WWE WrestleMania 33: Assessing The Potential Of All 14 Matches
1. Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar - Universal Title Match
How long is it going to last?
That really is the literal sum of it. It can't go on last if it is to last less than two minutes. Goldberg has already been on the receiving end of jeers of late. Another short, decisive win might turn the tide entirely. The shock has worn off; substance is what is needed.
But is there any, underneath the superficial UFC-style surface layer? Goldberg has wrestled the sum total of two excellent ten minute matches in the course of his career (versus DDP at Halloween Havoc 1998 and Scott Steiner at Fall Brawl 2000). He's nearly two decades older, but his bump clock hasn't ticked much. In a way, his age is an illusion. Does the fact that he's 50 years old even matter, when his body has withstood less punishment than practically any wrestler ever? Conversely, Brock Lesnar's suplex city act grows more tiresome the longer it drags on. It can't feasibly go long, either. How can it possibly be any good?
Even if it goes five minutes, it'll feel like longer, so there's that. The sheer novelty of Goldberg in a competitive match would generate heat and suspense. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar poses so many unanswerable questions that, in spite of itself, it is the most intriguing match on a card stacked with them. Assessing the potential match quality is probably redundant.
It doesn't have to be any good - but it can no longer be shocking. The crowd need something else. Until we get it, there is no way of knowing.