10 Pleasant Surprises For Wrestling Fans In 2017

9. Bill Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar

Andrade Almas Zelina Vega
WWE.com

Proving yet again why professional wrestling will always be a star-based industry despite Vince McMahon's insistence that the WWE initials are why people attend his events, Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar took only four minutes and 45 seconds to steal a ludicrous six hour show.

A destruction derby diametrically opposed to their utter stinker 13 years earlier and the Survivor Series short sharp shock that set it up, the two hit every big move at their disposal, generated audible gasps and shrieks from an enormous outdoor crowd, and got the f*ck out of there. And it was absolutely magnificent.

Three German suplexes from Brock Lesnar were countered by two spears from Goldberg. He then walloped 'The Beast' with a third through the barricade, dodged an F5, and hit his certain-death Jackhammer. Lesnar lifted a shoulder, mystifying the electrified crowd. Big Bill readied another charge as the atmosphere reset, but Brock leapfrogged the Universal Champion, threw him seven more times then dropped with a match-winning F5.

More WrestleMania epics should be possible to condense into one paragraph. Neither man would claim to be 'The Game', but Triple H could learn a thing or two from this pair.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett