11. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus - WrestleMania XXVIII
The opening contest of WrestleMania XXVIII is far from a wrestling classic. In fact, it was an 18-second match that saw Sheamus take advantage of a distracted World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan, blasting him with the Brogue Kick to win the title. But the beauty of the match is in the effect it had on Bryan's career. It was in that defeat that Bryan's journey to the very top of the industry began. Fans were incredibly angry, frustrated and fed up with the treatment of wrestling's most talented worker. They lashed out, ferociously booing the booking decision and chanting "Daniel Bryan" at different points throughout the broadcast. It was a defiant stance by an audience hellbent on voicing their appreciation for the wrestler and, more importantly, their disapproval of the way the company was using him. A watershed moment and the match that started a movement.
Erik Beaston
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Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
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