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The world had assumed that Goldberg was on course to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, but it so turns out that WWE had other plans.
Drew McIntyre went the distance with Keith Lee for the WWE Championship in an absolutely fantastic match. But it is when McIntyre defeated Lee to retain his WWE Championship on RAW Legends Night that the real angle happened.
Goldberg showed up for the first time in months to walk up to Drew McIntyre and challenge him for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. One has to wonder why Goldberg has returned to face Drew McIntyre and not Roman Reigns after the fantastic build.
Goldberg even said the following in a Bleacher Report interview:
If the Roman Reigns match isn't the match at the top of my priority list, then I wouldn't be Goldberg. That's a match that needs to happen. It's a match that's needed to happen for a very long period of time. I wish I would've been able to have that match 10 years ago. People in hell want ice water, too. You can't have everything the way you want it, but I think I can still be a very formidable opponent for him.
#5 Allows Roman Reigns to face Daniel Bryan, while Goldberg faces Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania
A recent report states that one of the names that is being considered to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania is Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan is also being touted by some as being the favorite to win the 2021 Royal Rumble. If Goldberg mixes it up with Drew McIntyre, this storyline could always play out.
Roman Reigns needs a white-meat babyface to take him on, and there's nobody better suited for this role than Daniel Bryan, provided The Rock doesn't show up to the party.
#4 Drew McIntyre may actually come up short against Goldberg during their Royal Rumble match because RAW needs all the help it can get
When Drew McIntyre and Goldberg faced off in the middle of the ring at the conclusion of RAW Legends Night, everyone in the SK Wrestling Chat wanted to write an article about the segment.
The fact of the matter is that whether you like Goldberg or hate him, everyone has an opinion on the WCW icon, and hence, his presence demands your attention. Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles was a great feud that culminated in a massive match, but the level of interest is significantly lower, as compared to Goldberg.
The SmackDown brand has been faring far better when it comes to viewership as opposed to RAW, and one has to believe that Goldberg is back to bring back the lapsed viewers who may have stopped watching the product.
Do not be surprised if Drew McIntyre loses the WWE Championship to Goldberg and then regains it at WrestleMania 37, in a return match.
#3 WWE may not want to make either Goldberg or Roman Reigns look weak in defeat
Let's imagine Goldberg going up against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. When the two men clash, either Goldberg's appeal and sheen would be diminished quite significantly indeed or Reigns' dream run as a heel Champion would come to an end.
To eliminate this issue, the company may have chosen to include Drew McIntyre in the mix. Now, while McIntyre is protected, we saw him lose not long ago to Randy Orton and then again to Roman Reigns. So, one has to assume that he's one level below Goldberg and the Tribal Chief in the overall WWE hierarchy.
Sure, Drew McIntyre's stock may be diminished if he comes up short against Goldberg, but because we've already seen him suffer losses in the past, the damage won't be nearly as severe. Roman Reigns simply can't afford to lose because this is the best he's ever been booked, across the duration of his entire WWE career, by a big margin.
#2 Goldberg has never won the WWE Championship (even though he's held two 'equal' titles)
Goldberg has done it all in the industry, but he's never won the WWE Championship. Basically, this feud with Drew McIntyre may be a way for the WCW icon to stand atop the RAW food chain with the WWE Championship. Goldberg's days in the business may be numbered at this time, but he'd want to go out on a major note.
Yes, he's been the World Heavyweight Champion in the past and has also won the WWE Universal Championship on more than one occasion, but the WWE Championship, the most prized title in the business, has always eluded him.
WWE loves its statistics and by putting the WWE Championship around Goldberg's waist, they can publicize the fact that he has won not one, not two, but all three of the world championships inherent to WWE. There are very few draws in the business, at Goldberg's level at this point in time, and by enhancing his mystique, they can keep him 'special'.
#1 Allows Goldberg to work as a heel with Drew McIntyre as the clear babyface
If Goldberg goes up against Drew McIntyre, the crowd will firmly be on the side of the Scotsman, and not Bill Goldberg. Now that the business has been exposed, as they say, people see past the smoke and mirrors that Kevin Sullivan and Eric Bischoff introduced in WCW, concealing Goldberg's weaknesses and highlighting his strengths.
Drew McIntyre looks like a Greek God and works far better than Goldberg could in his prime, and this is something that the audience of today realizes. As a result, Goldberg will step into this match as a heel, even if he is not really a heel.
Roman Reigns is a full-fledged heel, but the audience may turn him babyface if Goldberg goes up against him. This is not what WWE wants because they have struck gold with his heel turn.
Have you checked out the exclusive that we'd conducted with Drew McIntyre a few months ago, where he weighed in on a variety of topics?
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
