It's fair to say that the WWE Universe has had a mixed reaction to the scheduled Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg bout at Fastlane. Some are excited at the prospect of a veteran going against a new star, meanwhile, others are terrified that it's simply a way for good old Bill to capture the Universal Championship and take it into his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33.
Whichever camp you fall into, there's no denying that it's going to be a fascinating contest. Despite what some people may think, both men have a strong chance of leaving Milwaukee with the title, and there's actually a number of different ways the match could finish.
We're not saying it'll definitely be one of these five, but you'd have to believe that there's a good chance of it.
The card is only three matches strong right now, so it's not surprising that people aren't talking about it all too much, especially considering that Elimination Chamber is coming up this Sunday. Nonetheless, it will indeed be the final pay-per-view stop on the Road to WrestleMania, so we'd better buckle up and get ready for what should be quite an enjoyable main event.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five possible finishes for Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg.
#5 Owens DQ
This is probably the least likely option, and ironically it's the one that will probably make people moan and groan more than any other. Goldberg is a fairly unstoppable monster so naturally one of the only ways to pull the wool over his eyes would be through cheating. As such, Owens causing a disqualification would probably the smartest thing he could do.
Logically it would lead to the match being restarted, but an intentional low blow followed by a pop-up powerbomb would be a pretty solid way to end the pay-per-view if you're an Owens fan. It would ensure that the belt stays on the Prizefighter, meanwhile, Goldberg and Lesnar's final grudge match at WrestleMania 33 can go ahead without the Universal Championship.
We move on to a move that would give Lesnar some long-term payback.
#4 Lesnar costs Goldberg
Back at No Way Out 2004, Goldberg played a hand in costing Brock Lesnar the WWE Championship against Eddie Guerrero. Now, nearly 13 years later, Lesnar could return the favour by ensuring that Goldberg doesn't walk into WrestleMania as the Universal Champion. Would it get a big pop? Sure it would.
Now the problem with this one is that some people feel it wouldn't make sense, however, Lesnar probably doesn't even care about the title at this point. They could make a good story out of the idea that Brock has no interest in the Championship and is instead obsessed with just beating Goldberg once and for all, in order to finally gain a small sense of retribution.
Onto the other two people involved in this match-up.
#3 Jericho costs Owens
We all know that it's coming.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 33 seems to have been set in stone for months now, and it's almost time to pull the trigger on one of them turning heel. Owens should probably be the one to do it, considering that he's the most natural heel in the world. However, there's also a possibility that it could be the creator of The List who turns to the dark side.
Jericho could state that he never liked Owens, nailing him with a codebreaker whilst Goldberg and the referee have their back turned. It would make Owens look stronger than he would if he just lost a straight up match against the former WCW Champion, and it would easily accomplish the goal of planting the seeds for Jericho vs. Owens in Orlando.
Make it happen, WWE. Up next we have a slightly more favourable option than the number one choice.
#2 Owens gets caught
Imagine, as it would be a logical story, that Goldberg is taken aback in the early goings against Owens, as the Universal Champion is much more resilient than he anticipated. Owens brings out that old-school ferocity that got him over down in NXT, showing no guilt for his actions towards Goldberg.
Owens spends the majority of the match dominating Goldberg, potentially after attacking him prior to the match.
Then, just when it looks like the Prizefighter is in control, he takes a second too long to gloat and gets caught. He turns around into a spear, completely catching him off guard. Then Goldberg nails him with two more spears and a jackhammer, but Owens kicks out.
Goldberg, stunned at this point, hits him with a second jackhammer before finally pinning him to win the Universal Championship. We conclude with something that alot of people are dreading.
#1 Goldberg squash
Remember when Goldberg defeated Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016 inside 90 seconds? Of course, you do because WWE won't let us forget about it. Well imagine if that were to happen once again, but this time to the top singles champion on Monday Night Raw.
That's right - within two minutes Goldberg completely destroys Kevin Owens and captures the Universal Championship.
It could even take him more than two spears and a jackhammer, which would be a nice way in which to give Owens a nod in comparison to Lesnar. It may not be the popular option, but it's extremely likely when you consider how strongly the WWE have been building Goldberg since his return.
Owens has been champ for a long time now - but is this how it will all come to an end?
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