2014 return from injury.
Whilst CM Punk gamely tried to make some history under the looming shadow of John Cena with his WWE Championship, Sheamus seemed so morbidly content boring audiences with indifferent efforts against Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler and any other midcarder the company could laughably reframe as a headline attraction.
Sheamus was no more a 'top guy' then than he is today, despite the tacit implication by virtue of his title. A strap surrender to The Big Show of all people still felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the dull and dingy fog his stint had crafted around the prize.