10 Wrestling Moments That Made You Mark Out
6. Bryan Wins The Big One
If there's one moment in WWE history that straddles the divide between Everybody Knew This Would Happen and Nobody Could Believe It When It Did, it's this. Daniel Bryan, internet darling, indie-styled, lightweight, B+ player, beat three of WWE's biggest ever Company Men at the same WrestleMania.
You've heard the story 100 times. WWE didn't believe in Bryan for a single second, despite every fan, wrestler and fellow promoter screaming at them that he was the best thing in the entire world at that moment in time. They wanted him middling about in the mid-card, while a returning Batista battled Randy Orton for the millionth time in the main event. The fans, thank f***ing Christ, wouldn't let them.
Putting Triple H in as a roadblock to, potentially, soak up all the boos at the start of the show, the stage was set for the so-near-yet-so-far narrative that had defined Bryan's career up until this point. Everyone watching will tell you they expected Bryan would come through both matches, but not a single soul truly, truly, truly knew. Bryan's standing made it impractical, WWE's predictability made it impossible, and yet... and yet.
The noise that greeted Batista's submission is more one of relief than celebration. The sound of tens of thousand of people forgetting that this is all predetermined theatrical faire and, instead, feeling a part of someone else's success.