It is now official. Goldberg has his match at WrestleMania 33 set. It is against Brock Lesnar who he has already squashed twice in the last three months. It is against the guy who he already fought at WrestleMania XX and bored us to tears in one of the most disappointing matches in Mania history.
I have seen Goldberg and Brock interact with each other multiple times and every time it has been disappointing. Add in the fact that it looks likely that the match will be for the WWE Universal Championship and we have an unnecessary rematch between two part-timers at the biggest stage of the year.
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I think the WWE can do better. Since there is a pretty good chance this is the last potential match for Goldberg in the WWE, why waste it on a rematch we don’t want to see? Why not use Goldberg’s star power one last time for something far more interesting?
I present my list of the top five better opponents for Goldberg to face at WrestleMania 33:
#5 Braun Strowman
Vince sure loves his big men, doesn’t he? Braun is latest in a long line of unstoppable monsters who have run through rosters in the WWE. He has pretty much been booked as unstoppable in the last year on the Raw Brand.
The issue is that Braun needs some big matches to sell that image. He will have one big match with Roman at Fastlane but what happens to Strowman on the biggest stage in Orlando?
Also read: 5 opponents Goldberg should face in 2017
Whatever one thinks of Goldberg’s wrestling ability at nearly 50 years old, you cannot deny the ratings boost and the crowd support that he has received in recent months. Since it looks like Vince wants Braun to be his monster heel for the next few years, why not use the outgoing Goldberg to do something meaningful?
Nothing would put Strowman over like taking on or taking down the former WCW star.
#4 Roman Reigns
I know Roman can be a polarising figure in the WWE but he has shown himself to be a quality hand throughout the last year. Seriously, think of a bad match he has had on a pay-per-view stage. He may not always be booked the proper way on Raw but you cannot deny his in-ring skill.
This would make him a credible looking threat to Goldberg at WrestleMania.
Based on his booking, it seems quite clear that Roman is clearly regarded as the face of the company to build around in the coming years. Whether it is as a good guy or a bad guy, Roman will be near the top of the roster. He simply needs more big-time matches to get to that point.
With matches with Triple H, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg under his belt, you cannot deny that it would push Roman as a major player for each WrestleMania season going forward.
#3 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is getting his rightful place as a major star in his first few weeks on the Raw brand. With his actions and appearance, he is being presented as an unstoppable assassin. It might have been an accident but hurting Seth Rollins also sold his character well.
Using an 18-year veteran against the part-timer Goldberg would be a smart idea for a big stage. It allows the Goldberg to cover any issues of ring rust and gives Samoa Joe that instant credibility that would go with facing a famous name.
If he defeated Goldberg, that would set up his assassin character for months to come.
#2 The Undertaker
It seemed like a big moment when Goldberg was face to face with Undertaker at the Royal Rumble. Sadly, it was over before it even started. But judging by the crowd reaction, it was a moment worthy of a big stage.
Since it is a fresh match-up and the odds of it happening next year are slim to none, this might be the last chance to make this dream match a reality.
In the recent years, Undertaker has been at his best in a brawling situation. If you look back at his last two encounters with Brock Lesnar, a straight-up brawl is what suits the Undertaker best at this stage of his career, this is also the sort of match that Goldberg could pull off.
It doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to look like an actual fight. That is something these two could pull off well if given the chance.
#1 John Cena
Hey, it is a dual-branded pay-per-view so I can have a Raw guy and Smackdown guy fight on that night, right? The only thing worse than seeing Lesnar-Goldberg III is thinking about what is available to John Cena.
John Cena has had arguably some of the best matches of his career against AJ Styles. He is at the top of his game. But who do the rumours say John will face at WrestleMania this year? It is a mixed tag match with Nikki Bella against Miz & Maryse. That is almost laughable.
Virtually anything would be better than that potential match-up. I doubt Goldberg and John Cena would have a 5-star classic but Cena has had a habit of making a lot of matches seem special in the last few years.
I think a match between two of the biggest stars in the industry would be a memorable addition to any WrestleMania.
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