Fantasy Booking: Goldberg Returns

[johnbragg]

Okay, smart guy, so what should Vince and the WWE have done?

This is what should have been sketched out in the negotiations to sign Goldberg in the first place.

1. The RAW apperances leading up to Survivor Series. 3 TV appearances. This was planned well.

2. Survivor Series. Lesnar beats the hell out of Goldberg. Goldberg has been away 12 years, he's over 50.

3. Goldberg does a pretape, airing on Raw. Regular speaking voice. Promo notes:

--He's better than he was 12 years ago. UFC, Japan, the last 4 WrestleManias. 1
--2 years is a long time. You don't realize how long until you step into that ring.
-- I'll be back. And this time I'll be ready."

4. Show Goldberg walking into the NXT training center. Announce that, to prepare for a real comeback to today's WWE, Goldberg is training with Samoa Joe or Shinsuke Nakamura as a sparring partner. (Whichever one isn't showing up in WWE before the Royal Rumble. This might lead to a push for Joe/Nakamura down the road, or it could just be dropped.)

5. On the pre-show for Tables, LAdders and Chairs, show 5 minutes of pre-taped Goldberg/Joe or Goldberg/Nakamura sparring/training sessions. The idea is to simulate real MMA training with a guy who's not a big enough star to be a kayfabe threat to Goldberg, but who has enough credibility to test him in the ring and give him a regular workout. So Joe can maneuver Goldberg into a submission hold, and the trainers call a break instead of letting it go to a tapout or showing Goldberg break the hold. Goldberg can spear Joe, and the trainers call a break before Goldberg finishes him. Show Goldberg letting Joe put a chokehold on, and work on trying to break out.

Finish with the voiceover that Goldberg has been signed for the Royal Rumble.

Repeat on Raw, Smackdown.

6. Goldberg has a run in the Royal Rumble, hits some spears and jackhammers, get eliminated when some cruiserweight flips out of the way of a spear and Goldberg goes over the rope.

7. Goldberg goes on RAW, calls out Lesnar for "rubber match" at WrestleMania. Couple of weeks of the usual Raw shenanigans. 3 RAWs.

8. Goldberg goes over Lesnar at Wrestlemania.

7-8 TV appearances, 3 PPV appearances over 6 months.
And you set up Goldberg as a major part-timer, and give Joe or NAkamura a major talking point for the announcers when they come up to the main shows.

 

[ShinChan]

I respect the work you put into it.

BUT there's no logic to have another match. As you say, Brock beats the hell outta Goldberg at Survivor Series. That's it. If it would've been a competitive match, then a trilogy could have been set.

So what happened originally is better. And I don't want a rematch too.

 

[johnbragg]

BUT there's no logic to have another match. As you say, Brock beats the hell outta Goldberg at Survivor Series. That's it. If it would've been a competitive match, then a trilogy could have been set.

But just as Brock has his storyline defenders on WZ, lining up the "he took Goldberg lightly/he's gotten lazy and unfocused/Goldberg is the One Guy who gives him fits, the Buster Douglas-Ken Norton etc", Goldberg has his storyline excuses lined up. 12 years of ring rust. Lesnar 2016, WWE-IWGP-UFC champion, is better than the Lesnar he fought in 2004, the Lesnar he trained for. Goldberg goes on a run at the Royal Rumble, which justifies another shot at Lesnar.

So what happened originally is better. And I don't want a rematch too.

I'm pretty sure you're getting a rematch, though. We're not done with the Brock-and-Goldberg Show. Even tough, in kayfabe, it's 2-0 Goldberg with no storyline justification for LEsnar to get another shot at Goldberg.

Thanks for responding.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Well after thinking about it, I really don't know what I would have done.

I think the best case scenario is Goldberg goes over after around 20 minutes.

Lesnar can use the excuse of "I took you lightly. I wasn't focused."

Then Lesnar eliminates Goldberg from the Royal Rumble, setting up a rematch at WM33, where Lesnar wins.

This way Brock keeps the rub (just about all of it) that he can give to a young star down the road, and Goldberg doesn't lose his return match.

 

[ShinChan]

Well after thinking about it, I really don't know what I would have done.

I can understand because it's an almost no-win situation.

I think the best case scenario is Goldberg goes over after around 20 minutes.

I don't think that Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar II could go over 20 minutes. I guess that it can't even more than 15 minutes. Let's assume that it can, then It's going to be worse than the match at Wrestlemania XX.

Lesnar can use the excuse of "I took you lightly. I wasn't focused."

Sure. Or he could just move on without mentioning it.

Then Lesnar eliminates Goldberg from the Royal Rumble, setting up a rematch at WM33, where Lesnar wins.

I don't want to see Brock Lesnar Vs Goldberg III as there's no point of a rematch.

This way Brock keeps the rub (just about all of it) that he can give to a young star down the road, and Goldberg doesn't lose his return match.

Brock still has a big rub. But what's interesting is that even Goldberg has a rub now. Two opportunities.