Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar: Why a Rematch Will Be Better 12 Years Later

12 years ago WWE put a ton of hype into what is believed to be one of the worst matches in WrestleMania history. Will a repeat help? Can Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar be better 12 years later?

Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar of today are not the same wrestlers that they were 12 years ago at WrestleMania 20. Everything was against both of them back then, including you and their own pent up frustrations with WWE. Nobody wanted to see that match, or did you?

You see, that’s the thing. It was supposed to be a match for the ages. Brock Lesnar vs Bill Goldberg was supposed to be everything that it wasn’t. If you were old enough to understand what it was really supposed to be about then you were disappointed before the match ever began. A WCW Legend was going to put over a WWE Superstar in the making and retire with grace.

What you got instead were two disgruntled wrestler’s looking to get out of their contract. An angry Vince willing to take out his frustration on whoever was losing him the most money. You saw the wrong guy win and the wrong guy lose, but it didn’t really matter because you knew none of this before buying tickets to WrestleMania 20, but found out a couple of weeks before you went to that arena. And it really ticked you off!

You and I played a part in that 12-year-old disaster too. Yes. You and I, as in the fans. It’s understandable to be so angry about not getting what you thought you had paid for. It also makes sense to be angry that one of your favorite wrestler’s from WCW was not what he once was. However, you were even more angry about the up and coming Superstar “selling out”. That was not expected and when the news slipped out a couple of weeks before WrestleMania it left fans stunned and betrayed.

You’d expect this from two Legends such as Sting and The Undertaker, which is still a wanted Legends card, but not a two-way retirement from a rising star and a Legend. You hijacked the match just as you often do when your not happy with how things turn out. This made the match even worse as if the two disgruntled wrestlers had not made the match awkward enough.

If you had not wanted to see it would you have cared so much? The buildup was huge. The hype had you ready, but then came the news which labeled Brock Lesnar a sellout! He was going to leave right along with his opponent, Bill Goldberg.

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Vince McMaon didn’t help matters much. He was angry with Goldberg for leaving his heart back with WCW and the entire roster was as mad about his semi-retired status just as they have been with Brock Lesnar’s. So Goldberg was set to lose, but then Brock Lesnar made Vince off even more by backing out of a seven-year deal that he had just signed. So instead the WWE Chairman left you with two disgruntled wrestlers who already did not want to be there.

To make matters worse, McMahon had Brock drop the title to Eddie Guerrero before losing yet again to Goldberg. Then again, it wouldn’t have made since to bring a title into a match where both parties were leaving anyways.

Then Stone Cold as a ref made things even worse if at all possible because it should have been a fair match. Comical even, when he smiled because the show was being hijacked so badly. The crowd actually chanted for the ref than the participants. The match was later edited for the DVD copy.

This time will be different. In fact, this time will be better because Goldberg let you know that Brock Lesnar will be his last. He wants to be there and you could see it through the tears in his eyes on Raw. Bill Goldberg wants you and his family to see him wrestle his last match.

“There hasn’t been a day go by since he and I stepped out of that ring in Madison Square Garden I haven’t wanted to hook up with him again. For sure.” Goldberg told Romain Mahut in an interview (h/t Wrestling Inc). Will he hand himself over to Lesnar? This we don’t know, but win or lose it will be a victory in itself for you to see the match that was meant to be 12 years ago.

Brock Lesnar is no longer the disgruntled young man who wants out so badly. He has Vince right where he wants him and comes and goes as he wishes. Lesnar has lived out his dreams of a failed NFL run and a very fulfilling UFC career. He is not weary and angry. Well maybe he is still angry, but would he be Brock Lesnar if he wasn’t? This time he wants this match too. So it will be better!

Goldberg and The Beast Incarnate are both older now and the upcoming match is already being criticized, but don’t let that spoil it for you again. This time it will not be two men who would rather not be there.

That’s similar to Shawn Michaels wanting a Legends match against Hulk Hogan, but the latter wanted HBK to be a heel instead. I’m sure you remember how well that went, but this time Goldberg vs Lesnar will be better.

It will be better because they are both fully invested. The circumstances are different too because the fans should be ready to see what was meant to be back then. Those of you who do not remember or know about back then are excited anyway. Or possibly not, but don’t discredit two of the best wrestlers based on a past match where nobody wanted participate and nobody wanted to watch.

Bill Goldberg’s Spear vs Brock Lesnar’s Suplex City! It will be better 12 years later, but who do think will win?

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