10 WWE Royal Rumble Wins That Became Huge Disappointments

Whoever won the Royal Rumble match in 2012 was always likely to be overshadowed, as the main event for that year's WrestleMania XXVIII had been announced the night after WrestleMania XXVII, when The Rock challenged John Cena.

Sheamus eliminated Chris Jericho to set up a title shot of his choosing. Very quickly it was not only Rock-Cena that overshadowed the Celtic Warrior's road to WrestleMania. Triple H and The Undertaker were announced to be facing each other in a Hell In A Cell match - and the WWE Championship match between CM Punk and Chris Jericho also received more interest than Sheamus' date with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan.

By the time that event rolled around, Sheamus found himself in the opening match, a long way from the main event. He would claim the title with an 18-second victory over Bryan that instead of making the Irishman into a monster champion, accidentally sparked the Yes! Movement and made Bryan into the most popular star the company had seen in years. Sheamus would have a long but quickly forgotten reign, meaning the only legacy of his Rumble win was kickstarting the career of the man he defeated.