Why Goldberg's Stunning Victory Was Best For Business

In a world of predetermined outcomes, the greatest gift any wrestling fan can be given (other than the Gift of Jericho) is the gift of complete unpredictability. At the WWE Survivor Series we were given one of the most shocking outcomes in wrestling history when returning WWE/WCW legend, Goldberg, completely destroyed Brock Lesnar in less than two minutes.

While the possibility of Goldberg coming up victorious was always on the table, no one, and I mean NO ONE would have ever predicted that Brock Lesnar’s air of invincibility would be shattered in such a short amount of time. The talk of amongst the wrestling experts leading up to Survivor Series was that Goldberg would likely put up a valiant effort, but ultimately come up short to The Beast Incarnate. It was assumed that the one-off appearance would do wonders to pop the WWE Network subscriptions and possibly lead to a Goldberg 2017 Hall of Fame induction, all the while continuing to build on Lesnar’s legacy as the WWE’s one true immovable object.

Much like Brock Lesnar’s shocking Wrestlemania 30 victory over The Undertaker, Goldberg’s victory left the entire WWE universe in disbelief. From cries of “they ruined Brock Lesnar!” to “I’ll never watch this again,” it was clear Goldberg’s impressive victory struck a chord in every fan’s heart.  Whether you loved or hated the ending, when the bell rang, there was not a single person watching watching who felt indifferent about the outcome.

Until recently, the UFC had cornered the market on surprising outcomes and devastating knockouts, so perhaps it’s only fitting that Lesnar, a former UFC champion, has brought that unpredictability into the wrestling ring with his last two matches. From his brutal bloodying KO of Randy Orton at Summerslam to his Survivor Series loss to Goldberg, WWE fans are now on notice that when the Beast enters the ring, all assumptions should be thrown out the window.

Now, with reports coming out that Goldberg has signed a longer deal with the WWE that will possibly take him through next year’s Wrestlemania, it makes even more sense that Brock Lesnar was actually the one who pushed to let the former WCW wrecking ball destroy him in record time. While a victory over Goldberg would have evened their series at 1-1, the loss provides Lesnar with a clear motivation heading into Wrestlemania season.  If Goldberg had looked any less than heroic, would there be any desire to see him attempt to take down the Beast in a third meeting?

When Goldberg returned, he clearly stated that he missed being a superhero for the kids and in the modern anti-hero WWE, seeing a pure “good guy” come out and look invincible was a refreshing change. On a night where bad guys Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, and Y2J were cheered and WWE's golden good guy, Roman Reigns was once again booed out of the building, imagine how nice it was for kids to see a clear cut good guy like Goldberg get the kind of crowd reaction he did in Toronto.

A rematch with Lesnar is certainly in the cards for Goldberg, but his shocking victory at Survivor Series should have a full list of fresh opponents lining up to take their shot at the future Hall of Famer. As for damage to Lesnar’s character, Brock’s reputation is already untouchable.  Lesnar could take any top superstar on a quick trip to Suplex City and get his heat back just as quick as he lost it.