13 years ago, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar locked horns at WrestleMania XX. A forgettable outing for the fans, the match is still considered to be one of the worst ones in WrestleMania history. This Sunday night, WWE will try to rewrite history with the latest match in the Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar saga.
The storyline was met with mixed responses from the fans but rather than appealing to the hardcore fans, what WWE probably wanted was to attract the casual ones with the star power of Lesnar and Goldberg.
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With Lesnar’s mainstream appeal and Goldberg’s nostalgia-inducing return, things worked well for WWE and now on Sunday night it’s all about delivering the goods.
Betting odds:
Brock Lesnar was embarrassed at the hands of Goldberg when these two last faced off at Survivor Series. Goldberg had an upper hand over Lesnar at Royal Rumble as well and despite all these setbacks, Lesnar opens as a huge favourite for his match against WWE Universal champion.
Lesnar is currently a massive -5,000 favourite for the match according to Odds Shark. This means that a $5000 bet can win $100. Goldberg's odds are +1200.
5Dimes shows a similar pattern with Lesnar being a -4050 favourite. Goldberg’s contract coming to an end after WrestleMania is likely to be a factor contributing to this landslide in the odds.
Also, a good portion of the fans believes that WWE will facilitate a strong turn around for Lesnar as he is a marquee name that needs to be kept strong.
Preview:
Lesnar’s Kryptonite
WWE’s good job during the buildup is what attracts fans to this match. It started at Survivor Series when Goldberg embarrassed Lesnar. Ever since he ended Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak, Lesnar steamrolled through the WWE roster. No one got a clean win over him and it seemed like he was going to continue this forever.
Going into the UFC amidst all this and securing a win there made Lesnar look like more of a beast. But then, he stumbled upon his kryptonite: Goldberg.
The former WCW Heavyweight champion returned to WWE programming after a long hiatus and all of a sudden, Lesnar looked beatable. A man that haunted the roster for more than two years was defeated in just one minute and 24 seconds by Goldberg, in turn, giving WWE a chance to set the feud in motion.
The desperation of Lesnar and rise of Goldberg:
It was the start. Goldberg would once again prove to be Lesnar’s kryptonite at Royal Rumble. Lesnar looked vulnerable and desperate to right his wrongs for the first time in years and eventually took up the role of the underdog in the storyline.
On the other hand, WWE further built Goldberg up and made him the WWE Universal Champion. The title raised the stakes for the match. If we ignore certain negatives that we usually emphasise on, the Goldberg–Lesnar feud has had an excellent narrative: A man who finds his kryptonite and tries to conquer it.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins
But! According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Brock Lesnar may end up losing as the WWE feels the result is too predictable and need some sort of a swerve to make this an unforgettable moment.
Read more: Brock Lesnar might lose at WrestleMania due to a last minute change
Despite the rumored change, the Beast Incarnate should win this one in dominating fashion.
Brock Lesnar has a point to prove. Another defeat at the hands of Goldberg would considerably impact his credibility and unless there is an outside interference, Lesnar is the favourite to win here.
Lesnar winning the WWE Universal Championship allows WWE to build the Raw brand around him after WrestleMania 33. The Beast would be able to draw heat from the fans as a part-time champion and this was evident from the last WWE Championship run that he had.
The WWE fans wanted a Champion that appeared regularly on the show and WWE made use of this emotion to bring up baby faces against Lesnar. A similar booking could be expected if Lesnar wins on Sunday night.
As for Goldberg, he could be taking another hiatus after the match and suffering a loss will not be a major problem for him as he already holds a huge win over Lesnar.
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