5 Worst Wrestling Matches Of 2012

2. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania XXVIII

How this match didn't start a riot is a mystery

18 seconds. That is how long it took Sheamus to beat Daniel Bryan in one of the worst opening matches in WrestleMania history.

Don’t get me wrong; one-sided squash matches have their value in wrestling, as long as the person being squashed isn’t someone you need for the future. Daniel Bryan was one such a wrestler, an outstanding grappler who could have great matches with anyone, and was someone that was slowly climbing up the ladder in the company.

Bryan lost to Sheamus, a pale, chiseled Irishman with supposedly close ties to Triple H, after one kick.

Not only was this match perceived as downright robbery even by fans who wanted to see a competitive match between these two wrestlers, but fans were upset over the symbolism of this loss. Bryan – a small, bearded technical wrestler billed as an ‘indy darling’ – was destroyed by Sheamus, a muscular ‘WWE creation’.

People perceived this creative direction as Vince McMahon telling everyone what he thought of anyone who didn’t fit his image of a star or anyone that succeeded without his direct involvement.

Regardless of whether these things are true or not, this match set the tone for WrestleMania XXVIII, and not in a good way. Not only was it the opening match for the biggest show of the year, but it also devalued the Royal Rumble, as the winner of that match was basically the curtain jerker for the show instead of being in its main event.