Just how good could Lesnar vs Goldberg have been?

[Justin Satiable]

This thought just came to mind. Flick back to 2004; Brock and Goldberg.

Their feud started off with huge firepower, with Brock ending Goldberg's hopes of winning the Royal Rumble. Goldberg responded by helping Eddie beat Brock for the title. Two HUGE concepts. The build-up to this match was incredible, and who is going to referee it? Stone Cold Steve Austin.

How could anything possibly spoil this match?

How about Brock "selling out" and leaving WWE, and Goldberg being pissy with management and not agreeing to a new contract? Oh, erm, maybe. All the hype was wasted, as everyone couldn't stand to look at the two guys. What was supposed to be an encounter of the greats, was turned into a boring slugfest that was booed by all.

So now I want you to think. Had these two not been on their way out of the WWE, would this have actually been a good match? I know the wrestling wasn't particularly fantastic and the match on the whole was boring, but so are many ultra-hyped matches. I think, had the hype remained, as well as the two superstars, the match wouldn't have been a flop and a stain on a brilliant Wrestlemania, but instead the epic battle it was advertised as.

What are you thoughts?

 

[Tenta]

Realistically? I really don't think it could have turned out that well. Lesnar is good in the ring, when he has a good worker to reel him in. His matches with The Undertaker were never that great, and his matches against The Big Show were God awful. Goldberg, in spite of being in the ring for eight years at this point, still just wasn't good in the ring at all. He was still just a power guy, who no sold people's offense plenty of times, and just didn't have it in him to have a good match against power guys. Usually, the reason he got over was because he wrestler such one sided squash matches, and by the time he got to the WWE, he hadn't been allowed to do that, because, well, The WWE realized it didn't make any sense.

The match you saw at Wrestlemania 20, sans maybe a bit of stalling and the crowd's reaction, is realistically what you were going to get. That was a good as those two were going to get together, and partially why I'm so shocked everyone was surprised by how badly the match bombed. That was, in effect, the most you were gonna get out of Lesnar and Goldberg, really.

 

[Via Armbar]

Hmmm, not good at all would be my initial guess. No fault of either man particularly, but collectively it would have been mediocre at best. Their styles just do not work well together. They are both big, strong and speedy powerhouses who are made to look unstoppable. Of course we have had such matches before, but those times each wrestler had a move set and style that allowed for the match to flow at a progressive rate. Let's face it, neither man was known for being able to carry a match. When you look at the best matches of each man's career, the best bouts were with someone that carried them. No that they didn't have positive input and influence on the matches quality, only that a more experienced performer was there to aid them. Withou7t someone dictating the match, one could only hope it would be something entertaining rather than embarrassing.

It's a shame really. Two entertaining wrestlers in a match that, on paper, sounded like a blockbuster. In reality, there are too many factors to consider here. Sometimes styles just do not mesh well and I believe this is one of those circumstances.

 

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

I think it would have turned out to be a "meh" type of match. You've got to remember here that Goldberg was pretty much a "one-hit wonder." He was pushed to the top of WCW because he had the look, not the ability. He was never good in the ring, he was always stiff, and could easily injure a competitor. The guy ended Bret Hart's in-ring career for God's sake!

On the other hand, you have Brock Lesnar, who was a lot better than Goldberg in the ring. Lesnar would pretty much have to carry Goldberg throughout the match, other than a occasional spot by Austin. This would be a match where only one superstar actually knows what he's doing.

Unless both superstars, can wrestle, or if there is one person who can carry anybody throughout a match (Shawn Michaels), then the match would just be "meh." So either way, it would not have lived up to the hype it was slated to have, and fans would have been just as disappointed as they were with the match that actually did happen.

 

[Fuel The Fire]

Ya. The one time they did meet is the best I think they could have come out with. To me Brock would have easily out wrestled him if they put more effort in the match then they did at wrestlemania. But ya like it has been said before, there wouldn't but much to talk about if they had a longer feud. It would have been easily forgotten about.

 

[TJM14]

The problem with this match is Brock shouldve been the face an Goldberg shouldve been heel. Brock couldnt perform at his best because he wouldve out-shined Goldberg, so the fans eventually wouldve sided with the heel Lesnar. The match could have been a great Summerslam match, much like the Cena-Batista1.

 

[Megatron]

Realistically? I really don't think it could have turned out that well. Lesnar is good in the ring, when he has a good worker to reel him in. His matches with The Undertaker were never that great, and his matches against The Big Show were God awful.

Tenta, you're one of my favorite posters, but, WHAT? Lesnar had an awesome HIAC with Taker and the stretcher match with the Big Show is an underrated gem. I haven't seen every single match b/w them, but Brock was a very capable worker if they weren't complete shit (Hardcore Holly).

As for the thread, this match could've been fucking HUGE. Only problem was that everyone knew that neither man was coming back, so they absolutely shit on it. I've never actually seen the match, but it certainly would've been better had they not phoned it in and not gave a shit.

 

[nutt]

The thing is, Goldberg wasn't being pissy with WWE management. Goldberg didn't really want to go to WWE, because of Vince's direction of wrestling. One of the main reasons that he went was a closure to his character in wrestling, and Vince somewhat gave him that. The only problem with that is.....Goldberg-Rock is highly underrated, because The Coach is the PBP guy at Backlash.

In the original plans, Goldberg had agreed to put Lesnar over at Mania, but when Lesnar pulled his cry baby antics, they went with Goldberg over Lesnar.

If both men had stayed at least another year with the company, Lesnar would have went over, and inserted in a program with The Undertaker. Goldberg really didn't have anything for him, storyline wise.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think the reason behind why it turned out the way it did was because everyone knew they were both leaving..and the crowd was just not into it...

Anyway, could it have been better?? I'm not too sure about this one..I mean 2 guys..big guys...seeing them in the ring...it couldn't have been any worse..it was just awful...Austin being the referee was kind of the real reason why if anyone was into it...

The build up, I think was pretty good, from the Rumble, Brock costing Bill, then No Way out...Bill costing Brock the WWE championship...but the match wasn't anything near what the build up was!!

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Wouldn't have been much better than it currently was. Lesnar didn't have any great matches outside of Angle and Benoit and Goldberg was great in WCW for what he was but WWE tried to make him more human and failed. Their Wrestlemania match could have been a little better but not much. If we were talking about the Lesnar of 2002 versus the Goldberg of WCW, it could be a whole different story.