I don’t usually reverse course when it comes to an opinion, but I might just do that when it comes to Goldberg’s Survivor Series win over Brock Lesnar. While the Internet buzzes over the squash match that ended the pay-per-view, it shows why the 12-year layoff for the former WCW and WWE champion meant nothing – the smell of money. Given that both Lesnar and Goldberg will be part of the Royal Rumble, you can almost guarantee this is a setup for a final confrontation at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando.
Above everything else, this scenario lines Vince McMahon’s pockets with more green. Bubba Ray Dudley alluded to the confrontation on his Twitter page following the match on Sunday night, knowing full well fans were in shock over what they had just witnessed. What I once thought was a sham and a “screw job” in Canada has become a brilliant story written with an ending all wrestling fans want to see. Above everything else, WWE now has two beasts to use at their disposal and finally someone who levels the playing field for Lesnar.
“Social media still abuzz over last night’s match, and it will be for a while. That’s what you call the desired effect,” wrestling columnist Mike Mooneyham said on his Twitter page on Monday. He couldn’t be more correct. Professional wrestling needed this kind of impact. WWE has been spinning its wheels trying to bring the fans back to the arenas and to television. The brand split has been good, but not great. Pay-per-views have been a little more dramatic, but haven’t blown the doors off. The situation between Triple H and Seth Rollins has all but been buried.
How does the company grabs the fans’ attention? Make Lesnar look like a sack of potatoes while pumping up a beast who we all thought would be annihilated on Sunday night. Once again, Vince McMahon shows he knows how to make magic happen. Now that Goldberg will be around for a while, how does the company book him? Royal Rumble and WrestleMania matches are in his future, but what else is there? A match with Braun Strowman? Is Roman Reigns on the radar if he wins the WWE Universal Championship? Would WWE consider putting the strap on Goldberg and make the third bout match with Lesnar for the title?
If anything, options have been created.
I have never been a proponent of bringing back retired stars to win championships to boost ratings. I’m not a fan of part-time or paper champions. In this case, it might be warranted. That buzz Mooneyham talked about only continues if WWE books Goldberg properly. That means longer matches and main event opponents. Right now, Strowman seems like a logical choice. So does Rusev in the right circumstance. Talk about the Undertaker can be tabled for now. The next two months should be interesting to say the least.
My friend Chris McLeod said the loss by Lesnar was a “shot” at UFC. He also thinks there is a bigger picture to look at that maybe fans don’t see.
“Create a huge buzz, make money, and in the end, he (Lesnar) wins and whoever beats him later is made.”
It’s great in theory, but will WWE follow that kind of logic?
I figure WWE will have plenty of fans buzzing over this until the end of the year. Hopefully it won’t take away from TLC in two weeks. There are still plenty of opportunities for the company and its other stars to finish 2016 in a big way. Now, it’s up to the McMahons to keep this momentum rolling so the road to San Antonio and the Royal Rumble is hotter than it has been in some time.
David Levin
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