10 Wrestling Matches That Broke All The Rules

7. Brock Lesnar Vs. Goldberg - WWE Survivor Series 2016

Mankind Undertaker Hell In A Cell
WWE.com

For years and years, WWE refused to maximise talents that built their name elsewhere.

It was a trope as old as Vince McMahon's version of the company; almost to the second Hulk Hogan became inextricable with it, battle lines were drawn between the north and the south. In Vince's world, the wrestlers who made their name in the south faced a harsh winter of gaudy King gimmicks and polka dots, and to extend that metaphor, the winter lasted for a generation.

Goldberg did not survive it in 2003; winter came for his rapid-fire destroyer act, and his damaging, patterned WWE comebacks dragged on forever because he wasn't equipped to wrestle them. Goldberg was never a 'wrestler'; he was a special attraction who required the smoke and mirrors WWE deprived him of.

Until Survivor Series 2016, at which he made his improbable return to the company - and an even more improbable return to the star of the late 1990s.

Goldberg squashed Brock Lesnar in under two minutes, as if he was Scotty Riggs. That is the opposite of hyperbole, if anything; Riggs lasted longer than the man built as the most dominant force in WWE history, illustrating the conviction behind the pitch.

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!