Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar is perhaps the most anticipated match on the WrestleMania 33 card. While there may be some deeper storylines set to play out, such as Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton or Triple H vs. Seth Rollins, this is the match that will captivate all fans, hardcore and casual.
Goldberg vs. Lesnar is a story that could have easily been left in the past. After their horrific match at WrestleMania XX, it seemed pretty likely that we’d never see these two face off ever again.
But here we are 13 years later, March of 2017, and we’re preparing to see their second encounter in a matter of five months, not including the Royal Rumble.
This match is going to be a spectacle regardless of how it plays out, but there are definitely some things that could add some extra spice to this highly-anticipated bout. WWE are no strangers to run-ins, faulty finishes, or matches that go on for way longer or shorter than expected (looking at you, Goldberg vs. Brock at Survivor Series).
So what are some possible surprises that could take place when the two clash in Orlando on April 2nd?
#5 Goldberg wins in another squash match
Golberg vs. Lesnar at Survivor Series gave us one of the biggest surprises of 2016. Heading into the match, it seemed tough to imagine that Goldberg would win. After all, he had been WWE’s unstoppable beast for so long, what were the odds he would lose to a 50-year-old who hadn’t stepped into a ring in over 12 years?
Well, not only did Goldberg win, he dominated. He put Lesnar down in a mere minute and 26 seconds. And then at the Royal Rumble, he did it again, eliminating Lesnar less than 30 seconds after he entered the ring.
Heading into WrestleMania, Lesnar getting some revenge seems like the most likely scenario. But fans were shocked at Survivor Series and somewhat shocked again at the Royal Rumble, so who’s to say we won’t be shocked again?
It might seem stupid to call it a shock when Goldberg dominating Lesnar has happened twice in five months, but the reason people generally aren’t expecting this to happen is because the act may get stale if booked this way for a third time.
Goldberg squashing Lesnar again can’t be ruled out, but it would definitely qualify as a surprise.
#4 Lesnar squashes Goldberg
Although Lesnar is arguably the favourite heading into WrestleMania, fans probably don’t expect him to win in the same fashion Goldberg has, so far.
Goldberg obviously has Lesnar’s number, otherwise, he wouldn’t destroy him every time the two meet in an official match. Therefore, it wouldn’t really make sense for Lesnar to suddenly turn things around and decimate Goldberg in a similar way.
Neither of these men is the most technically talented wrestlers, which probably explains the short nature of their matches. But like I mentioned in the previous slide, booking the match as a squash could get stale.
Eventually, no matter how limited the move sets of these two men might be, we wanna see them go for more than a couple minutes. This match has such a big fight feel that it would be disappointing for it to be over in the blink of an eye yet again.
Lesnar defeating Goldberg in a squash would be surprising, but honestly, the biggest surprise would be this match ending in a squash at all, regardless of who’s favour it’s in.
#3 Kevin Owens invokes his rematch clause
Most people are looking forward to Goldberg vs. Lesnar to some degree. It’s a clash of the titans and is for one of WWE’s most important prizes. But if there’s one thing that might be taking away from this match a bit, it’s the anticipation of what will happen following WrestleMania.
No matter who wins, the top Champion on Raw is going to be a part-timer. That does almost no good for the brand or the Championship, which is why it’s so disappointing that having a part-time champion seems inevitable. Or is it?
Kevin Owens is owed a rematch after losing the Universal title to Goldberg at Fastlane, and he told Chris Jericho that he can invoke it whenever he wants. Does that mean he could do so after the conclusion of Goldberg vs. Lesnar?
Would it be fair to treat his rematch clause as basically a Money in the Bank situation? Probably not. But Owens does have the support of Triple H, so him getting some extra perks wouldn’t exactly be surprising. Owens vs. Lesnar – who is expected to win – will be a great match.
And perhaps most importantly, Owens “cashing in” his rematch clause would ensure that Raw doesn’t have a part-time champion. We would still get our Goliath vs. Goliath championship showdown, without any of the negative effects. So although Owens invoking his rematch clause would be surprising, it would be best for business.
#2 Finn Balor invokes his rematch clause
Finn Balor returned to action at WWE live events about a month ago and yet has not been seen on TV. This comes as a bit of a surprise since WWE is obviously putting a lot of stock into Balor.
He beat Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins clean in the same month and won the Universal championship in his pay-per-view debut at SummerSlam. So one would expect WWE to use Balor at WrestleMania, especially since he’s been fully healthy for weeks.
But with just one week until WrestleMania, it’s becoming less and less likely that Balor is given an official match for April 2nd. After all, there would be absolutely no buildup to it and that’s not fair to one of the company’s biggest stars. But what if he took the same route that was just outlined for Owens? Balor vs. Lesnar? Balor vs. Goldberg? Hell yeah!
It’s unclear if a rematch clause would actually still be valid this long after the fact, but it could be. And if it is, WrestleMania could certainly end with some fireworks. Having a fan-favourite like Balor walk out of Orlando with the Universal title after previously not being announced for the show would be an incredible moment and a shocking one for sure.
#1 Roman Reigns comes out and issues a challenge
This is perhaps the most likely of the surprises listed here, but it would be one of the most impactful. The fate of the Universal championship following WrestleMania seems very up in the air. Assuming Kevin Owens doesn’t invoke his rematch clause at Mania, he’ll be in the title picture.
A returning Finn Balor likely would be as well. Meanwhile, the title will be on a part-timer. So what’s going to happen? Well, WWE could always hold off on the rematches owed to those two men and go right back to their golden boy, Roman Reigns.
Reigns is facing the Undertaker at WrestleMania, which means regardless of the result, he’s going to be looking for something to do after ‘Mania. And there have been rumours that the plan is to eventually have Reigns beat Lesnar for the title. Could that process begin sooner rather than later?
It could. And it could be kicked off by Reigns coming out after the end of Goldberg vs. Lesnar and staring down whoever the winner is (probably Lesnar). This would, no doubt, be another disappointing way to close out WrestleMania if Goldberg vs. Lesnar is indeed the main event.
However, looking at previous years, particularly last year, WWE is no stranger to ending Mania in disappointing fashion.
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