{"id":1022,"date":"2016-11-18T09:15:55","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T14:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=1022"},"modified":"2023-04-20T18:05:15","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T22:05:15","slug":"brock-lesnar-vs-goldberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2016\/11\/18\/brock-lesnar-vs-goldberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Survivor Series Preview: Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s arguably the most polarizing main event that WWE has had on a Pay-Per-View in some time. Brock Lesnar<\/strong> vs. Goldberg<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dubbed “Fantasy Warfare Just Got Real” – clearly linked to the recent release of\u00a0WWE 2k17<\/strong><\/em> – to a large contingent on the internet, it’s not only a completely waste of opportunity for some of the newer talent, but an unwanted rematch of also arguably the worst match in Wrestlemania<\/strong> history. But if recent weeks have shown anything (besides a slip by each member of the story), we could be in for the dark horse match of the event.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THE BACK STORY<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was one of the worst kept secrets going into a Wrestlemania<\/strong> match ever. On paper, it should have been legitimate fantasy warfare come to life. On one hand, you had WCW<\/strong>‘s powerhouse former World Champion Bill Goldberg, meeting up with the WWE’s “Next Big Thing” Brock Lesnar. It was the guaranteed main event on a card that featured Eddie Guerrero<\/strong> defending his WWE World title against Kurt Angle<\/strong> and Chris Benoit<\/strong> challenging World Heavyweight Champion Triple H<\/strong> and his friend Shawn Michaels<\/strong> in a Triple Threat for the title. But as Wrestlemania XX<\/strong><\/em> on March 14, 2004 came along, the narratives had changed quite considerably.<\/p>\n

Goldberg was disgruntled with the Connecticut\u00a0politics of the WWE and decided he was leaving when his contract expired after\u00a0Wrestlemania<\/em>. Brock Lesnar, still young and full of piss and vinegar, was rabid at the chance to prove himself in other fields of combat. He also decided to leave the WWE after Wrestlemania<\/em>. The problem as, it was around that time that internet news and ‘dirt sheets’ really hit the public fan base with great gusto, and soon it spread like wildfire that the two big gladiators in the match were\u00a0both\u00a0<\/em>leaving WWE after the match. Unlike Bret Hart<\/strong> (who was screwed), or Hall<\/strong> and Nash<\/strong> (who left for more money in WCW), these two were simply leaving because they didn’t like wrestling anymore. Essentially turning their backs on the very industry – and it’s fan base – that made them the stars they were at that very moment.<\/p>\n

The event was no longer considered a main event, placed in the middle of the card. In an attempt to curb any potential fan feedback, Attitude Era icon “Stone Cold” Steve Austin<\/strong> was inserted into the match as the Special Guest Referee. The match itself, will live on in infamy. And not even so much as the match itself – although it was sloppy and lethargic, with ring psychology more akin to uninterested high schoolers in drama class, that world class professional wrestlers. But the audience let them both know what they thought of their decision – or more so their\u00a0reason\u00a0<\/em>– for leaving the company. They weren’t booing because they thought the match sucked. They were booing because they thought both\u00a0men\u00a0<\/em>sucked. The entire match’s saving grace was that the Texas Cooler was in the ring and ended up stunning both men to a thunderous applause to release the tension, lest it carry on and infect the audience for the remainder of the card.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luckily it did not, and it become one of the WWE’s most memorable moments of the past 20 years. The night that two WCW rejects both held the World title in the WWE (while the intended Southern conqueror left scorned and defeated).<\/p>\n

OVER THE YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the past 12 years, a lot has happened. A lot of water under the bridge. A lot of reflection on all the right reasons they did what they did, and a lot of wrong reasons why they did what they did.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brock Lesnar had a failed attempt at an NFL career, a 2-year run in NJPW<\/strong>, and then a World Champion (but illness ridden) run in the UFC<\/strong> (as one of the company’s biggest PPV draws of all time), before returning to the WWE in 2012, eight years after departing. He’s reclaimed WWE gold, snapped the Undertaker’s Legendary streak, returned to the UFC for a one-off victory, and bloodied Randy Orton<\/strong> on live WWE television. If he was a beast before he left, he’s returned even more feral. But it seems this time he’s enjoying himself. Or at the very least, not taking himself quite so serious. And while many complain that he’s becoming a little one dimensional (despite being the same people who propelled his German Suplex syndrome into a Suplex City merchandise goldmine), his sit-down interviews are downright masterpieces of fear and intimidation and easily Lesnar’s best promo work since he debuted. And the biggest complaint of his brutal crimson beat down against Randy Orton a few months back was that it looked too\u00a0real<\/em> (again, by many of the same people who not only had prior clamoured for more blood and more realism). And Lesnar – love him or hate him – is still one of the biggest PPV buyrate spikes in the industry. While the indie fans may be sick of him, the money-spending casual fans can’t get enough him.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: HuffingtonPost.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bill Goldberg left the WWE and the industry all together. He went into television and film, ranging from reality television to Adam Sandler<\/strong> comedies, and also entered the world of MMA – although as a colour commentator for EliteXC<\/strong>. His disdain for his time in the WWE became very common knowledge whenever he was interviewed on podcasts or in print. He seemed very much to be on the list of those who would skip the “never say never” adage that Vince loves so much.\u00a0But once again, those words rung true. In a series of years that have seen the return of Bruno Sammartino<\/strong> and Ultimate Warrior<\/strong> to the WWE family, and the blessing to enshrine ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage<\/strong> into the WWE Hall of Fame, Goldberg returned to the one place no one ever dreamed of seeing him again – a WWE ring.<\/p>\n

THE RETURN<\/strong><\/p>\n

After appearing on ESPN SportCenter<\/em><\/strong> on October 10 to promote the new WWE 2K17 game he was appearing in, he briefly joked of a potential return to the WWE to face his old rival, Brock Lesnar – whom he beat (for those who have forgotten the actual outcome – which is understandable). Later that night on\u00a0Raw<\/strong><\/em>,\u00a0Lesnar’s long time “advocate” Paul Heyman<\/strong> challenged Goldberg to a fight in response to Goldberg’s words.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: ESPN.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And then a week later, Goldberg returned, live, in a WWE ring for the first time in twelve years, as he appeared on\u00a0Raw\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>to answer the challenge. The man that no one seemingly online wanted to see back returned to one of the loudest ovations anyone has received on Raw in years. When the chants subdued (after what felt like 15 minutes), Goldberg finally opened his mouth.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ywyWEkHWBrA<\/p>\n

The world was stunned. Where had this Goldberg been during his time in WCW or WWE? Who knew Bill Goldberg could speak more in rough throated grunts?<\/em> The next day even his detractors were backpedalling – even slightly – by how well he came across on the mic.<\/p>\n

Over the next week’s, the jarring went back and forth, before Brock Lesnar dropped another of his stone cold killer interviews.<\/p>\n