When former champion refused to lose to Bray Wyatt: Last minute changes made to their blockbuster match

Bray Wyatt had an incredibly successful career before his untimely passing on August 24, 2023. The Wyatt Family patriarch feuded with some of the biggest stars in the company between 2013 and 2022. He also had a squash match with Goldberg at WWE Super Showdown in 2020. The Hall of Famer pinned Wyatt’s alter ego, The Fiend, within minutes to win the WWE Universal Championship for the second time.

The ending to the match was heavily criticized on social media as fans didn’t want Bray Wyatt to lose to a part-timer. Many even claimed that it was Goldberg who had suggested that WWE let him go over The Fiend at the February 27, 2020, Premium Live Event. The Hall of Famer refuted those claims during an interview with SHAK Wrestling.

The former World Heavyweight Champion said he arrived in Saudi Arabia thinking he would lose to Wyatt. He added that the planned outcome of the match was changed at the last minute. The veteran didn’t reveal who came up with the idea for him to go over arguably the hottest act in the company at the time.

"Let's put it this way. I've never said anything that wasn't true in the wrestling business. I'm a talent and I do what the boss tells me to do. I flew to Saudi Arabia knowing that I was gonna lose. Then somehow it changed and the finish was different. And it surely wasn't me. Because it's an extremely selfish move, number one, to do. Number two, then truly it wouldn't be about the business, it would be about myself. And number three, who the hell am I as a part-time guy to come in and demand anything. Truly I mean I'm not," said Goldberg.

Goldberg held on to the title until WrestleMania 36, where he dropped it to Braun Strowman. The veteran unsuccessfully challenged Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the 2021 Royal Rumble. He also lost two of the next three final matches on his WWE contract.

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Goldberg handed Bray Wyatt’s Fiend his first loss in WWE

The Fiend was undefeated before facing Goldberg at the WWE Super Showdown in Saudi Arabia. The masked monster had recorded wins against the likes of Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, and Daniel Bryan, to name a few.

By pinning him at Super Showdown, Goldberg became the first superstar in WWE to defeat The Fiend gimmick. Bray Wyatt feuded with Daniel Bryan and Braun Strowman after losing to the Hall of Famer.

The feud with Braun Strowman ended abruptly after both of The Wyatt Family members were released from their contract in 2021. Fans can check out Strowman's emotional response to the news of Bray Wyatt's passing here.