Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg's big b*stard battle was - until they partially retconned it years later - one of the most preposterous WrestleMania encounters of all time. Ignoring the tension fans would be forced to wait over a decade for, the surprising news that both men were set to definitely leave the company after the event left the New York crowd ice cold towards each man.
That Big Bill only had one date left on his contract had already made the build-up challenging. Stone Cold Steve Austin was inserted as a placeholder for the former WCW World Champion, but Lesnar's disinterest didn't emerge until the night itself following revelations that weekend that he was leaving WWE to give the National Football League a try.
The discerning Madison Square Garden faithful flatly refused to engage in their contest as a result. The disdain was mutual; neither Brock or Bill had much interest in causing themselves or each other any damage as they prepared for their respective next steps. Post-match Stone Cold Stunners to both from 'The Rattlesnake' were the crowd's only placation.
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
