Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar ‘Survivor Series’ Preview: Will The Match Live Up To The Hype?

If you would’ve told someone immediately following WrestleMania 20 that Goldberg and Brock Lesnar were going to have a rematch twelve years later, and that it would be the biggest and most anticipated thing in wrestling, they probably would’ve laughed at you.

Last month, Goldberg made his triumphant return to WWE after being away for a dozen years. The return was hardly a surprise though, as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter had reported that the ex-WCW megastar was going to return to the company to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series several weeks before the return actually happened.

Goldberg’s WWE exit was an ugly one. When he left, neither side had any interest in doing business with one another ever again. But as we found out, time heals all wounds, and because it was “best for business,” Vince McMahon had no issue with bringing Goldberg back to the company for one last match.

It'll be @Goldberg and @BrockLesnar #FaceToFace NEXT MONDAY ahead of their clash at #SurvivorSeries! #RAW @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/3rifrpEjIv

— WWE (@WWE) November 8, 2016

As previously mentioned, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg last faced off at WrestleMania 20 in the spring of 2004. Both men were planning to leave the company the next day, so they didn’t really care if their match was any good, which is why it’s remembered as one of the most disappointing matches in WWE history.

Now the question is, can a 50-year-old guy, who hasn’t wrestled in twelve years, put on a performance that’s good enough to make us forget about the WrestleMania 20 debacle?

As many wrestling fans know, Goldberg was never the best in-ring technician. He was a guy who got over by destroying guys in less than five minutes, and when his matches lasted any longer than that, his weaknesses as an in-ring performer would become apparent, even if he was in the ring with someone like Triple H, who can get a good match out of almost anybody.

If you combine the fact that he was never the greatest technical wrestler when he was in his physical prime, along with the fact that he hasn’t wrestled in twelve years, chances are that Goldberg will struggle at this coming Sunday’s Survivor Series. But, will Brock Lesnar be able to carry him to a good match? Maybe. But, Lesnar isn’t exactly known for carrying his opponents to good matches.

NOT TO MENTION, you'll get #SurvivorSeries on @WWENetwork featuring #TheBeast @BrockLesnar taking on @Goldberg on Nov. 20! #HIAC pic.twitter.com/HdH58OzfHz

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) October 30, 2016

WWE tried to show what Goldberg was capable of on the Halloween edition of Monday Night Raw, but as many people know by now, he ended up botching his opening flurry of knees, as he ended up slipping and falling to the canvas. Michael Cole tried to cover for him by saying, “Rusev tried to take him down there,” but everyone knew what had just happened. If you watch the Raw replay on Hulu, or if you watch the segment on WWE’s official YouTube page, you’ll see that WWE edited out the slip.

Most are expecting the Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar match to last at least fifteen minutes, and even though he says he’s been doing a ton of cardio-based workouts over the last year, Goldberg looked pretty winded after his short segment with Rusev and Paul Heyman. So, he may end up running out of gas within the first couple of minutes at Survivor Series.

WWE almost had to do this match because the people over at 2K Sports — the company that produces the annual WWE 2K video game — hyped it up so much. But they’d probably be better off putting Goldberg in the ring with someone like Seth Rollins next Sunday night.

Goldberg has said that his match with Brock Lesnar will be the last match of his professional wrestling career. But, he may not want to go out on a loss, and on top of that, he may not want to go out as a guy who got booed in his final match.

This Sunday’s show will take place in Canada, which is where Brock Lesnar now calls home. In fact, he even represented Canada on his fight shorts back at UFC 200. So, it’s not a secret that “The Beast” currently resides in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Canadian fans will likely be cheering him on at Survivor Series.

Will this match be as big of a disappointment as their first match was? Probably not. Will it be an all-time classic that people will remember for the next 10 to 20 years? Once again, probably not. But, while people know that the match probably won’t live up to the hype, they’re still dying to see the rematch.

[Featured Image by WWE]