5 times Daniel Bryan stole the spotlight in WWE
Over the course of his WWE career, Daniel Bryan -- now known as Bryan Danielson in AEW -- established himself as one of the most beloved Superstars on the roster. His popularity stemmed from the fact that he was the ultimate underdog. Despite having seemingly insurmountable obstacles placed in front of him on and off-screen, Bryan found a way to triumph.
WWE management never saw him as a main eventer due to his size and indie background, but he proved them wrong on countless occasions. Even when they tried to overlook Bryan, the audience often forced their hand and made it clear that they wanted to see The American Dragon featured in a prominent position.
To his credit, Bryan never disappointed whenever he was given the opportunity. He was consistently entertaining in the ring and eventually grew into one of the most compelling promos in professional wrestling.
As his WWE tenure drew to a close, Vince McMahon developed an enormous amount of respect for the former World Champion and did everything in his power to retain him.
With that being said, here are five times Daniel Bryan stole the spotlight in WWE:
#5 The fans were outraged by Daniel Bryan's loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28
WWE had plans to push Sheamus as one of its biggest babyfaces in 2012. He won the Royal Rumble and set his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship, which was held by Daniel Bryan.
Bryan won his first title after cashing in Money in the Bank on the Big Show and was subsequently booked as a cowardly champion. The audience felt that he deserved to be presented better and didn't quite take to Sheamus. When the Irish star won the belt in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28, there was a significant backlash.
The following night on RAW was the start of the "Yes" chants and the beginning of Bryan's rise to becoming a megastar.