Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Nick Paglino:
“WWE seems to be in a tricky situation here, as prior to Sheamus’ Rumble win he was stuck in limbo, with no real direction or meaning on WWE TV. Creative has done a good job building his momentum heading into WrestleMania, and that momentum would benefit from a Title win so Sheamus can really break through that glass ceiling as an established main event player.
On the other hand, what will happen to Daniel Bryan should he lose the title at WrestleMania? Is WWE management really behind him as a top guy, or will he fall by the wayside and slowly slip out of the main event picture?
The question is which one of the above scenarios is more important in the long run. I think Sheamus is on the right track to becoming a top guy in WWE, and a win for Bryan will give him the “credibility” he needs as a top guy/champion, so I say give the win to Daniel Bryan. Does that mean it will happen? Not necessarily. While I would like to see Sheamus chase the title a little longer, my official ‘Mania pick is going to be Sheamus winning the strap at the big PPV.”
Josh Isenberg:
I agree with all points made by Nick here. I really see Bryan falling off in sorts after WrestleMania, not to the level of a Swagger title collapse, but more of The Miz. The long run belongs to Sheamus, a guy more marketable in the international market, more personable, and a better fit physically as a World Champion.
Does Sheamus break through the ceiling after Mania? I am not so sure that a title win against a guy like Bryan will boost him through it, but I do think that Sheamus can carry Smackdown like Henry, Christian, and even Orton did in 2011. If they give the belt to Sheamus, make sure he holds it for an extended period of time. If he loses it by July, it would be somewhat of a waste. Have Sheamus begin to dominate, let him work with guys like Orton and Christian, have the draft for newer opponents for him, and really work with many different talents.
At the end of the day, Sheamus is my pick to win at WrestleMania. It would make NO sense to have him lose, continue the chase, and win on a much smaller stage. This is what creative needs to do. Give him the title in Miami, not a month later.
Follow @JoshIsenberg4 on Twitter. Next Week, we get the staff of WrestleZone’s Full Predictions for WrestleMania 28.
Emails at Josh.Isenberg@Wrestlezone.com and Nick.Paglino@Wrestlezone.com
