3. We Deserve It
Since Summerslam, when Bryan initially won the title, we -- the fans -- have been teased and jerked around, constantly. Bryan has pretty consistently been a part of the title picture, at the very least, peripherally. However, WWE haven't been willing to pull the trigger and let Bryan really run with the ball. And in the midst of all this, after the Royal Rumble, CM Punk, like Austin before him, took his ball and went home. So without Punk around to feud with Triple H and the Authority, our trusty Daniel got plugged into the feud. So, we -- the Universe -- sans Punk, solidly got behind Bryan, more than ever. At first, and for quite some time, the real "authority" backstage refused to get behind Bryan the way we had. They failed to pull the trigger originally at Summerslam, and once again failed to pull it at the Rumble. Only in about the past month or so, did they decide that maybe getting behind Bryan was the right move. And while they now try to play it off on TV that this was the scheme all along, it's obvious that there was no definitive plan, and Punk's sudden absence definitely threw a wrench in the works. And ultimately, Punk leaving was the best thing to happen to Bryan, who was rumored to begin feuding with Sheamus again in the lead-up to Mania. It left us, and WWE, with one clear choice of who should be on top.