5 December championship trials that took WWE fans by surprise

4) Daniel Bryan — WWE TLC, December 2011 (3.5 months trial)

By 2011, a superstar’s success trajectory in WWE was becoming less intrinsically linked to physique and stature, a paradigm precipitated by CM Punk’s wildly successful summer. But Daniel Bryan’s modest mic skills left an important box unticked. Previously, that would have been enough to dissuade WWE creative from pulling the trigger on a major push. But Bryan was an exception.

At WWE TLC, Big Show and Mark Henry waged war in a Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Bryan hit the ring and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Bryan then scurried to pin a fallen Big Show for the three count. The opportunistic nature of this win set up Bryan's heel turn.

Daniel Bryan at WWE TLC

While the credibility of Bryan’s title victory was limited by his cash-in, his subsequent title run was enjoyable. Unfortunately, it ended with a dud. In just 18 seconds, Bryan lost the gold to Sheamus at WWE WrestleMania 28. Still, it was only a matter of time before Bryan became a genuine champion.