WrestleMania 28: 5 Reasons We're Excited for Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus

The World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line at WrestleMania 28 this weekend, with Daniel Bryan defending against the 2012 Royal Rumble winner, Sheamus.  Bleacher Report has narrowed down the top five reasons we're excited to see this bout—but first, a quick recap.

Daniel Bryan went from being a storybook underdog, to a cowardly heel over the past few months.  He hides behind his adorable girlfriend AJ, and has developed quite the ego.  

Back when Bryan won the Money in the Bank briefcase last year, he announced that he would cash it in at WrestleMania to secure his spot on the card.  Instead, he cashed in on Big Show, moments after Show defeated Mark Henry for the title at the TLC pay-per-view. 

Sheamus has had a very different path.  

Sheamus was the dark-horse pick to win the 2012 Royal Rumble, behind favorites Chris Jericho and Randy Orton.  When Sheamus won the Rumble, he left the WWE universe guessing what title he'd choose to go for at WrestleMania.

Sheamus gave his answer at Elimination Chamber, laying out Daniel Bryan after he retained the World Heavyweight Championship.

At WrestleMania, the hot-headed Irishman will get his hands on Daniel Bryan, and is heavily favored to walk out of WrestleMania with the belt.  

Browse the following slides to see just what makes this match so exciting!

When Daniel Bryan Matters, AJ Matters

AJ Lee is the one of the most underrated divas on the WWE roster.  

Her on-screen romance with Daniel Bryan came as a surprising but welcome bump for AJ, who was only getting a fraction of the TV time she is enjoying now.

When Daniel Bryan matters, AJ matters, and that pleases this writer.  She plays a great "Miss Elizabeth" to Daniel Bryan's "Macho Man," and her being so small really enhances Daniel Bryan's heel gimmick.  

Expect to see Daniel Bryan hiding behind her at some point at WrestleMania 28, which will be quite a sight, considering she's the size of Sheamus' leg.

Sheamus and His Temper

Sheamus is a lot like John Wayne toilet paper, and WWE has done a good job of highlighting that aspect of his character.  He's a better babyface than many expected him to be, but he hasn't lost his edge.

It's not hard to get under Sheamus' skin, typically his trigger is getting smacked.  That pale skin of his lights up bright red (pink?), and he unloads on whoever gets in his way.

This creates some sticky situations when you pair this factor of Sheamus with the cowardly nature of Daniel Bryan.  

What happens if Bryan sets off Sheamus then hides behind AJ?  Does Sheamus have enough self-control to not toss AJ to the rafters?  

We're likely to find out Sunday night.

Clash of Styles

In combat sports, there's a saying that rings true even in professional wrestling.

"Styles make fights."

It's true, and that's why a match like Mark Henry vs. Big Show will look nothing like Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show.  In the case of Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus, the clash of styles leaves plenty of variables on the table.

Sheamus is a powerhouse who relies heavily on slams and strikes.  Daniel Bryan is a textbook submission specialist who compliments his style with speedy strikes.

Matches between these two haven't been too shabby in the past, and considering that this is WrestleMania, I'd wager that these two will put on a very solid show that will allow both men to show off their strengths in the ring.

Sheamus Is the Royal Rumble Winner

Growing up, I was always excited to see the Royal Rumble winner challenge for the championship at WrestleMania.  

WWE knows that many fans function the same way, which might explain why their push for this particular match hasn't been quite so big.

Winning the Royal Rumble is a hat tip from the WWE; a sign that the powers that be have faith in your talents—enough to let you challenge for a title at WrestleMania. 

Sheamus is riding a wave of momentum from his Rumble victory, and he's looking to put his name in the history books next to names like the Undertaker, Triple H, Bret Hart and Steve Austin as Royal Rumble winners who went on to win at WrestleMania.

From Dark Match to Headliner

At WrestleMania 27, Sheamus was the United States champion, and he defended his title against Daniel Bryan.

They were the dark match.

At WrestleMania 28, they're one of the biggest matches on the card, fighting over the World Heavyweight Championship.

This is what sells me on the match, truly.  The buildup hasn't been that great, and it seems painfully obvious that Sheamus is going to win, but that doesn't matter to me.  What matters is that this is the feel-good story of WrestleMania, and I'm happy for both of these talented men.

I hope they go out there and bring the house down, and their careers continue to grow exponentially.