The Universal Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 on Sunday lived up to its billing as one of the most highly-anticipated matches in WWE history. It fulfilled expectations that it would be a brief but intense confrontation between two longstanding rivals, but it gave shocking results.
Goldberg came into the match looking to retain his WWE Universal Championship title and increase his head-to-head with Lesnar to 3-0. Brock Lesnar, on the other hand, came in as the underdog after losing in three consecutive matches to Goldberg.
Although the match did not earn a good rating , it turned out to be as quick, intense, exciting, and action-packed as its result was shocking. With Lesnar under pressure to prove that he can beat Goldberg, he delivered an incredible performance that saw him defeat his long-time rival to win the title.
The question on everyone’s lips going into the WrestleMania match at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, was whether it would be yet another less-than-two-minutes match.
#TheBeast @BrockLesnar has every right to be straight-up JOLLY after conquering @Goldberg at #WrestleMania , streaming LIVE on @WWENetwork ! pic.twitter.com/BTs46v5OK5
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) April 3, 2017
Before the match began, Paul Heyman took the microphone from JoJo to introduce Brock as the “superhero-conquering beast of WrestleMania.”
The match was four minutes and 45 seconds long and proved to be a test of endurance that ended in favor of the wrestler who could deliver the maximum punishment to the opponent in the shortest possible time. While Goldberg dealt Lesner four spears and a jackhammer, it took 10 German suplexes and one F5 for Brock to defeat Goldberg and win the WWE Universal Championship.
Lesnar got down to business as soon as the match started, taking Goldberg straight to “Suplex City.” He delivered three consecutive German Suplexes, but Goldberg recovered quickly. And while “The Beast” indulged in a premature celebration, Goldberg hit him with two spears in quick succession that sent him rolling out of the ring.
ANOTHER #F5 CONNECTS as @BrockLesnar FINALLY defeats @Goldberg to become #UniversalChampion ! #WrestleMania #LesnarvsGoldberg pic.twitter.com/FROR2j6Nuz
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2017
#WrestleMania Con este F5, Brock Lesnar lograba vencer a Goldberg y ganar el Universal Championship ?? pic.twitter.com/GSn560OvBD
— WWE Para Todos (@wwe_people) April 3, 2017
After 10 GERMAN SUPLEXES, @BrockLesnar is on top of #RAW as YOUR #UniversalChampion ! #WrestleMania #LesnarvsGoldberg pic.twitter.com/CEHlgODOe3
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 3, 2017
Goldberg did not waste time after that. He went after Lesnar outside the ring and hit him with a third spear that sent the two crashing into the barricade.
Lesnar sustained a cut in the arm from the assault.
When they climbed back in the ring, Goldberg set up Lesnar for a jackhammer, but Lesnar turned it into an F5. Goldberg maneuvered quickly and hit Lesnar with yet another spear. Goldberg tried once again for the Jackhammer and nailed it this time around. It seemed for a moment that it was over for Lesnar, but he kicked out of it just in time.
Now entering: Suplex City
Mayor: Brock Lesnar
Population: Goldberg #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/9hSnOP2asH
— Tariq Ahmad (@tariq_ahmad) April 3, 2017
RESULTS & REVIEW: What happened when @BrockLesnar challenged @Goldberg at #Wrestlemania ? https://t.co/nDqHStyXAZ @WWEUK
— Neil Docking (@NeilDocking) April 3, 2017
When Goldberg attempted a fifth spear, Lesnar leaped over him, sending him crashing head-first into the turnbuckle. Lesnar then took Goldberg back to Suplex City, delivering six German suplexes in a row. The crowd shouted “10” as Lesnar set Goldberg up for the 10th suplex of the match. He went for the F5, followed by a three count, and it was over as Lesnar emerged the new Universal Champion.
#TheBeast has introduced @Goldberg to #SuplexCity … but the #UniversalChampion has RE-introduced @BrockLesnar to the SPEAR! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/8Bo0bMk1bd
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2017
Brock Lesnar takes WWE Universal Championship to Suplex City https://t.co/2f5fmuUop2
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) April 3, 2017
BROCK LESNAR BEATS GOLDBERG! #WrestleMania https://t.co/XVR3PUpjkI pic.twitter.com/xwG05GOiHi
— Sun Sport (@SunSport) April 3, 2017
Lesnar celebrated his well-deserved victory with Heyman and left the ring with a broad smile on his face. He looked very relieved as he hugged his title belt. He must have found the culmination of his long-running rivalry with Goldberg very satisfying. He deserved the victory after persevering, despite the frustrating one-minute-and-26-second loss to Goldberg in the Survivor Series .
Goldberg and Lesnar first clashed at WrestleMania 20 in 2004, with Goldberg securing a victory. The two met again at the 2016 Survivor Series , with shocking results. Nobody expected Goldberg to beat Lesnar so easily, in one minute and 26 seconds, after Lesnar had easily defeated formidable stars such as John Cena and Randy Orton. He also broke The Undertaker’s undefeated streak in WrestleMania .
The two clashed again at the 2017 Royal Rumble , with Goldberg eliminating Lesnar with a spear.
[Featured Image by WWE]
