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Goldberg challenged Bobby Lashley in his second match of the year at SummerSlam 2021. The WWE title was on the line and at one point, it seemed as though he was going to get his big babyface comeback, but that wasn't the case.
It was MVP who turned out to be the biggest difference-maker at the pay-per-view, as he smacked Goldberg's leg from behind with his cane while the referee wasn't looking. This led to Bobby Lashley beating him down like we've never seen before.
Ultimately, the referee called a stop to the contest because the WWE legend couldn't continue with an injured leg - and Lashley was declared the winner. Post-match, Goldberg's son Gage came in, only to go to sleep via the Hurt Lock.
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The finish of the co-main event was bizarre, and here are five reasons why the match ended the way it did:
#5. To set up a rematch between Bobby Lashley and Goldberg
Given how things played out, it seems evident that a future match between the two superstars is on the cards.
MVP justified Bobby Lashley putting Gage in the Hurt Lock by saying that they "didn't know" it was Goldberg's son and that it could have been anyone. The Hall of Famer looked on furiously, vowing to "kill" Lashley.
Now, how exactly will WWE get to the rematch? Goldberg has openly admitted that his contract with the company (which runs until 2023) is for him to wrestle twice a year. Both of his matches for the year are over, but Crown Jewel was announced by WWE for October 2021.
It's usually not a Saudi Arabia show without a legend like him. But to have him defeat Bobby Lashley, the WWE title mustn't be involved. This could mean that The All Mighty is in his final month or two as the champion.
Losing the WWE title would free him to face Goldberg in a grudge non-title match at Crown Jewel, with the veteran getting his win back and revenge in the process.
#4. To protect Goldberg as much as possible
Goldberg has received an unending amount of criticism for his match against The Undertaker in 2019 and his victory over 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt in 2020. However, he has been selfless on numerous occasions since his return in 2016.
Brock Lesnar defeated him at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, marking the first clean defeat of the latter's career. Since then, The Undertaker, Braun Strowman, and Drew McIntyre have done the same.
Bobby Lashley wasn't going to win clean because he's a top heel and has MVP at his disposal. The finish was carefully curated in a way to protect Goldberg, and it makes sense.
It ties into the previous point of WWE booking a potential rematch between the two. This is the most we've seen the former Universal Champion sell for anyone in WWE - and Lashley looked great when beating him down.
The open-ended finish protected Goldberg from suffering a clean defeat and will help set up their rematch down the line, whenever that is. But he doesn't always have to lose clean.
#3. To create heat on Bobby Lashley at Goldberg's expense
Bobby Lashley has been hot and cold through his WWE title reign, but after beating Goldberg, it might just be the former. With Lashley, many fans acknowledge him as a deserving WWE Champion - someone who has worked hard for years in the wrestling industry to get to the position that he is in now.
While Goldberg is the biggest win of his career on paper, it certainly doesn't have the same decisiveness that his victory over Drew McIntyre had at WrestleMania 37. Either way, a win is a win, and that's what will be remembered the most years from now.
The move to beat down Goldberg to the point that he couldn't continue helped create a lot of heat for Lashley. While there are fans online who enjoyed watching Bobby Lashley benefit at the WWE legend's expense, it still gained a good deal of heat for him.
Lashley is a great heel WWE champion, but he doesn't have the same level of heat that a superstar like Roman Reigns does. This may have been done to solidify that and strengthen The All Mighty going forward.
#2. To showcase Bobby Lashley's vicious side against Goldberg to build his championship profile
For Bobby Lashley, it isn't just about the massive heat as the WWE Champion, and that came at Goldberg's expense. He is as legitimate a World Champion as you can get in the company, but his stock can still keep increasing. That may have happened with a win against Goldberg.
Ultimately, it all depends on how much WWE wants Lashley to grow as a character and champion. Kenny Bolin, who recently appeared on Sportskeeda's Smack Talk, said that Bobby Lashley has come very far in terms of his promo ability.
There's still a lot of development that can be done with him as an overall character and continuing to showcase his vicious side is the best way to further his dominant heel championship run, as seen with his match against Goldberg.
We've seen the vicious side of Lashley on numerous occasions before. The WWE title match against Kofi Kingston at Money in the Bank was essentially a glorified squash match, with The All Mighty squashing the former WWE Champion.
The seven-minute bout at SummerSlam was no squash match, but it was rare to see Goldberg selling as much as he did. Perhaps he was being selfless with his selling, knowing well that he will help Bobby Lashley in the long run.
#1. To set up a Brock Lesnar match for late 2021?
Goldberg's old rival Brock Lesnar returned at SummerSlam 2021 to confront Roman Reigns. This was admittedly a bizarre direction that was forgotten in the hype. Since Lesnar returned after 17 months away, fans seem to have forgotten that he faced Reigns numerous times in 2018 alone.
Their feud never had a proper conclusion, but it might now. The stakes have been made higher because of Paul Heyman's involvement with both men. It will be a big-money match, but WWE is once again squandering the opportunity of a dream match between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley.
With that said, there is a high chance that Lesnar won't dethrone Reigns, even as a babyface. After Goldberg, the former is the biggest name that The All Mighty could face.
Thankfully, we won't be getting any more Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar matches. But if Lesnar loses to Reigns, then he could always make the jump to RAW to challenge Lashley towards the end of the year.
It can be like 2019, where Brock Lesnar lost the Universal title to Seth Rollins and made the jump to SmackDown (briefly) to capture the WWE title from Kofi Kingston. Either way, Goldberg's loss may have opened another door for Bobby Lashley.
