WWE: 10 Ways Script & Reality Made Daniel Bryan The Perfect WrestleMania Story

8. The 18 Seconds Incident

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuYyjjxf7Cc After wallowing in the lower midcard for about a year, Bryan was afforded an incredible break by taking home the Smackdown Money in the Bank briefcase in 2011. He would eventually cash it in against the Big Show toward the end of the year to pick up his first World Heavyweight Championship title. For the next three months, Bryan would turn heel and retain the title in consistently weak fashion. When it came time for Bryan to get his customary comeuppance, he went down to challenger Sheamus at Wrestlemania in just 18 seconds. What WWE wasn't expecting was for this to start something massive. As a vocal protest to Bryan's perceived burial, the fans began to chant with Bryan en masse. The "Yes!" chant, something that was relegated to smart fans, became ubiquitous in all WWE arenas. Even as a heel, Bryan has something about him that makes the fans get behind him. Though he was supposed to be the butt of the joke against Sheamus, Bryan was the one that came out as the fan favorite, an idea that would only build for the next two years.