WWE Royal Rumble 2012: Sheamus and Daniel Bryan on Ironic Path

It was April 3, 2011, Wrestlemania 27. The biggest show of the WWE's year was hours from beginning and the Superstars were preparing for what could have been the biggest event of their careers.

Two in particular, were prepping for a United States Championship showdown. One had been on a tremendous roll since returning from a months-long release at SummerSlam. The other is now a former WWE Superstar that was on a rather pronounced losing streak before taking the US title from his opponent just weeks earlier on Raw. It should have been an exciting few hours for both men. Instead, they received news that could only be considered heart-breaking.

The United States Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus—a match many thought had a chance to steal the show—had been taken off of the Pay-Per-View telecast and given away to the live audience in the pre-show activities. The showdown between the young, highly-talented performers had been deemed expendable and the dreams of both men were dashed.

Fast-forward almost one full year later and Sheamus vs.Daniel Bryan are atop the WWE Mountain. At the 2012 Royal Rumble, Bryan successfully retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a triple-threat steel cage. He escaped from the grasp of the mammoth Big Show and survived the powerful "World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry—all the while evolving into one of the most effective and entertaining heels in the sport.

Sheamus, on the other hand, used a face turn and the incredible popularity that has come with it to win the Royal Rumble match—outlasting the heavily-favored Chris Jericho and Randy Orton. It was a win that most considered an upset and one that easily tied in with the "Dark Horses" theme song provided by Switchfoot for this year's event.

Now providing any major (though likely) developments at the Elimination Chamber event, the two men deemed expendable at Wrestlemania XXVII will meet for the World Heavyweight Championship in the co-main event of this year's extravaganza. One year after being thoroughly disappointed, they have the chance to give the fans the match they missed out on before.

Only in professional wrestling can disappointment evolve into opportunity over the course of one year like it has for Daniel Bryan and Sheamus. In a sport that has manufactured feel-good stories in the past, the current World Heavyweight Champion and the 2012 Royal Rumble match winner have provided fans with the closest thing to a natural success story fans have seen in quite some time.

Good for them.