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So, we knew that Goldberg would be a part of SmackDown, and we also knew that he would announce his next opponent during the course of the blue brand. Rumors were swirling around and a lot of people threw about a lot of names with regard to Goldberg's next opponent.
But then, Goldberg joined us via satellite and revealed to the world that he would like to face The Fiend for the Universal Championship. This is a massive match and the world will tune in to see who will persevere in this battle of true goliaths!
But why was The Fiend, who's put away Daniel Bryan in a brutal strap match, chosen as Goldberg's opponent on this occasion? Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Here's my personal assessment of the said situation.
#5 SmackDown needs some serious star power
I know that a lot of people may be upset that Goldberg is getting a Universal Championship opportunity ahead of someone who's a full-time member of the roster, like say, Roman Reigns or Shorty G. But the fact of the matter is that Goldberg is one of the biggest draws not only in the history of WWE but in the history of the wrestling world. And while Brock Lesnar makes cameo appearances on RAW at times, SmackDown is definitely lacking a big star.
Goldberg appearing on will definitely bring more people into the building, provided he actually shows up and does not appear via satellite. Moreover, it may get a lot more people who do not watch the show live to tune in and follow the action. Goldberg was big news in 1998 and he remains a legend to this day because of the fantastic way he was booked in WCW.
Before we move on to the next slide, gear up by listening to our exclusive interview with the Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie!
#4 Two unstoppable forces meeting in the middle of the ring
A clash between The Fiend and Goldberg is truly a super showdown in the truest sense. You have a man who became the most popular wrestler in the world only a year into the business with 173 wins in a row and you also have another man who reinvented himself to become the hottest thing in the business in 2019/20.
And while all sorts of pundits will make all sorts of predictions about this clash, the fact of the matter is that there's no way at all that we can predict the winner of the WWE Universal Championship match. Many predicted that Goldberg was only coming over to WWE to put Brock Lesnar over in a big way, but we all saw how he defeated The Beast Incarnate in just over a minute.
Honestly, it is the ultimate clash between an unstoppable babyface and an unstoppable heel in the middle of the ring. And will we really be surprised if Goldberg becomes the Universal Champion again?
#3 The Fiend's tendency to attack legends
When Randy Orton started his career, he was known as the 'legend killer' attacking WWE legends one after the other. The Fiend did much the same thing during the start of his run, attacking legends such as Kurt Angle, Jerry Lawler and as you can see in the video linked above, Kane!
In fact, when he attacked Mick Foley, he took the 'Mandible Claw' from him. One wonders if he will take one of the moves from Goldberg's arsenal if The Fiend is able to make short work of the threat that is Goldberg.
In much the same way, The Fiend took Kane's signature red light after putting him down and it's all too possible that if Bray Wyatt is able to execute it, he may actually take the Jackhammer from the icon. I don't know if he'll look nearly as intimidating as Goldberg while delivering the move, but it's possible.
I know that he won't take The Spear for sure because both Roman Reigns and Edge do it.
#2 A chance to have The Fiend kick out of a Jackhammer
Even though a lot of WWE matches are very easy to predict on most occasions, it's more difficult in this case, because neither Goldberg nor The Fiend is usually depicted as weak. But if I had to take a guess, I would have to say that The Fiend would go over against Goldberg, because of just how much steam he has right now. It would completely kill Bray Wyatt to be squashed by someone like Bill Goldberg, I think.
But irrespective of the result, I honestly do believe that The Fiend will kick out of more than one spear. The mere sight of this is enough to add to the legend of The Fiend and have him move up a rung or two in the eyes of the WWE Universe. Nobody kicks out of The Jackhammer and The Spear, but maybe The Fiend will be the exception to the overall rule.
And then, The Fiend could move onto someone like Roman Reigns at WrestleMania in April.
#1 A younger man to carry the match
With all due respect to Goldberg, who is one of the greatest of all time, he was never exactly Kurt Angle in the ring at any point in time in his career. And I'm talking about the peak of his career when he was doing this full time, unlike today when he returns occasionally for a big payday.
If the match has to last for over 5 minutes, it will need a younger man to carry it. We all remember the debacle that was Goldberg vs. The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia which wasn't really a very memorable match at all.
Bray Wyatt also has a very easy finisher that Goldberg can take if the plans include The Fiend standing tall as the Universal Champion. The Mandible Claw is something that Goldberg can take with the utmost ease, as compared to say, a Roman Reigns spear that he may not be able to sell effectively.
I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited about the match myself.
