10 Ways WWE Screwed Up At Fastlane 2017
1. Nobody Wins
Goldberg’s Universal Title victory at Fastlane was inevitable as soon as the match was announced. Kevin Owens has had a stinking reign as champion, and Lesnar vs. Goldberg is the money feud at the moment. From a business standpoint, putting the belt on a 50-year-old man who likely only has another match or two left in him makes sense, but WWE botched the execution.
The best thing they could have done last night would have been Goldberg going over Owens cleanly. His match with Lesnar set a precedent for this, and if Goldberg can put WWE’s most dominant force away on his own, he should be able to do the same to Owens.
Instead, Owens fell victim to a distraction. His own title reign has been defined by such moves, and when Jericho’s music hit, Owens succumbed to the Spear, Jackhammer, and the pinfall. It lasted just 22 seconds, and the outcome accomplished nothing for either man.
WWE probably thought they’d be protecting Owens in the loss, but he came-off looking goofier than ever. Being distracted by entrance music is as dumb as it gets, and he deserved to lose his championship after taking his eye off the ball in such a manner. A crippling oversight on his behalf, and one he can have no complaints about after months of cheating and stealing his way to multiple defences.
For Goldberg, this only makes the apparent “Superhero” look weak. If WWE were going to throw the belt on him, they should have allowed him to prosper on his own merits instead of prospering in an Owens-esque fashion. This weakens him ahead of his clash with Lesnar, and while their match will likely headline in Orlando, the muted response to this victory suggests that Bill is quickly wearing his welcome out.