Daniel Bryan toiled on the independent circuit and overseas for a decade before he made it to WrestleMania. Then, when he got there, his United States Championship match with Sheamus was relegated to the pre-show. It had to have been a blow for the veteran. It was a blow for the fans, too. Sheamus versus Bryan was a match people were looking forward to seeing. Given how poor the show ended up being, they could have really used the pair to elevate it a little. Still, when 'Mania XXVIII rolled around they found out they would get a chance to do it properly, this time for the World Heavyweight Championship. Well, that's what they thought, anyway. Unfortunately for Sheamus and, especially, Bryan they were allocated a paltry eighteen seconds. They should have been given fifteen minutes, at least, and would have rocked the house. One AJ Lee kiss and a Brogue Kick later and Bryan was a former Champion who had been robbed of his WrestleMania moment. Bryan shared fans' anger, as he explained in an interview with GQ a week later:
Of course I do. I was World Heavyweight Champion for four months. I wanted to go out there and steal the show. I was trained by Shawn Michaels, and that's what he's notorious for. I've always had the mindset that my wrestling is as good as or better than anybody out there. I was really looking forward to going out there and showing everybody what I can do on the biggest stage of them all, and then I just wasn't able to do it.
Bryan would have to wait another two years for his true WrestleMania moment. When it arrived, it was glorious. But it doesn't excuse what happened at 'Mania XXVIII. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF_kEtYlfBc
