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Bill Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar At ‘Survivor Series’: Relax, It Won’t Be As Bad As You Think [Opinion]

By Lorenzo Tanos
Published on: 22:02 PST, Nov 16, 2016

Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016 has been a thing for the past month or so. And in three days from now, two of the most dominating individuals in WWE history will be facing off for the first time in 12 years, for the first time since their WrestleMania XX debacle. That match, which many still refer to as one of the worst in WrestleMania history, has a lot of fans having trust issues about Sunday’s similarly high-profile rematch. But at the end of the day, fans shouldn’t really worry too much about Goldberg vs. Lesnar II ending up as a dud.

As this writer sees it, there’s a chance it won’t be a good match in terms of wrestling quality. Goldberg is 49-years-old and hasn’t wrestled since 2004. Recently, he also admitted to NBC Sports that his “body (felt) horrible” following this week’s Monday Night RAW segment with Lesnar. That interview also reiterated Goldberg’s comeback promo from last month, where the man who once won 173 straight matches in WCW (in storyline) said that Lesnar isn’t just “who’s next,” but also “who’s last.”

The Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar match at Survivor Series may serve as Bill’s one and only comeback match, and while there have been some rumors that there may be more, fans need to keep their expectations reasonable and take into account the man’s age and “ring rust” into consideration.

There’s also the matter of the Survivor Series match arguably having a foregone conclusion. Since Brock Lesnar’s WWE return in 2012, and especially since his historic streak-breaking win over The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, he’s been booked as an unstoppable force against anyone and everyone, as posited by a Forbes op-ed from last month. The Inquisitr also reported this week that Lesnar may be given the win against Goldberg, which would make sense if “The Beast” is really in line for a Universal Championship shot, as rumored.

If the 39-year-old former UFC and WWE Champion is such a sure shot to win, why should fans care for Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar? With Survivor Series featuring the seldom-tried concept of heels and faces coexisting in brand vs. brand elimination matches for men, women, and tag teams, as well as RAW’s Sami Zayn challenging SmackDown’s The Miz for the Intercontinental title, why is this rematch such a big deal as the main event?

For one, both Goldberg and Lesnar are expected to give it their all this time around. Saying that professional wrestling is predetermined is like preaching to the choir in this post-kayfabe era. But fans know when competitors are phoning it in, and that’s what both men were doing at WrestleMania XX in 2004. Goldberg’s one-year deal was ending, and fans also knew Brock was leaving WWE to see if he could make the roster of his hometown Minnesota Vikings. Instead of sending each other off with inspired wrestling, it was rest hold after rest hold after rest hold, glacial in-ring action that fans greeted with waves of thundering boos. And when it was all over, special guest referee “Stone Cold” Steve Austin got the biggest pop when he delivered Stone Cold Stunners to both Goldberg and Lesnar.

Survivor Series 2016, however, may be another story. Let’s admit it — expectations are lower, now that Goldberg is a month shy of 50 and Lesnar is a part-time performer. Few people are expecting a classic “hoss match” at Survivor Series. It’s going to be about a second chance for both men to get it right, and it’s going to be about nostalgia, with a big name from WCW and WWE’s past returning to face one of WWE’s biggest attractions of the present.

Casual fans, as well as those who stopped watching WWE in the mid-2000s or thereabouts, will undoubtedly be curious to see what all the fuss is about, and that’s expected to drive pay-per-view buy rates, live attendance, and possibly WWE Network membership at Survivor Series. Reiterating an earlier point, it likely won’t be a five-star match. Far from it, most likely. But it might not end up as a waste of money for pay-per-view buyers, or anyone who may be signing up to network for a month, just for the sake of that one “dream match.”

Once you consider the lowered in-ring expectations, the nostalgia factor, and the redemption opportunity for both Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, their Survivor Series main event most likely won’t be the train wreck a lot of people are fearing.

[Featured Image by WWE]

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