7 Wrestlers WWE Punished For Getting Over

Any 'burial' that culminates in a performer hoisting two prestigious belts above their head at the close of a spectacular commemorative edition of WrestleMania can't exactly be considered chasmic, but there's absolutely no doubt whatsoever Daniel Bryan's apogee was not WWE's intended conclusion to his arc.

An undersized underdog with an independent acumen, Bryan was simply not suited for WWE's very particular predilections during the start of his second run - and he was reminded at every opportunity. Years of mistreatment reached their nadir with an infamous 18 second defeat to Sheamus in the WrestleMania XXVIII opener, and that, they hoped, was that for the pro-Bryan lobby.

Ultimately, it backfired spectacularly. With Bryan as their champion, the 'Resentment Era' kicked off in earnest. The people's hero's popularity couldn't be suppressed even when he was transitioned into a tag team with Kane, and fairly soon the 'Yes! Movement's momentum was unstoppable.

With Batista's big return on the horizon, WWE moved to squash the yes-man for good. Bryan was given a one-day title reign to placate his perceived cultists - in reality, a majority of the audience - before being briefly repackaged in the Wyatt Family.

It was only when Big Dave was so vociferously rejected in the infamous Philadelphia Royal Rumble shambles that WWE's hand was finally forced. Bryan - and the fans - were begrudgingly given what they wanted. Fate snatched it away within a month, so Vince got the last laugh anyway.