15 WWE Title Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
3. Goldberg Squashes ‘The Fiend’ (WWE Universal Title)
Title Change: Bray Wyatt's chilling 'Fiend' alter ego became Universal Champion during a controversial rivalry with Seth Rollins in late-2019. He'd win the belt at Crown Jewel that year after the pair managed to stink the place out at Hell In A Cell with a match so foul it almost caused Seth to smack Vince McMahon in the jaw. Months later, there was more Universal Title pain in store.
Goldberg (yes, him again!) squashed 'The Fiend' to win the belt at Super ShowDown on 27 February 2020. This was done to motor Bill into a WrestleMania 36 match with Roman Reigns.
Why It Backfired: Bray's ‘Fiend’ arguably shouldn’t have even become Universal Champion in the first place. His was the kind of gimmick that didn’t need titles, but WWE put one on him anyway because they were seeking hits to elevate an occasionally rotten year. Fair enough, but don't turn around and almost immediately trash the character by making him cannon fodder for an aging squash match worker.
Goldberg squished Wyatt’s momentum flat before moving onto Roman. Tragically, that plan was itself scrapped by the COVID pandemic and a Reigns sabbatical from TV. So, Braun Strowman stepped in to beat Goldberg at ‘Mania 36 instead. What a weird series of events that completely wrecked Bray’s offshoot gimmick.
WWE fans weren't chuffed that Bray was being pushed aside for yet another Goldberg title win. It was something people didn't want to see, not least following Bill's life-threatening display opposite The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia the prior year. That should've put the lid on his prospects near the top of the card.