5 reasons why Goldberg returned to WWE and challenged Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns found his next opponent on SmackDown this week, as Goldberg returned to WWE to challenge for the Universal Championship. The match is set to happen at the Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia.

Every time the WWE Hall of Famer returns, fans immediately start questioning what will happen next. This simply is a slight detour for The Tribal Chief on his road to WrestleMania 38, where he will face Brock Lesnar. But why did Goldberg return to WWE at this very moment?

What are your thoughts on this match? Leave them in the comments section below.

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#5 Reasons why Goldberg returned to WWE now - This match was supposed to happen two years ago, at WrestleMania 36

Upon his challenge, Michael Cole immediately pointed out that the Hall of Famer was supposed to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36. The two were set to fight for the Universal Championship, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed things.

The Tribal Chief pulled out of the 'Mania tapings at the WWE Performance Center due to a higher risk of catching the virus. As a result, his match with the WCW icon got canceled. Goldberg instead defended the Universal Title against Braun Strowman at The Show of Shows.

Reigns returned to WWE a few months later and has taken his career to new heights ever since. He hasn't lost his title since winning it nearly 18 months ago. It remains a mystery whether The Head of the Table would have reached a similar level had his title reign begun at WrestleMania instead.

So, this match was inevitable for the past two years. It was just a matter of it being the right time. Elimination Chamber 2021 seems like it, but why now?

#4 Goldberg has a history of winning the Universal Title on the road to WrestleMania

One of the main reasons fans always dread seeing Goldberg return is his effect on the Universal Championship picture during the road to WrestleMania. In 2017, he defeated Kevin Owens to win the title at Fastlane. This stopped KO's match with Chris Jericho from potentially headlining the event.

Three years later, Goldberg struck again as he defeated The Fiend at Super ShowDown to set up a match against Roman Reigns. So, with that kind of history, there is some level of jeopardy in this story.

It may lead to a lot of fear among the fanbase that WWE might pull the trigger on a title change at Elimination Chamber, only for The Tribal Chief to reign supreme in the end.

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#3 Roman Reigns adds another big name to his growing collection

Roman Reigns will most likely defeat Goldberg after an explosive sub-five-minute match. This would add the WWE Hall of Famer to the Universal Champion's ever-growing list of victims.

Legends like Edge and John Cena have already been slain by Reigns, with the WCW icon adding further value to the list. The Tribal Chief's diverse set of opponents over the past year and a half has been stacked, with him having great matches and rivalries with each name.

Much of what happens on SmackDown is aimed towards boosting the legend of Roman Reigns in WWE, with this development being no different.

#2 Roman Reigns' next full-time challengers are saved for after WrestleMania

WWE has severe depth issues with SmackDown, which leaves Roman Reigns with limited potential opponents after his WrestleMania match with Brock Lesnar. Only a couple of names can really step up to The Head of the Table, like Drew McIntyre and Big E.

Goldberg challenging Reigns before WrestleMania 38 makes sense, as there is no doubt over the outcome. It makes sense that full-time stars are being saved until after The Show of Shows, so they have somewhat of a chance of dethroning The Tribal Chief.

Matches against McIntyre and Big E deserve elaborate builds from WWE, which would not have been possible for the upcoming Saudi Arabian event. Depending on the circumstances, both men should ultimately be considered options to defeat Roman Reigns.

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#1 Goldberg's last WWE match was great

Much has been said about how a win over Goldberg would further elevate Roman Reigns and his star power. But what effect will it have on the WWE Hall of Famer's legacy?

The past few years have been a roller-coaster for the WCW icon. While he has had disasters against The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt, matches against the likes of Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre showcased his strengths to perfection.

In his last WWE match at Crown Jewel, the two-time Universal Champion also had a great outing opposite Bobby Lashley. If he can emulate that performance against The Tribal Chief, it will further boost his reputation in the wrestling world.

With Elimination Chamber possibly being his final match, Goldberg would want to go out with a strong showing. There may not be a better partner for that to happen than Roman Reigns.