Spotlight

New World Heavyweight Champion

Richard Gray April 1, 2012 WWE News 77 Comments

Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the opening match of Wrestlemania XXVIII.

Bryan was giving AJ a good luck kiss when he turned around and was hit with the Brogue Kick followed by a three count. The “match” was only 18 seconds long.

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Richard Gray

Richard Gray is the owner and editor of WrestlingNewsWorld.com. Covering the professional wrestling business since 1999, Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia University. He is also the owner of Gray Internet Technologies, LLC. and should be contacted with all business matters. You can friend him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. Email him directly at [email protected].

Guy Landau

HORRIBLE start to Wrestlemania! Absolutely horrifying!
kristolium

double u tee ef!!!
Dangerous Lee

No!!! No!!! No!!!! No!!!!

Does anybody else feel completely insulted?
elgato48

I can’t believe they jobbed daniel bryan like that. Actually I do believe it. Thats whats sad
Josh

No! No! No!
Anon

why should anyone care about the heavyweight championship anymore? when they did it to the hardcore title it was a joke, now it's just dumping the most important title in the trash bin…
Howie

What a disgrace. I want my money back. What a way to destroy someone they have built for months and devalue the title even more.
Patrick_Peralta

I agree that sucks…glad I didn't order the event
- Logan_Walker
  
  i was watching it on a Stream (WWE.com) and it skiped the match
diddy

Good luck kiss from AJ more like bad luck kiss then a kick in the kisser from Sheamus i hope Aheamus said PUCKER UP before the kick
- Destruction
  
  You know wrestling is staged, right?
Alejandro

My forehead is still red from all the face palming.
mehartze

Absolute garbage. Build him up just to have a squash match at Mania? Ridiculous booking
Richard johnson

you have got to be kidding me! that was disrespectful, not only to to the wrestlers, but to all the fans that ordered the pay per view.
Hitman310

All this hype and story for 18 seconds?
tone

unreal
Fraser

Couldn't have started Wrestlemania any worse! did Daniel Bryan drop the title because of an injury?
tone

unbelievable
DeathDancer

What an absolute joke. With a single brogue kick, I'm not watching Smackdown for a whole year nor am I watching Sheamus' title reign…what a great way to bury the man they've been building for months, and this was meant to be a main event. absolute bs
Trev

Worst opening match i've ever seen. That's a weekly tv show quality match not the biggest show of the year match…
diego

last year bumped down to dark match

this year opening squash match

f*** this company, seriously, f*** it
Kleck

There’s the April Fools Joke
VLG

C'mon, this means they've effectivey bumped the same match off the card in TWO CONSECUTIVE Wrestlemanias. Not good WWE, not good at all.
Kleck

There’s the April Fools Joke of the night
- LLL
  
  Yeah, people thought that Daniel Bryan and Sheamus was going to get a lengthy 15 to 20 minute match and it ended in 18 seconds. What a slap in the face to everyone in attendance and watching online.
  - XKonn247
    
    Or watching on tv via PPV as its meant to be…
Pedro

Yousuck wwe, what a waste of talent, you ar giving long and tedyy more time and the kane vs orgon match, matches who people does not care. What a crap
- XKonn247
  
  That’s a lie. I cared about both those matches. Speak for yourself.
Ken Ocasio

18 seconds and it’s all over? WHAT THE HELL?
Bradley

However, you are talking about it…the entire point. WWE doesn't care about the response, they only care they get one. They are sure getting one for this match. Makes since to me.
Ryan.c

BS!!!! I feel empty and insulted after seeing that, VKM you egotistic selfish human, what a joke and waste of time, what was he thinking booking that!!!!
Carter Killion

Can’t believe I paid $55 I want $10 back since I got ripped off a match
- Brett
  
  HOW MUCH?????
  
  £15 in England, which when changed to USD is a load less than 55!!
  - Bigbdawg2003
    
    $65 high def
MattC.

complete garbage, Daniel Bryan is an amazing competitor as is Sheamus, both of them and the fans deserved a real match worth talking about…horrible choice by WWE. its supposed to be Wrestlemania. not Impact Wrestling.
Ken Ocasio

I’m speechless
Austin

This has got to be the most un-excusable booking I’ve ever seen!!!!!! What a way to end an awesome and lengthy world title reign. This also makes no sense as I’m sure all the other main matches will have guys kicking out of finishers,but Brian goes down in ONE kick. That sucks. Well if wweak wanted me to feel good about not ordering this 55 dollar(!) event, consider mission accomplished.
- XKonn247
  
  I actually cannot BELIEVE so many “fans” didn’t order this!? And you’re calling the booking disgraceful? Sorry but you are aloud NO opinion if you didn’t even order the damn thing!!!
Bruce

Wonder what AJ thinks about her man now? oh well i wonder if they'll be spooning tonight?
- James M>>>
  
  She actually came over to my house last night and spooned with me. It was very niiiiiiiicccceeee
Bigbdawg

Not a fan of either wrestler and didnt care to see the match in the first place but 18 sec @ mania horrible wwe should be ashamed
Aj

What an absolute disgrace f’ckin disgrace. Want a refund!!
Basknata

Seriously!?!?!?!????!!??! Wtf did they go and do that for?.. I missed the first match because I had a game so I got on here to see what was happening and this is what I find. They need to stop the show, start over, and try again!
anon

it really was an awful start! does anybody know why this happened? was daniel bryan injured or did something happen backstage?
Bigbdawg2003

Not a fan of either wrestler and didnt care to see the match in the first place but 18 sec at mania horrible wwe should be ashamed
Basknata

It has to be an April fools joke! Right?
justin

Every single person in attendance and watching from home was just slapped in the face. What an insult that match was for everyone involved. I will have a sour taste in my mouth for a long time.
Owen

Worst opening match in WrestleMania history. Even worse than the four-way elimination tag match from WrestleMania 13.
Razmos01

Theres got to be a twist surely, maybe a rematch or new contender?
elgato48

I think they re hired russo
elgato48

I think they re hired russo. That would explain everything
H.M.

18 seconds. Sour taste in my mouth. I am fuming at this. Royal Rumble winner main eventing 'Mania? Yeah, alright.
A.J.

This f’n STUPID!!!even the the fans were mouthing WTF.I was ripped off and am dissappointed of WWE.I thought the match that was overlooked by the 3 main events would have stole the show.These two have worked incredible matches together in the past and being wrestlemania,I thought they would do it again.No one to blame but the writers.The fans were chanting DANIEL BRYAN in the beginning of Kane vs Randy(another train wreck)
eddie27

What’s sad is how long the divas match was and the WHC gets 18 seconds
Kiko

This has to be the worst start to wrestlemania I have ever seen! No wonder why ratings drop constantly! Disgusting! Every match so far has been awful!
desmond

no april fool's joke
http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/wrestlem…
Stoney

All good things in WWE get pissed away now
Bradley

The Diva's match was longer…I wish it was only 18 seconds.
http://facebook AnnA

It was Awsome to see Daniel get someone to beat him.THANK YOU SHEAMUS
- RockIsAwesome
  
  I am all with you, AnnA… SHEAMUS Rulez…bye bye coward Bryan
matt

Once again Vince's stubborness and ego got the better of him
Brandon

Sheamus and Madusa Micelli is and was from the same mold. Both are born to devalue major titles
Nightmare

What could have been an awesome match is turned to crap what a waste of 2 talents
Frenchfry

GOOD!GOOD!GOOD!

Was unpredictable and entertaining to me, thats all I ask for, dont get greedy people!
PC

Really? Really? You couldn't let these guys you know wrestle? Give me a fifteen minute match! I'll take it! I guess Bryan is going down to mid-card oblivion…
Mr. E

I have to question this. With all of the build that WWE put into this match, only to have it end in 18 seconds, brings me to one of two conclusions: #1) Bryan is injured, and was unable to compete, or #2) Bryan really, REALLY ticked someone off backstage. Richard? Anything?
sharky1992

this match was complete BS, glad i didn't pay to watch tbh…pretty poor way for d-bry to lose even if i don't like him
Ryan

It’s ok. Shemus is awesome
MonstaHeel 450

Wait what?? Talk about lady luck. 18 seconds… Man, ya'll know who Daniel's gonna point the finger at, right? Way to go, Danny Boy. Definitely made Big Show's night for sure (45 seconds) 'specially winning the IC title
Rob

The WWE have devalued the WHC so badly tonight, with the Intercontinental title garnering far more PPV time it should now be considered the no. 1 title on Smackdown. At least with the drop to midcard status for the WHC title it is being held by a midcard wrestler.
After the opening match I won't be trusting WWE with my hard earned money again and if others feel the same way the WWE can thank their own terrible booking for the lower buy rates they could potentially get in the future.
Tristan

Cant believe Maria Menonous got more air time than a WORLD TITLE MATCH !
j8duong

You know theres something SERIOUSLY wrong here when the diva's ENTRANCES are longer than the world title match…………..
James

I blinked, what happened?
Andrew

To be fair, when sheamus won, it was one of the biggest pops of the night, so the live crowd can’t have been too disappointed. However I was convinced that it would be an angle and Bryan would get his rematch clause later on in the PPV and have a good 20 min match but lose again.
Streamz

They had to cut the WHC match short so Brodus had time to call his momma… How did that deserve more air time than what should have been one of the best matches on the card?!?!?!?!?!?!
http://www.alphamaleexamples.com Ian Mackay

Wonder if DB was banging Stephanie like Macho was!
WrestlingMaster777

For months Bryan is doing exactly the same, Sheamus did in 18 seconds, so Bryan got what he deserved…

Sheamus is a better champion annyway