Unsurprisingly, WWE is at its best when things are unexpected. It’s like all great TV. In an era where everything in professional wrestling can be seen coming from a mile away, WWE did something that took everyone by surprise. Goldberg demolished Brock Lesnar in less than two minutes, and in doing so killed off a major villain during an episode everyone thought would be an “off week.” It was utterly brilliant.
Brock Lesnar’s shocking loss to Goldberg was utter brilliance by WWE
No one saw this coming, and that’s what helps make it so effective.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Calling the decision “brilliant” defies all logic. Lesnar had been built up as a mythic achievement for whoever would topple him. Conquering the man who ended Undertaker’s streak, steamrolled through everyone in front of him — the role of defeating Lesnar became all encompassing. The guy to finally take him down would be a staple of the company for years. The huge push to turn superstar into icon. That’s how it was built up in the minds of die-hard WWE fans.
It wasn’t supposed to be achieved by a 49-year-old man who hadn’t wrestled in over a decade, and whose presence on TV was more about a video game tie-in than anything else.
That’s what made this so brilliant. WWE freed itself of all its burdens in one night — and made wrestling exciting again. I can hear the keyboards clacking from here, so before you post that vitriolic comment: Let me explain why.
Lesnar became too big for WWE to manage. Or perhaps, more aptly, his legend did. You can’t have a guy beat Undertaker at WrestleMania, rag-doll John Cena like he was nothing and run through every major challenge in the company without repercussions. The problem WWE created was one of expectation. Before Sunday here was the script everyone knew:
- Lesnar beats Goldberg.
- Disappears until the Royal Rumble.
- Gets challenged at the Royal Rumble and wins.
- Loses to some up-and-comer at WrestleMania, cementing the winner as the face of the company.
It’s rote, it’s predictable, everyone KNEW that it was going to happen this way. The only thing more dangerous than unhappy fans are apathetic ones, and this blueprint for Lesnar’s demise reeked of apathy and tedium leading up to the biggest event of 2017.
Having Lesnar lose now takes the pressure off whoever was going to be the guy to beat Lesnar. Whether it was Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens or whoever. Those considerable talents would have been crushed under the weight of expectation that comes with beating a man-made-myth like WWE created with Brock Lesnar.
Now the company is free. Lesnar can be re-cast however the company sees fit. His entire ethos was built off the concept of him being unbreakable — and Goldberg tore him in two. Now every potential Lesnar match carries with it the possibility of a loss. It puts stakes back into matches that felt predetermined for the better part of two years. Whether Lesnar now goes on some spectacular losing streak, shattered by Goldberg, or returns to mauling people worse than ever — it gives him back some heart.
This wouldn’t have worked with anyone but Brock Lesnar. The history of professional wrestling is littered with dudes using creative control clauses to maintain their own brands at the expense of the company, but Lesnar is (by all accounts) one of the most giving guys in the locker room. He has higher ideals than what “Brock Lesnar” represents, so of course he’d gladly job to Goldberg in 90 seconds if it made sense for something down the line.
At a time where my interest in WWE was waning I wasn’t sure if I was going to watch Survivor Series. I definitely wasn’t going to watch RAW tonight. Now there’s no way I’m missing it. Mission accomplished. Now, don’t screw it up.
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