2 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 28
Downs...
7. 18 Seconds
Daniel Bryan had become a fabulous heel since winning the title at December's Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view, infuriating audiences with his self-aggrandising 'YES!' exclamation and poor treatment of sympathetic girlfriend AJ Lee.
Audiences were subsequently not only excited just to see the match between the two, but also a contest befitting of their abilities on a grand stage, especially after an indignity the two suffered one year earlier. The pair had developed somewhat of a kinship behind the scenes at the 'Show of Shows', having seen their planned WrestleMania XXVII United States Title match relegated to the dark portion of the broadcast and then cancelled outright when run-ins turned the contest into a Battle Royal won by The Great Khali.
That dark match got five minutes and eighteen seconds, which was exactly five minutes longer than this opener for the World Heavyweight Title received.
With one swift Brogue Kick after Bryan's stolen good luck kiss from AJ, Sheamus was champion, and an arena of supporters were left deeply unenthused. But more on that later.