A current WWE star recently opened up about how a controversial loss by Daniel Bryan more than a decade ago broke his heart.
Before receiving a proper push at WrestleMania 30, Bryan wasn’t treated as a major star by WWE. His greatest moment in the company came at WrestleMania 30, when the “YES Movement” ultimately prevailed. But prior to that breakthrough, The American Dragon endured several tough losses throughout his career.
One of the most controversial defeats was his 18-second loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28. Axiom, who grew up idolizing Bryan and following his career closely, shared on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast how heartbroken he was when that match happened in 2012.
“I definitely have one. It was when Daniel Bryan lost against Sheamus (in 18 seconds). I’m a big fan of his work through his entire career. I’ve followed that man from a very little independent company to WrestleMania and he lost to Sheamus in what was it? 18 seconds. That broke my heart,” Axiom revealed when asked about a sour grape moment as a fan.
Daniel Bryan’s road to redemption was a challenging two-year journey. Ultimately, he earned his moment by defeating Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista in a single night at WrestleMania 30. Bryan started the event by beating Triple H and ended it as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
### Why Did Daniel Bryan Lose to Sheamus in 18 Seconds?
According to PW Insider (H/T Wrestling, Inc.), Bryan’s rapid loss to Sheamus was designed to establish the Brogue Kick as a devastating finisher. It was also intended to surprise the audience in attendance. The report confirmed there was no backstage heat on Bryan at the time; the outcome was simply part of the creative plan.
While the result caused a delay in Bryan’s push, it was not well-received by fans. At that point, Bryan was an emerging WWE star, whereas Sheamus had already held reigns as WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion.
Since leaving WWE in 2021, Daniel Bryan has joined All Elite Wrestling and currently serves as a color commentator for AEW Dynamite.
*Credit to No-Contest Wrestling for the insight, with a H/T to Sportskeeda for the quote.*
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/news-wwe-star-on-controversial-daniel-bryan-loss-that-broke-my-heart
