10 Wrestling Matches We Didn’t Know Changed EVERYTHING

4. Daniel Bryan Vs. Sheamus - WWE WrestleMania XXVIII

starrdust goldust
WWE.com

So disrespectful and farcical that the entire fandom rejected it, from the greatest of humiliations sprang the greatest of modern babyface World Title victories.

Sheamus booted a distracted Bryan in the face at WrestleMania XXVIII in stunt booking that drastically misjudged fan sentiment. In that picture alone, two 'YES!' signs can be seen held aloft. Sheamus was the clear, jovial, babyface in the dreaded Cena mould; Bryan in contrast was the infinitely more interesting performer. WWE, of course, went with Sheamus, in an effectively satirical development that simply astonished and pissed off fans into screaming along with his call-and-response with as much defiance as Bryan had.

This bizarre, tone-deaf accident babyfaced Bryan more effectively than anything WWE has designed in years and years, bringing into focus just how comically ineffective the machine is. Beyond the truncated reign, the rise of Daniel Bryan, a genius of his own making, made it abundantly plain that the in-house development prospects were not enough to maintain WWE's popularity nor dominance. His success revised WWE's recruitment policy, catalysing the second NXT era. In a weird parallel, WWE is still trying to get the Brogue Kick over, in that it is Baron Corbin and not, say, Finn Bálor headlining four consecutive pay-per-views in 2019.

WWE is still resistant to change following the match that changed everything.

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!