2. Daniel Bryan
At Wrestlemania 28, Daniel Bryan was defeated by one swift Brogue Kick from Sheamus, being pinned within 18 seconds and losing his World Heavyweight Title. The move was intended to establish Sheamus, but instead Bryan's humiliation created a stunning wave of support and hype for the submission wrestler. That night and the following night on Raw, the Miami crowd went nuts for Daniel Bryan. He had been chanting 'Yes!' for weeks beforehand, but suddenly the WWE Universe took up the call with him. It was suddenly everywhere - even when Alberto del Rio was in the ring, the crowd was chanting "Si! Si! Si!" To this day, Bryan is still one of the most over superstars on the WWE roster. The pop when he steps out is as vocal as ever, and people love to chant a simple yes or no with the bearded one. The past year has seen Bryan engaged in a IWC-pleasing feud with CM Punk for the WWE Title, a lengthy storyline with AJ Lee which helped to boost both of their profiles, and a tag title championship reign with Kane. The last storyline in particular has served to showcase Bryan's charisma and character depth, and though it has kept him away from the main event and singles competition, it has meant he is still as over as ever. Where as before Bryan was mainly a favourite amongst the older wrestling fans because of his unrivalled technical ability, now he is as loved by the younger members of the audience. 2013 should be Bryan's year. The night after Wrestlemania saw Bryan join Kane to defend The Undertaker from an attack by The Shield. Like The Shield, the interaction with Taker was a massive sign of how highly the WWE consider Bryan. Short term Bryan looks set to return to his feud with The Shield alongside Kane. Whether that will also involve The Phenom remains to be seen. In the longer term we will probably see Bryan eventually split with Kane, leading to a feud between the two which should see The Big Red Monster put Bryan over. His eventual success over his former tag team partner should push Bryan into the main event, where he can start to challenge for singles gold again. While WWE may choose to take it steady, having Bryan battle it out for either the US or Intercontinental Championship, the creative team have shown recently how little regard they have for their midcard titles. Instead expect to see Bryan pushed back into the World Heavyweight Title picture. Bryan has held the title before, as a heel, but as a much loved face this time around, a lengthy title reign would establish Bryan as a main event star. Bryan could already engage in a great feud with any of the names currently in the mix, Alberto del Rio, Jack Swagger, or Dolph Ziggler. Bryan and Ziggler have put on some great TV matches lately, and a championship feud between the two could be golden. But John Cena, as WWE Champion, will also need challengers once The Rock leaves the WWE. A feud between Cena and Bryan would be new, intriguing, and I am sure the two could put on great matches together given the chance. While Bryan may not beat Cena in the long run, a credible challenge would do his status wonders. With technical ability that is perhaps unrivalled in the WWE locker room, a character and persona that is still cheered by WWE audiences everywhere, and a raft of superstars that Bryan could put on great matches with, 2013 could, and should, be Daniel Bryan's year.