Wrestlemania 28: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (c) - World Heavyweight Championship

[D-Man]

As he’s done repeatedly over the course of his World Heavyweight Championship reign, Daniel Bryan once again found a way to walk out of a WWE arena with his title in hand Sunday night at WWE Elimination Chamber. In a sadistic stipulation where the odds of winning are 6-to-1 for each of the competitors involved and only get worse if competitors enter the Elimination Chamber sooner, the submission specialist overcame The Great Khali, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Big Show and Santino Marella to retain his title and send him on a collision course with Royal Rumble winner Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII.

After the brutal Elimination Chamber Match ended, Sheamus — who is guaranteed the title opportunity of his choosing at The Show of Shows thanks to his Royal Rumble Match victory — arrived and delivered an emphatic message to Daniel Bryan. With a punishing maneuver that slammed the champion to the mat, Sheamus ended all speculation as to what title he has in his sights come WrestleMania. (WATCH EXCLUSIVE: SHEAMUS EXPLAINS CHALLENGING BRYAN)

And following the events of Feb. 17’s explosive SmackDown where the World Heavyweight Champion spit directly in The Great White’s face, a Sheamus-Bryan title match on The Grandest Stage of Them All possesses special intrigue.

But this rivalry has deeply seeded roots, as just one year ago The Celtic Warrior defeated Bryan to win the United States Championship. That bout proved crucial in Sheamus’ career, as not only did he claim the U.S. Title for the first time, but the win snapped a losing streak that dated back to King of the Ring months earlier. Further, before entering the match, Sheamus vowed that if he didn’t defeat the submission specialist, he would quit WWE.

That didn’t happen, and these days the two-time WWE Champion seems almost invincible and is focused once again on Daniel Bryan and a prize that has eluded him thus far in his career — the World Heavyweight Championship.

The events of the Feb. 17 episode of SmackDown played a crucial part in setting all this into motion. That night, Bryan’s forfeit “victory” over Randy Orton — who was unable to compete due to a concussion — led to a surprise announcement.

After Bryan demanded ring announcer Lilian Garcia to proclaim him the winner of the non-match against WWE’s Apex Predator, SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long entered the arena. To the great delight of the WWE Universe, Long scheduled Bryan to compete that night against none other than The Great White Sheamus.

A despondent Bryan did his best to avoid the Celtic Warrior, but when Bryan tried to escape the ring, satisfied with a count-out victory, Sheamus was there to thwart the champion’s oft-played tactic. Back inside the ring, however, Bryan dug deep into his bag of tricks, playing mind games on his opponent and exploiting The Great White’s white-hot temper. When literally backed into the corner, Bryan slapped Sheamus, clearly riling his opponent.

What happened next proved to be one of Bryan’s vilest moves to date. While seated on the top rope, Bryan spit in the face of The Great White, inciting Sheamus’ fury and leading to The Celtic Warrior’s disqualification. Officially, Bryan was able to add yet another victory to an already impressive list.

While a number of those victories have been controversial, Bryan’s record since cashing in Money in the Bank cannot be argued. He continually finds ways to win, successfully defending his title against all challengers over the course of his championship reign. But will Sheamus, one of the hottest Superstars on the roster and already possessing a big victory against Bryan, finally end that reign?

Last year, the scheduled U.S. Title rematch between Sheamus and Bryan was bumped from the WrestleMania pay-per-view and was witnessed only by the WWE Universe in attendance and those who purchased the home video. This year, the two will share the main event spotlight with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Find out who walks out of Miami as the champion April 1 at WrestleMania XXVIII, only on pay-per-view!

Although it hasn't been officially announced yet, it seems as if this will be one of the main event matches that we can expect at this year's Wrestlemania.

(EDIT: The match is posted on WWE.com so it must be official now.)

As the Smackdown Elimination Chamber was concluding, Sheamus made his presence felt and physically confronted the Chamber winner and retaining World Heavyweight Champion in Daniel Bryan. Ah, yes.. what an interesting twist of fate and turn of events this has become. Just one year ago, these two men had a scheduled United States Championship match that was pulled at the last minute and became a dark match. During this time, Sheamus was the heel and Daniel Bryan was the babyface. Now, it seems the tides have turned quite a bit. I'm sure that no one saw this potential match coming last year.

Expect some good promos by both men and for Bryan to continue building momentum as a top heel on Smackdown. However, I can't help but feel that this entire angle is nothing more than a launching point for a world heavyweight championship run by Sheamus and a simultaneous decent of Daniel Bryan's current position on the roster. Sure, Sheamus will most-likely come out with a win and I'm guessing there will be a rematch at Backlash. But don't expect that title to leave Sheamus's hands when it's over.

My predictions go like this:

1. Sheamus will win at Wrestlemania.
2. This match has potential to play second fiddle to Cena vs Rock instead of Raw stealing another main event spotlight.
3. Daniel Bryan will achieve his lifelong dream of main eventing Wrestlemania as champion.

Let's discuss the match in here. And please, NO SPAMMING.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Judging the reaction to the post-fight beat down last night, WWE might want to think about adding Santino to the match. There was no comaprison between the reactions for the final exchanges between Bryan & Santino and the interraction between Sheamus & Bryan.

Looks like for the second year in a row the Rumble winner will be in the opening match at Mania. Probably for the best really. And for the first time in years the Rumble winner should probably leave Mania with the title.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This looks to be an awesome match and I'm sure it will have an excellent string of promos leading up to it. Sheamus is probably going to walk out with the belt and start a run with his third world title. I'm withholding my full prediction until Wrestlemania week, but I am extremely excited that we are probably getting this match now. I just hope Sheamus wins and that it does NOT open the show. I disagreed with Edge VS Del Rio opening the show last year for the World Heavyweight Championship and am adamantly against WWE going that route again. It's not the end of the world if they do, but it would be a very bad call. A huge match like this belongs near the end of the show.

It is doubtful that this would close the show with matches like Cena VS The Rock, Trips VS Taker 3, and Punk VS Jericho all on the same card. I expect it to at least be in the second half of the evening though. Opening the show with a World Championship match would be an insult to both the title and the Royal Rumble, like last year's opening match was, due to the fans deserving better than that. Sheamus didn't defeat 29 other guys to OPEN Wrestlemania, he won the Rumble to get a main event match. Now, that doesn't have to mean closing the show, as we have seen numerous Rumble winners not close Wrestlemania. He deserves to not have to go on first though. So does the World Heavyweight Championship.

WWE obviously realized they messed up by not giving us their anticipated United States Championship match last year. We will now be getting it in World Heavyweight Championship form. Bryan gets to live his dream of having a world title match at Wrestlemania while Sheamus gets a chance to begin a 3rd world title reign, this time as a rising face. If we indeed get Sheamus VS Bryan and Punk VS Jericho as our world title matches then we are in for a treat at the biggest show of the year. An early prediction of mine shows Sheamus winning, but anything could change between now and April. I can't wait to see where they go from here.

 

[LSN80]

Huge disapointment that they made this match via WWE.com. Sure, Sheamus' post match attack on Bryan indicated as much, but it could just as easily have been rationalized away as a result of Bryan's actions on Smackdown, when Bryan slapped and spit in Sheamus' face. Further, with live shows on back to back nights this week, they really could have built to this announcement with suspense as to Sheamus' choice throughout the two nights.

I also wouldn't count out this being a triple threat match. The past two Wrestlemania's aside, we've been treated to at least one triple threat World title match every year since Wrestlemania 20, and that was only because we got a Fatal Four way there. With Orton "losing his chance" as a result of his concussion, it would make good sense for him to be added to this match, giving it the "star power" of a true Wrestlemania match.

But regardless of who they add, Sheamus will win this match. The mic work heading into this should be fantastic by both men, as they've both settled into their new roles as face and heel alike. With Sheamus, they've spent the past six months using him as a destroyer, but not in feuds. Bryan has become perhaps the best heel in WWE since winning the belt, so i imagine both will keep gaining momentum in their respective roles leading to Wrestlemania, making for an awesome match. Sheamus' title wins in 2009 and 2010 feel like a distant memory at this point, and this is truly his time to break through the glass ceiling, so to speak. He didn't feel like that "top guy" before when he won the title, but him winning the title and staying on Smackdown could truly establish him as a top guy, rather then someone floating around the upper mid-card.

Be it triple threat or a single's match, this has the potential to steal the show. Sheamus seems to work best with smaller, quick guys, and Bryan fits that bill perfectly. If their past matches are any indication, this will be very good, but I have no doubt Sheamus leaves Wrestlemania with the belt. And Bryan gets to leave with his head held high, knowing he was in one of the main events of Wrestlemania, and had a heckuva run along the way. Given time, I honestly see this match as an opportunity to be a special one, one that kicks off a long title run for Sheamus.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I'm sorry but I just cannot see this being the WHC match at Wrestlemania. Randy Orton HAS to be added to this match. It's nothing against Sheamus and Daniel Bryan per se. It has more to do with the rest of the card surrounding this match. If Orton is cleared to wrestle, they have to add him to this and make it a Triple Threat, for star power alone. This is Wrestlemania, the Show of Shows, the Showcase of the Immortals. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus is on the same card as John Cena vs. The Rock, Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk, Undertaker vs. Triple H?

Before everyone starts saying that Orton can't wrestle and that DB is the greatest thing since sliced bread, in terms of wrestling skills, it isn't about that.... As I said, it's about star power. Sheamus vs. DB, is a match I'd expect on RAW or Smackdown, not at Wrestlemania.

 

[¡Roján!]

I'm totally bewildered as to why they announced this on WWE.com, as they really good of a made a big deal out of who Sheamus was going to face, if, for example, tonight, he came out and did the exact same thing he did to Bryan to CM Punk. If would have thrown a few of us off the scent for a while. I mean, come on, they have six weeks to build the feud. There's no need to announce it this early.

Anyway, I can maybe see Orton wriggling himself into the match, but I'm not so sure. I'd really like a triple threat match, but, it doesn't seem to add up. Two huge, over as hell faces against one sneaky heel? I suppose it could work, but you'd have the champ being completely overshadowed. Which, in turn, could end up benefitting Daniel Bryan, by allowing him to get the sneaky win when no one really expects it.

If it is just a one on one match, I'm worried about where they'll get the storyline to the feud from. These two will have quite a few back and forth mic battles, but I'm expecting most of the drama to come from wrestling matches. Scenarios where either Sheamus or Bryan are in the corner of another wrestler facing their opponent at WM, tag team matches, etc... will probably be the crux of the feud. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it doesn't seem like a main event worthy match on paper. I'm hoping something exciting happens beforehand, to really make this feud worth watching and not just another match on the card.

Regardless of storyline, I can see these two stealing the show matchwise. Sheamus' versatility is evident, no matter who he faces and Daniel Bryan is... Daniel freakin' Bryan. I fully expect these two to go all out and produce a match to talk about for years later. I think they'll need at least 15 minutes to make it memorable and whether the WWE are willing to give them that much time is doubtful. Because, I mean, come on, a Mae Young and Hornswoggle backstage skit is more important than the World Heavyweight Championship.

As for a prediction, I probably need a bit more time. I'd love to see Bryan retain , perhaps dropping the title at Extreme Rules, to Orton in the triple threat match I mentioned earlier. This could set us up for a nice, long Sheamus-Orton feud over the summer, with one of them turning heel. Knowing WWE, though, Sheamus goes over at WM28 and Daniel Bryan returns to the mid-card for the time being.

 

[DJ Kyo]

I'm still going by my original thoughts here a few weeks ago in which Daniel Bryan HAS TO win this match at Mania. I think there's too much damage to be done if he loses.

As I've mentioned before on here, Wrestlemania matches can make your career or if the writers are stupid, it can send into mid-card hell for a long time to come. You always have to look at who hast he most to gain and who has the most to lose.

Sheamus gains nothing by winning the belt at mania other than that notch on his resume. He can fight a great match and get remembered to taking it to Daniel Bryan, but DB needs to be the one to win. He needs to retain the belt. He needs to cry out "YES! YES! YES!" at Mania after pinning or submitting sheamus, even if it's in a cheap way. The win at mania isn't just about the DB resume, it's about keeping him in the spotlight and not dooming him to be placed back under Randy Orton and others.

I still think ultimate WWE goal this year should be DB to win at Mania and shortly after start a heel v heel feud with Wade Barrett. This would be good TV and writing to go with it.

 

[KnowMyRole-ShutYourMouth]

Why are people surprised and complaining it was officially made on WWE.com? The WWE is fully embracing the potential of the internet at this point (as if it wasn't evident by their pimping of Twitter), and it's about damn time their site breaks some news.

Not to mention Sheamus made it absolutely clear who he was targeting. Bryan spit in his face the SD! before, and as soon as he saw Bryan retain, Sheamus came out and established where he stands.

Could Randy Orton weasel his way into this? I hope not. But could he? Definitely. In fact, that's what I fear. Orton's bullshit politicking could lead to him being inserted into another WM WHC match he doesn't belong in (see WM22). The fact is Orton will be taking (perhaps a decent length of) time off after Wrestlemania. He does not need to disrupt the momentum Sheamus and Bryan have built up over the past year, especially considering the unique storyline of them getting bumped from their face off last year.

It should be Daniel Bryan versus Sheamus one on one. It should NOT go on first. I'd book it right before Rock/Cena honestly. The WWE needs to put over the importance of the World Heavyweight Championship, and invest in their future. And there's aren't safer investments than the talent of DB and Sheamo.

 

[#hamler]

Sheamus gains nothing by winning the belt at mania other than that notch on his resume. He can fight a great match and get remembered to taking it to Daniel Bryan, but DB needs to be the one to win. He needs to retain the belt. He needs to cry out "YES! YES! YES!" at Mania after pinning or submitting sheamus, even if it's in a cheap way. The win at mania isn't just about the DB resume, it's about keeping him in the spotlight and not dooming him to be placed back under Randy Orton and others.

Bryan will eventually lose the Championship belt; why would it be any different then? If he needs a belt to remain over or relevant, he’s not doing that good of a job. Since his face turn, Sheamus has been hugely over with the casuals. With that, he's stayed in the upper card by defeating the likes of Jinder Mahal and a couple other nameless jobbers. Sheamus is too over for the WWE not to capitalize off of him. What does Sheamus gain by winning the World Heavyweight Championship? It launches him directly on top of Smackdown's roster. He's possesses everything it takes to be a World Champion; he's over, great in-ring arsenal, the look, and talking ability.

I have no problem with Daniel Bryan, but a World Champion should be able to lose the belt and still look like a World Champion. To keep the belt on him solely because his main event status will be hurt if he loses it, doesn't make it fair to the ones who belong on top. Ask John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H or Undertaker if they needed a title to keep their head above water in their respective peaks? If that's the case, losing the title would be best for Bryan so he can be built a little more. With more build, more Championship reigns wouldn’t necessarily be out of the question. Sheamus has the potential to be the WWE's next huge faces. Why risk that on someone who is of less value to the WWE and the Smackdown roster?

 

[Nate DaMac]

I'm still going by my original thoughts here a few weeks ago in which Daniel Bryan HAS TO win this match at Mania. I think there's too much damage to be done if he loses.

As I've mentioned before on here, Wrestlemania matches can make your career or if the writers are stupid, it can send into mid-card hell for a long time to come. You always have to look at who hast he most to gain and who has the most to lose.

Sheamus gains nothing by winning the belt at mania other than that notch on his resume. He can fight a great match and get remembered to taking it to Daniel Bryan, but DB needs to be the one to win. He needs to retain the belt. He needs to cry out "YES! YES! YES!" at Mania after pinning or submitting sheamus, even if it's in a cheap way. The win at mania isn't just about the DB resume, it's about keeping him in the spotlight and not dooming him to be placed back under Randy Orton and others.

I still think ultimate WWE goal this year should be DB to win at Mania and shortly after start a heel v heel feud with Wade Barrett. This would be good TV and writing to go with it.

What a crock of shit. First of all, a Wade/Dick Butt feud would suck ass. Just getting that out of the way early on.

The more important thing, however, is that Sheamus absolutely needs to win this match for multiple reasons.

1. They're trying to build him up as the next big face and they're doing it with the traditional method; winning the Rumble, going to Mania, etc. He's already crazy over, he's ready to take the next step.

2. It's the logical decision. DB has been booked as a guy who always finds a way to win. Sheamus gets a great rub with being the guy who shuts him down.

3. The most important reason; to keep the Rumble relevant. If Sheamus loses, this will make the Rumble winner 50% when going to Wrestlemania. That's not a good enough number to build your show around and it makes the Rumble look like just another match. It's like the opposite of MITB where the winner is 100% and it's totally unbelievable.

Sheamus needs the win. DB has had a great run but it has to end at Mania.

 

[Ithil]

I'm still going by my original thoughts here a few weeks ago in which Daniel Bryan HAS TO win this match at Mania. I think there's too much damage to be done if he loses.

As I've mentioned before on here, Wrestlemania matches can make your career or if the writers are stupid, it can send into mid-card hell for a long time to come. You always have to look at who hast he most to gain and who has the most to lose.

Sheamus gains nothing by winning the belt at mania other than that notch on his resume. He can fight a great match and get remembered to taking it to Daniel Bryan, but DB needs to be the one to win. He needs to retain the belt. He needs to cry out "YES! YES! YES!" at Mania after pinning or submitting sheamus, even if it's in a cheap way. The win at mania isn't just about the DB resume, it's about keeping him in the spotlight and not dooming him to be placed back under Randy Orton and others.

I still think ultimate WWE goal this year should be DB to win at Mania and shortly after start a heel v heel feud with Wade Barrett. This would be good TV and writing to go with it.

Sheamus gains a LOT by winning, actually. I don't know if you've noticed, but he's been floundering around for months now because they have nothing for him to do. He's too big for the mid card, but there was no room for him in the main event.

Bryan losing the title is not going to kill his career. By then they may well have decided he is worth keeping as a main event heel. He's certainly taken to his new role, and he is getting great reactions from audiences as a heel. Considering he wasn't even originally meant to be champion yet, and was very suddenly given the title after Vince threw out the writer's long term WM plans for Bryan and the title on a whim, it's been a good success.

Bryan has had a good reign as champion so far, but just as winning it has brought him into the main event, there are others who need that gateway just as much. Believe me I love Bryan, he's my favourite in the company and one of my favourites in the world, but you're putting too much emphasis on this one title reign.

Sheamus will benefit greatly from the title, as he will be in the main event and a centerpiece, at last, after months of idling. Not to mention, should he win, that will not be the end of their feud, most likely it will extend at least another month if not more.

As for the match, I am hugely looking forward to it. The two men have worked well together before, and their styles compliment each other's greatly. Given a good length, it should be one of the best matches of the night.

 

[XXJJ]

I still think this get turned into a triple threat with Orton. Bryan is the one that knocked him out of action. When he returns I would think he will be looking for some payback.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I feel like this match needs Orton. Neither guy is a huge star. You'll have a bunch of viewers who are either new or haven't watched in a while. If you really want to get these guys over big, you need a "measuring stick" kinda guy, which would be Orton. Not that it wouldn't be a great match otherwise.

Think of it like this. You're a baseball scout, you see a guy jack a 500 foot home run. Yea, it's impressive, but it's a lot less impressive if it's off me than if it's off Mariano Rivera. Putting Orton in the match makes it off Rivera because the new fans know the level of competition (I know it's for the belt but that doesn't do it enough).

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

At Wrestlemania 28 the 2012 Royal Rumble winner Sheamus will face Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania. But how about making it a Triple-Threat Match ? Let Sheamus continue his fued with Daniel Bryan then at Wrestlemania before the World Heavyweight Championship match Teddy Long comes and makes an announcement that this match will now be a Triple-Threat match and here comes the surprise opponent -... Christian.

Have a great match and then let Christian win the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania.

Just an idea. What do you guys think or do you have any other ideas ?

 

[#hamler]

Have a great match and then let Christian win the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania.

I like Christian as much as the next guy, but what signs, if any point to Christian winning the World Heavyweight Championship? There really aren't any. I have a few problems adding someone like Christian into the match at Wrestlemania; Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan is a relatively new heel who does alot of bitching when he's on the mic – same goes for Christian. Adding Christian to the mix will make Bryan stand out alot less than he needs to during their feud. Same goes for Orton. While Sheamus is incredibly over, no one will cheer for Sheamus over Orton; Orton is just too big. The WWE is trying to build up another huge babyface in Sheamus. What would happen if Orton simply stepped in and stole all of Sheamus' thunder at Wrestlemania? I don't think the WWE is looking to do that. There's enough drawing power at the top of the card for this match to survive at Wrestlemania. A third man isn't really needed.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

First off, I want Daniel Bryan to come out to a full orchestra version of Ride of the Valkyries. It'd rule so much. Anyway, onto the subject matter. Bryan vs. Sheamus. This seems eerily familiar. Weren't these two at WrestleMania last year? Oh that's right, no, they were booted off the card (still disgruntled in case you couldn't tell). What a difference a year makes though.

Bryan is quite arguably the most consistently hated person in the company and Sheamus is over like rover. This leads us to the inevitable match. The Celtic Warrior stand toe-to-toe with a man who has defied all odds to remain champion and will stoop however low it takes in order to retain his belt. It's an interesting premise, with only one logical conclusion; Sheamus murders Bryan.

"But that'll make Bryan look weak". Yeah, shut up. Bryan is a cowardly character. He wins against all odds because of it. He's the reverse version of Rey Mysterio. He's the underdog that wins, not because of his heart, but because he'll go however low it takes. That's exactly the sort of person Sheamus will benefit from winning the title from.

Bryan's a well built heel with some great heat. Sheamus ending his winning streak as champion will give him exactly what he needs; a credible championship win on the biggest stage. Bryan won't look weak if he loses to someone who has been destroying everyone in his path all the way through the Road to WrestleMania. It'll simply make Sheamus look beastly. So there we are. Bryan vs. Sheamus, Sheamus wins, flawless victory.

 

[Notorious718]

Anyone have a suspicion this will start the show?

Not if the card happens to have a MITB match, I don't think so. Otherwise yes.

Anyway, I do like this. Nice to see them have the spotlight fighting for the world title. Huge step from being bumped off the main card and fighting for a midcard title. Not much to say about the match itself other than it should be good and for it being a Wrestlemania match, I've got some pretty high expectations for it. As for Orton somehow making his way into the match, all I really have to say about that is I hope it doesn't happen. I feel that he'll just take all the spotlight if he were added and both Sheamus and Daniel Bryan would just less significant. I think the same could possibly be said for Christian potentially being added. Just keep the match one on one like it should be especially if they want to build up and establish these two as main event talent.

Also, I think Sheamus will win the title. Dropping the belt at Wrestlemania won't hurt Daniel Bryan. Considering that Sheamus has spent the better part of the past few months squashing jobbers and really not taking part in any significant angles since before the Royal Rumble, the title win could do wonders for him. The feud can extend beyond Wrestlemania and Bryan can try to get retribution. Not so bad.

 

[CH David]

This will be a fun match. Face Sheamus vs. heel Bryan should work nicely. The brute vs. the coward. For me it makes sense for Sheamus to win and see what he can do. He has been on fire, and this theoretically could launch him further. He is big, he is Irish, and he is a badass. The crowd loves him and he could have some nice run-ins against Kane, Show, Henry. Who cares about the star power of the match? It's WrestleMania. There already is Cena/Rock and HHH/Taker. The show will be fine. Adding Orton or Christian does nothing for this. Let them have a good one on one match. I've got Sheamus walking out as champion which would be awesome.

 

[The Crock]

Good for these two guys, getting some semblance of the spotlight at WrestleMania. They won't be the final match, if anything, they'll be the opener -- but I'm looking for them to put on a good match here. It'll be a classic "hero vs coward" affair, maybe even working off of the size difference, but I have no doubts that they'll deliver. Both Sheamus and Daniel Bryan are great wrestlers and I'm glad they got this match. Sheamus has been built up as an excellent face and the crowd is eating him up. On the other side of things, Daniel Bryan has been built up as a great heel, with the crowd really turning against him. Both guys have done such a good job in their respective roles, that I cannot wait to hear the reactions for these men at 'Mania. An impressive match between them (regardless of the result) will do wonders for both of them, both in the eyes of the fans and in terms of character development.

Sheamus will walk out of WrestleMania with the title, undoubtedly, but I see the feud continuing on past that. The build to the match hasn't been and won't be particularly long and I can definitely envision it going on for at least one more pay-per-view -- maybe even a few, especially if they can get another guy involved in it. I'm looking for Sheamus to really take that next step with this title win (well, if he wins it), as well as Daniel Bryan taking that next step too. Sheamus will solidify himself as a top face, whereas Daniel Bryan -- this hinges on the WWE following up the 'Mania match well -- becoming THE top heel and a full-time main eventer.

This is a huge step up for both men, especially considering that they were bumped clean off of the card last year. Many people thought Sheamus' face run wouldn't work, many people though Daniel Bryan's heel run wouldn't work, that he'd be a rotten champion -- but both men have gone above and beyond expectations for them. I don't think anybody would have guessed that they would be fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, but anything is possible in the WWE. I'm looking forward to this match and to the fallout, this could very well be a career defining match for these men. This will be a special match.

 

[SacredMesa]

Would love to see these two 1v1 at wrestlemania but I'm not holding my breath. I know people don't want to hear it but I'm not betting on Daniel Bryan holding the title to Mania. I fully expect WWE to screw him with Orton returning from his concussion and challenging him on Smackdown, winning the title and then brushing him aside with us getting Orton vs Sheamus at mania, or if he's lucky Bryan might make it a triple threat.

I hope I'm wrong but if Christian's two day title reign taught me one thing it's to never underestimate the stupidity of WWE writers.

 

[Khalifa]

Hmmm. Interesting match this will be. I don't really appreciate how good Bryan is in the ring as I think he is a bit boring and I think Sheamus isn't all that great either which makes me feel this match will be boring, however I think that this match will pass my expectations and actually be quite enjoyable, although I wont feel disappointed if it is boring. I heard these guys had a good match at Mania last year so I don't see why it should be any different this year. I fully expect Bryan to win though and he should. Sheamus really isn't the biggest face and probably would have a stale run as a face champ. Having Bryan win this match furthers his character and also his pretty good reign.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

For those who feel that Bryan vs. Sheamus lacks the star power to be a World Title Match, keep in mind JBL vs. Cena at WM21 had less star power than this.

Yes Cena is the face of the company now and people see JBL as a good heel but backtracking to 2004/2005 Cena was still a midcarder whose biggest success was the US Title. Sheamus is already a former WWE Champion beating the likes of Cena and Triple H.

Daniel Bryan is as credible of a Champion as JBL is IMO. Sure JBL had a longer reign but no one wanted to see him Champion whereas fans were estatic when Bryan Cashed in at TLC. Which makes me believe Bryan was accepted more by the fans when he won the title.

So pretty much Bryan/Sheamus (WM28) > JBL/Cena (WM21) in terms of Starpower

 

[RatedDTM]

I have no interest in this match what soever but let me explain why...

In recent months Sheamus has become another Cena and Orton. You know as soon as they enter the ring they are going to win. Regardless of who their opponent is or where their opponent is on the card.

Sheamus should not be beating guys like Wade Barrett or The Miz for the sake of building up steam heading in WM28. Its just plain bad booking.


As for Daniel Bryan i really wanted his Heel World Title run to work but i just dont like the screaming 'Yes, yes, Yes' as he makes his way to the ring. He is a weak heel but it's something we have come to expect from WWE these days... unless your Cena/Orton and now Sheamus you dont get a clean win!

 

[Dagger Dias]

I have no interest in this match what soever but let me explain why...

For someone who has no interest in this match whatsoever, you sure had a lot of complaints about it.

In recent months Sheamus has become another Cena and Orton. You know as soon as they enter the ring they are going to win. Regardless of who their opponent is or where their opponent is on the card.

Oh, you mean how he is being booked to win matches so that he will look stronger as a contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania? Yeah, I fail to see your logic here. Sheamus won the Royal Rumble and is getting a world title match at the biggest show of the year. That justifies how hard they are pushing him.

Sheamus should not be beating guys like Wade Barrett or The Miz for the sake of building up steam heading in WM28. Its just plain bad booking.

How is that bad booking!? He needs to look like a legit threat to Daniel Bryan. If Big Show, Mark Henry, and all of the guys from Elimination Chamber could not defeat him, then how can anyone believe Sheamus could if he can't defeat guys like The Miz and Wade Barrett? If Sheamus received this push and kept LOSING to The Miz or other people lower on the card then THAT would be bad booking.

As for Daniel Bryan i really wanted his Heel World Title run to work but i just dont like the screaming 'Yes, yes, Yes' as he makes his way to the ring. He is a weak heel but it's something we have come to expect from WWE these days... unless your Cena/Orton and now Sheamus you dont get a clean win!

You're not SUPPOSED to like it when he screams "yes, yes, yes!". He is a heel. It's his JOB to annoy you right now. Newsflash, pal, heels have been annoying fans and sneaking in controversial victories since before you or I were even born. It's a formula that works and will continue to be used in the future. If you really are THAT against this match, no one is forcing you to watch it. Use that as an opportunity to go grab a snack from the fridge, or check facebook or something. I'm sure you anticipate other matches on the show, yes? If not then you can either accept this match or not watch the PPV. It's happening whether you like it or not, and countless fans (myself included) are extremely excited about this match.

 

[SacredMesa]

You're not SUPPOSED to like it when he screams "yes, yes, yes!". He is a heel. It's his JOB to annoy you right now. Newsflash, pal, heels have been annoying fans and sneaking in controversial victories since before you or I were even born. It's a formula that works and will continue to be used in the future.

Just want to touch on this for a moment. While it is true heels are suppose to get under your skin it is suppose to be in a manor that is still entertaining and fun to watch, see for example Shawn Michael's or The Rock's heel promos in Canada. They had the fans ready to riot and yet it was still entertaining, fun to watch and enjoyable.

Now take for example Johnny Ace on RAW. Everything he says makes me want to vomit and put a gun to my head. He has zero charisma, no presence, and no reason for me to believe he is any real threat to CM Punk, especially with HHH sitting over him ready to fire him. The only reason I don't turn it off when he is on is because normally CM Punk is also on. It would be like sticking Stone Cold in the ring to have a fued against Greesy Fat Guy, people would watch because it's Stone Cold but they would be begging for Greesy fat guy to get the hell off the TV screen.

Now Daniel Bryan is a bit of a catch in the middle for me. I feel the constant "yes yes yes" is over the top and vanilla to really be a decent kind of catch phrase or something we would recognize. Really I'm not even sure he needs a catch phrase, as guys like Chris Beniot, HHH and Shawn Michaels didn't really have catch phrases so much as they had titles, Rabit Wolverine, Cerebral Assassin, Mr. Wrestlemania/HBK and it worked. I feel Bryan could work much in the same way and if instead of having the constant "Yes yes yes" chants they gave him a persona that he could work with. What that would be atm I'm not sure. That isn't to say what he is currently doing is bad, imo he's taken what was a bad gimik and made it reasonable and some what entertaining which I give him credit for, I simply think it's a case though where the gimik, or in this case the "catch phrase" if you can call it that, is detracting from the character. He doesn't need to be completely redone but he does need to be tweeked.