10 Best Moments Of WWE WrestleMania 33 Weekend

8. The Redemption Of Goldberg

Lesnar Mania 33
WWE.com

Goldberg was in drastic danger of undermining his Indian summer prior to Orlando.

When he smashed Brock Lesnar in just 01:26 at Survivor Series last year, the shock quickly wore off and cynicism set in. Was the squash match a continuation of Lesnar's UFC-style presentation, or was that all Goldberg was capable of?

The events of Fastlane didn't answer the question because WWE couldn't answer it: it was senseless to tarnish Lesnar's aura any further by positioning Kevin Owens above him. That result, though entirely logical within the universe WWE had created around the Goldberg character, threatened to undo the good will.

On Sunday, the endgame unravelled beautifully. Goldberg and Lesnar wrestled a match as heated as it was dramatic - a hugely welcome, short antidote to the epic mode favoured elsewhere. Goldberg played his part perfectly, as devastating on the offensive as he was selfless in his bumping.

The Goldberg versus Lesnar rivalry was ultimately a success. Massive exposure, controversy, even, in the end, match quality - it generated much for WWE. You cannot help but tip your hat to them, even if it was hard to get behind at first knowing their track record.

Goldberg atoned for both his in-ring game and his dumb*assed comments in recent weeks. On RAW Talk, Goldberg cut a sincere and self-effacing promo in which he poked fun at the length of matches and thanked everybody for helping him become a hero in the eyes of his kid.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!