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Goldberg is back and is set to challenge Drew McIntyre at Royal Rumble 2021 for the WWE Championship.
Some portions of WWE's fanbase are dreading this match because of Goldberg's track record of defeating younger stars to win the world title ahead of WrestleMania. That is a valid concern and the WWE Hall of Famer definitely has a chance of winning the WWE Title from McIntyre in just over two weeks.
If he does it, Goldberg will become the first man to win all three world titles in WWE - having already won the Universal and World Heavyweight Championships. And despite the likely outrage at his victory, the WCW icon would probably end up dropping the title at WrestleMania.
Goldberg's contracted two matches per year ensure that even if he defeats Drew McIntyre, his reign should not last beyond WrestleMania. With that in mind, several Superstars could be put in position to take WWE Title off him. However, with the way RAW has been going lately, some outrageous matches might not be out of the question.
Here are five possible opponents for Goldberg at WrestleMania 37, if he wins the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2021.
#5 Drew McIntyre wins the WWE Championship back from Goldberg
This is extremely unlikely to happen, as WWE probably wouldn't book Goldberg to face the same Superstar twice in quick succession. However, this could be a way to properly turn Goldberg heel and get more fans behind Drew McIntyre, while extending this feud.
It would be unnecessary, but WWE loves to pad various Superstars' accolades within the company. The back-and-forth title switch between McIntyre and Randy Orton may have held that same purpose. The Scottish Warrior is a two-time WWE Champion as a result.
McIntyre could become a three-time WWE Champion at WrestleMania, with Goldberg adding another world title to his collection. It isn't completely out of the question, but there are much better ways to book both Superstars following the Royal Rumble.
There may be a slight chance that this happens, but Goldberg will most likely face somebody else at WrestleMania. There would be no value in having Drew McIntyre defeat the WWE Hall of Famer if he had already lost to him.
#4 Brock Lesnar faces Goldberg in a WrestleMania 33 rematch
Another rematch, another unlikely scenario for Goldberg as the WWE Champion. However, it wouldn't be beyond Vince McMahon to book Brock Lesnar opposite the Hall of Famer in an attempt to reset and boost RAW's ratings once again. That being said, he and WWE should avoid this at all costs.
McMahon might want to recapture the magic of Goldberg and Lesnar's last encounter, which happened at WrestleMania 33. It was one of the greatest sub-five-minute matches in WWE history and nothing Goldberg could have done would have topped it in any way.
In an ideal scenario, Goldberg would have allowed WrestleMania 33 to be his swansong and not returned in 2019. However, here we are. It isn't a certainty that Brock Lesnar will be back for WrestleMania, but he is expected to be a part of the Show of Shows.
There are far more exciting options for Lesnar than a rematch with Goldberg but once again, it wouldn't be beyond Vince McMahon to book it. If Goldberg is to win the WWE Title from Drew McIntyre, there are many better options in terms of Superstars to take the belt from him. Most of them are currently on Monday Night RAW.
#3 Bobby Lashley challenges Goldberg in a hard-hitting clash
Out of some of the more realistic options that could challenge the potential new WWE Champion Goldberg at WrestleMania 37, Bobby Lashley is an interesting choice. He is yet to win a world title in WWE and is overdue a reign on top of RAW or SmackDown.
Lashley is currently the United States Champion and the CEO of The Hurt Business. He is looking unstoppable and hasn't been beaten cleanly since his last WWE Championship match - a slugfest against Drew McIntyre at Backlash. He could have a mini-version of that match against Goldberg.
Both Superstars could engage in a battle of the spears, which may ultimately be won by Lashley. Imagine if WWE allowed him to squash Goldberg at 'Mania, even more so than how Braun Strowman defeated him. It would definitely put him one step closer to his ultimate dream match against Brock Lesnar.
It would be quite the statement. Lashley doesn't even need to lose the US Title before the match. He could simply gift it to MVP, which would ensure all members of The Hurt Business have a title. Business is definitely booming.
#2 Keith Lee turns heel and destroys Goldberg at WrestleMania
Just before Goldberg's return on RAW, Drew McIntyre defended his WWE Championship in an excellent match against Keith Lee. It was one hell of a breakout performance for The Limitless One, at least in terms of the main event scene. However, there is so much more to come.
Just as McIntyre was about to cut a promo on Lee and show him respect, Goldberg came out and interrupted the proceedings. This might lead to the former NXT Champion getting more and more frustrated at the 54-year-old getting the opportunities that should be his.
If Goldberg wins the WWE Title from McIntyre, Lee could snap and turn heel on the Hall of Famer. And with WWE controlling the crowd reactions in the ThunderDome, there would be no fear of the newly-turned heel getting cheered by the fans. But it would lead to a new star being created.
A Keith Lee heel turn is an interesting prospect and possibly his best chance at reaching Drew McIntyre's level without switching brands. After demolishing Goldberg to become WWE Champion, Lee could go on an epic reign. He could even join The Hurt Business to fulfill their prophecy of holding all the gold on RAW.
#1 The Fiend avenges his loss to Goldberg and defeats him for the WWE Championship
If Goldberg actually wins the WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre at Royal Rumble, the one Superstar who should take the title from him at WrestleMania is the one who suffered his "wrath" one year ago. Bray Wyatt. And as we all know, The Fiend never forgets.
At last year's Super ShowDown pay-per-view, Goldberg squashed The Fiend to win the Universal Championship. The defeat almost irreversibly damaged Wyatt's alter-ego, but he recovered thanks to the Firefly Fun House Match at WrestleMania 36 against John Cena.
The Fiend may currently be off WWE TV after Randy Orton burned him to a crisp at TLC, but he could return at any moment. His storyline with The Viper will likely end before WrestleMania 37, with Orton possibly facing Edge at the Show of Shows. This leaves Bray Wyatt without a clear opponent.
This is where a possible world title rematch with Goldberg comes into the picture. Their match in Saudi Arabia may not have been the best, but that was the result of Goldberg not allowing Wyatt any extended offense. If the younger Superstar was to win with a squash instead, it would have held a purpose in terms of storytelling.
If Goldberg walks into 'Mania with the WWE Title, it could be The Fiend who challenges him. He would avenge his only pinfall loss and emerge as the WWE Champion. Hurting Goldberg would be the ultimate healing moment for Bray Wyatt, as he embarks on the dominant world title reign he barely got to have.
