7 Greatest Backfires In Wrestling History
5. 18 Seconds
Daniel Bryan was never supposed to be a world champion in WWE. Even after he won the Money in the Bank briefcase, he was originally planned to be the first man to fail on his cash-in attempt. A last-minute change of plans led to him beating The Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his reign wasn't meant to last.
Bryan's great work as champ ensured that he held the belt through to WrestleMania, but that was the end of his flirtation with the main event. At the show of shows, Royal Rumble winner Sheamus squashed him in 18 seconds, capturing the title with ease. Sheamus's babyface run was meant to begin there, and Bryan was to go back to the midcard.
WWE didn't anticipate just how popular Bryan's skill would make him, though. Fans were furious that he lost the title to Sheamus in such a fashion, and used his "Yes!" chant to hijack shows throughout WrestleMania weekend.
All of a sudden, the company realized that fans cared a whole lot more about Daniel Bryan than Sheamus. His push continued with a feud with CM Punk, then a tag team with Kane. Before long, he would headline WrestleMania in earnest.