10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE Royal Rumble 2021

5. The Winner Of The WWE Championship Match Is...

Daniel Bryan Brock Lesnar
WWE

(Alternate) Expectation:

Not Goldberg, surely.

WWE can't pin a new star clean in the middle to get eyeballs on WrestleMania again. Goldberg can't headbutt a locker. He can't wheeze as he steps through the ropes. He can't apply a kneebar as if he's doing the Oops Upside Your Head dance at his Aunt Sharon's 40th. He can't narrowly avoid compressing Drew's spine with the glorified hip toss he calls a Jackhammer these days.

Besides which, Drew McIntyre is over. He's not The Fiend. He is really great in the role as a shredded, jocular badass. His certain victory in this big box office match has to have been booked as a "Thank you" of sorts for carrying a piss-poor RAW brand through a pandemic without ever hearing the adulation he so richly deserves.

Spear.

Kick-out at 1.

Spear.

Kick-out at 2.9.

Missed Spear, don't go too fast into the ring post you daft bastard.

Claymore.

Kick out at 1.

Claymore.

Three count.

And still.

(Alternate) Reality:

Do you see shimmering lines forming in front of you? Does every noise sound muffled and distant? Do you hide behind a cave or plant when you feel threatened?

Commiserations: you are a f*cking goldfish, and as such, you won't remember that having Goldberg defeat Drew McIntyre, in another disastrous short-term booking decision, is just something WWE does.

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!