#4 It implied a hierarchy gap
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For months, Kevin Owens has been the top dog on Monday Night Raw. As the major champion of the roster, he was the brand ambassador and the pinnacle for which to strive for.
With Goldberg shutting him out in under 30 seconds, this gives off the idea that the two of them are in completely different leagues. We don’t even see an over-protected guy like Roman Reigns beat someone as lowly as Epico and Primo this quickly.
By that rationale, this means the worst jobber on the roster is closer to the skill level of Kevin Owens than Owens is to Goldberg. Either Goldberg is that astronomically better, or he’s at least viewed that way in the eyes of the creative team.
The latter part is what is more definitively true. The only reason Goldberg is the champion right now is because he’s a big enough name that the company felt he is the bigger star and he takes priority over everybody else, including the guy who not only has lorded over everyone else but also kept your show running for the past several months.
This produces a lower morale as it reinforces the idea to the talent pool that they could be the most important workhorses who handle the responsibilities of the everyday strength of the product, but at the biggest show of the year—the goal they’ve been shooting for—they can be cast aside in favor of someone who sweeps in to steal it.
The Rock has gotten criticism for taking up spots from other people when he was featured in the main event several years in a row. Brock Lesnar has drawn the same fire. Now, it’s Goldberg’s turn.
Even fans of Goldberg can potentially turn on him now if they are passionate about this and would have preferred Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho to be for the Universal Championship, which easily could have happened. Those same fans could be chanting for Lesnar at Wrestlemania because he’s at least a more regular star than Goldberg is, and then your main event is hijacked by bitter smarks.
Worse, you’ve now just told those guys like Owens that they aren’t good enough, but once the part-timers leave after Wrestlemania, you’ll be crawling back to them in the hopes they’ll take on the responsibility all over again.
You just spit in their faces. What do you do if they say no? Can you blame them for being less than enthusiastic to break their backs for the next 11 months until you pull the rug out from under them again at Wrestlemania 34?
