5 consequences of Goldberg becoming the WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble 2021

Goldberg is challenging for World Championship gold once again. Despite Drew McIntyre testing positive for COVID-19, he confirmed on the January 11th episode of RAW that he will be facing Goldberg at the 2021 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

The match will go ahead as scheduled, although we imagine that WWE has a contingency plan in any case. Goldberg could beat Drew McIntyre to capture the WWE Championship - something that he has never held before.

We wish we could guarantee that it wasn't happening, but given how easily he defeated The Fiend Bray Wyatt in Saudi Arabia last year, a quick finish of Drew McIntyre may be possible.

Here are the consequences of Goldberg becoming the WWE Champion at Royal Rumble 2021.

#5. Drew McIntyre loses out on a WrestleMania World Title match because of Goldberg

Most WWE fans would agree that Drew McIntyre deserves to walk into WrestleMania 37 as the WWE Champion far more than Goldberg does. Drew McIntyre won the Superstar of the Year accolade in 2020, and there was nobody else more deserving of the spot - not even Roman Reigns, who has had a career resurgence.

Goldberg only had two matches in 2020, winning the Universal Title in the first one and losing it in the second at WrestleMania 36. Drew McIntyre competed for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania for the first time and won it on the second day's main event.

Between late March and now, Drew McIntyre was the WWE Champion for almost 300 days, with Randy Orton's three-week WWE title reign sandwiched in between. Given how Drew McIntyre has carried WWE through one of the hardest years in the company's history, it's not unfair to say that he deserves to be in the WWE Title match at WrestleMania 37.

While you could easily look at the ratings and think that big names like Goldberg are a solution - it's not a long-term fix. Drew McIntyre can't be blamed for the dwindling RAW ratings in 2020, as several other factors have led to the fall in ratings.

#4. Massive fan backlash towards Goldberg

Goldberg isn't the most popular legend - at least among the most vocal section of the WWE fanbase. Watching him defeat The Fiend after so much build to Bray Wyatt's character was frustrating.

However, having him go over the Superstar that WWE invested most time in through 2020 would likely be worse.

As mentioned above, Goldberg isn't the most loved legend in WWE, and there will be major backlash towards him if he topples Drew McIntyre.

#3. Abandoning a potential Drew McIntyre-Sheamus feud

Sheamus has been Drew McIntyre's ally on RAW.

It's understandable why WWE would go with Goldberg over Sheamus as Drew McIntyre's opponent. Goldberg is a bigger name who will draw more eyes to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. But from a storyline perspective, Sheamus would have made a lot of sense as Drew McIntyre's WWE Title opponent.

He was looming around the WWE Title picture and fell short to Keith Lee in a number one contender's match. He's a babyface now (with heel characteristics), but a heel turn against Drew McIntyre seemed inevitable.

Given that he has more momentum now than he has had in the last couple of years, Goldberg winning the WWE Title means that a title feud pitting McIntyre against Sheamus will be shelved.

#2. A possible Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg bout

Roman Reigns was supposed to challenge Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36, but the former pulled out for personal reasons. While a Champion vs. Champion bout is improbable at WrestleMania, a title unification could be possible.

We hope that isn't the case, though it would be a huge main event for WrestleMania 37. WWE may want to rebook the match they never got to go through with.

#1. Increased overall interest in WrestleMania 37

For all the negative consequences that a Goldberg win at Royal Rumble will have, there's one big positive that WWE always banks on - a high level of interest heading into WrestleMania.

While the pandemic drastically changed the face of WrestleMania 36, WWE will be better prepared for WrestleMania 37 - crowd or no crowd. Drew McIntyre has been WWE's standout Superstar over the last year, but Goldberg holds a level of star and drawing power that the Scotsman may never reach.

He remains one of the few larger-than-life figures in WWE. And if he becomes the WWE Champion at Royal Rumble, then there will be a big spike in interest heading into WrestleMania 37 season.