Last Monday night on WWE RAW, Goldberg made his return to the WWE ring and answered Brock Lesnar’s challenge to a fight. Goldberg entered to a roaring ovation and was clearly overcome with emotion, and of course, he told Denver and the entire WWE Universe that he was accepting the challenge. Brock is not only next, but Brock is last!
While it is being rumoured that Goldberg might be setup to lose at Survivor Series at the hands of Brock Lesnar, let’s take a look at a few reasons why that might not actually be true and why it would make more sense for Goldberg to actually be winning this much-awaited match against the Beast Incarnate.
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#5 Wins and losses matter, but not as much as you think
Take this example as an important point in the discussion: Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX to end The Streak.
Everybody and their grandmother expected that when Undertaker eventually lost a match at WrestleMania, it would be to an up-and-coming guy, or any younger star in general, who could use the huge win as a stepping stone to greater things. Instead, WWE gave the win to Lesnar, who certainly didn’t need the boost.
Also, remember that in Brock’s very first match back after 8 years away from the business, John Cena defeated him clean as a freshly laundered sheet. Did that destroy Lesnar’s momentum? Did it make him ineffective for the rest of his time in WWE?
No, it did not. He went on to destroy a bunch of other guys and became arguably the most important guy on the entire roster. Goldberg is coming back to take one last stand.
WWE loves to give crowds a feel-good moment, and the emotional return of Goldberg on last week’s RAW sets him up to emphasize how hard he is training and how much he wants to be a superhero to the kids just one last time. Especially to prove to his son and he can still be the Goldberg that his son never got to witness.
#4 Goldberg and his power moves are iconic
The Spear. The Jackhammer. Those are two moves, especially the Spear, that will be forever linked to Bill Goldberg.
No matter how many people use a spear to finish their opponents (looking at you, Roman Reigns) or a Jackhammer as a regular part of their arsenal (Ryback?), those will always be defined by how Goldberg executed them to perfection.
He may not have been the best wrestler in the world (not by a long shot), especially due to the severe lack of training he received, but he picked up on the little things very well as his career progressed. He has the natural charisma to make everybody stop what they are doing and pay attention to whatever he is doing.
The F-5. The German suplex. Both great moves. Brock has used the F-5 on guys you never could expect could be lifted, and has done the same with his signature suplex. He has basically made it his own. They still cannot be considered iconic, era-defining moves the way Goldberg’s Spear and Jackhammer.
#3 Lesnar cannot match Goldberg’s passion
The return promo that Goldberg delivered in Denver, CO on the most recent edition of Monday Night RAW was the kind of segment that will be talked about for years. It was one of the most emotional and thrilling returns of all time.
The fact that there wasn’t a single bit of action and it was just all words and enthusiasm makes it even more impressive when you attach the word “thrilling”. It truly was.
When Goldberg was in WCW, the general consensus among the “smart” wrestling fans who read the newsletters and eventually became part of the budding online community, was that the man who started his career at 173-0 was only in it for the money.
As it turns out, from very early on in his career, he was inspired by the fact that so many kids looked at him like he was a living, breathing superhero. Brock Lesnar doesn’t care. He’s definitely in it for the money, and he left WWE to pursue other interests after only 2 years on the roster. That’s not the sign of a man with passion.
It’s a sign of a man who got bored of wrestling and then came back when he could no longer be a part of MMA and wanted a guaranteed payday with minimal work. Goldberg needs to step back in the ring. Brock Lesnar just wants the money that comes with the performance, win or lose.
#2 The feel-good story
One thing WWE loves to do, especially on pay-per-views and even more so in the main event slot, is to close out a rivalry with a feel-good moment. If WWE decides to run this match at next month’s Survivor Series, there is a very strong possibility that the match will close the show.
Goldberg returned to a gigantic ovation and immediately expressed his gratitude. At this moment, Bill Goldberg is the most over babyface in the entire WWE. The crowd wants him to win. They want him to win to prove to himself that he can still do it.
They want him to win for all of the kids who admire him. They want him to win to so they can see the Spear and Jackhammer end one more match. They want him to win so Goldberg’s son can see his father destroy the man who’s not only next, but who’s last.
Paul Heyman will continue to talk a good game and emphasize that Goldberg is old, washed up and cannot handle his client, the Beast Incarnate. Goldberg will overcome the odds and show that he has the heart, drive and passion to run through just one more guy.
#1 Let Goldberg go out on a high note
The general rule of thumb, at least historically, is that when you wrestle your last match, you go out on your back, looking up at the lights. Pass the torch, step out of the spotlight so somebody else can be featured -- all of those cliches. In this specific case, those don’t apply.
Goldberg isn’t a star in the spotlight. He doesn’t have a torch, so it cannot be passed. Brock Lesnar is a part-time superstar. He isn’t a weekly fixture. Lesnar was in the Royal Rumble, wrestled at Fastlane and then had a match at WrestleMania. He didn’t show up again until his recent SummerSlam match against Randy Orton.
That’s a 4-month absence. He hasn’t appeared since, which has been another 2 months. That’s a really beneficial circumstance for Lesnar in terms of wins and losses. If he loses to Goldberg, chances are he won’t show up again until it’s just about time for Royal Rumble.
All he has to do is come out and destroy a bunch of people and suddenly he’s the unstoppable monster once again. There is nothing negative about Brock Lesnar losing to Goldberg in the man’s final match before officially retiring. Both parties come out of it absolutely unharmed.
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