WWE WrestleMania 33 preview: Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar

Goldberg and Brock Lesnar will face off for one last time with the WWE Universal Championship on the line at WrestleMania 33 on Sunday night.

When it comes to the ultimate thrill ride that is WWE WrestleMania 33, there is no bigger match on the card than Goldberg defending his Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar. The two rivals will once again do battle on the biggest stage of them all. For one last time, the two will fight with legacies defining both on the line.

When it comes to WrestleMania, legacies are everything. Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and several other legends have made names for themselves by providing moments that have captivated audiences for a lifetime. This isn’t the first rodeo for either Goldberg or Lesnar, but this is a match that definitely will impact their respective legacies.

Rarely has anyone physically dominated Lesnar the way that Goldberg has in his career. He’s had the beast’s number every single time they face off. For Lesnar, it’s one accomplishment in his career he has yet to achieve. This is his last chance to take down the mighty Goldberg and there’s no better stage for it than WrestleMania.

Seeing Lesnar in a spot where he’s doing the chasing than the defending is a bit unique. Everyone knows what he’s capable of, but the WWE has worked to make Goldberg the one guy that has his number consistently. This is the match that will ultimately decide the future of Monday Night RAW until at least WWE Summerslam, so here’s some background and what to expect from these two behemoths facing off in Orlando.

How did we get here?

This is a match that goes all the way back to the 2004 Royal Rumble, when Brock Lesnar cost Goldberg his shot at competing in the main event of WrestleMania XX. Goldberg would repay the favor to Lesnar the very next month at No Way Out in San Francisco. Lesnar would lose his WWE Championship to Eddie Guerrero after Goldberg provided some assistance to the future Hall of Fame wrestler.

At WrestleMania XX, the two faced off in a match with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the referee. With both competitors on their way out the door, it didn’t seem like it would be a match that would happen again on paper. Nonetheless, both would eventually make their return.

In his return, Goldberg physically dominated Lesnar in a way that no one has ever done before and he shocked the world in his return at the 2016 Survivor Series. Lesnar and Goldberg would eventually square off in the Royal Rumble match and once again, the latter would hold the edge. Lesnar would be eliminated and find himself not able to get over the hump.

Lesnar would challenge Goldberg to a match at WrestleMania 33 for one last chance at the man that has gotten the best of him every single time. The man who has made a living hitting his opponent with the spear took the former UFC Champion up on his offer and the match was set.

At Fastlane in March, Goldberg would win his first championship in over 13 years as he defeated Kevin Owens in another short main event. Owens would be stunned with a spear after Chris Jericho appeared and got back at his former friend. Goldberg winning meant the title would be put on the line at Camping World Stadium.

What to expect?

The first thing that people should expect is for this one to last longer than their match at Survivor Series and the one that Goldberg had with Owens at Fastlane. Simply put, this is the biggest match on Sunday. They can’t just have these two go 90 seconds and call it a day at WrestleMania.

What’s likely to happen here is Goldberg will try to stun Lesnar once again with a spear early but this time he will be ready for it. This match is just going to be two brutes hammering away on each other. There will be nothing more, nothing less for these two when they step into the ring.

One should also expect Paul Heyman to have some sort of presence ringside. Even if he doesn’t necessarily interfere, he does a good job of commanding some attention for himself when he’s managing Lesnar from outside the ring.

Expect both of these men to hit their finishing moves and some near counts to throw the audience completely off guard. There won’t be much technical wrestling and there will definitely be some rest holds if this match goes past a few minutes.

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Predicted winner?

Simply put, the story and the narrative here all leads to Lesnar once again conquering a legend at WrestleMania. This last run by Goldberg has allowed him to be the man again so his son could see him wrestle, but the time has come for him to hang it up.

That means that Lesnar should win the Universal Championship and become the man that runs Monday Night RAW, even if he isn’t on the show every week. It’s a story about redemption and overcoming the odds, which as mentioned is not a place that the former Minnesota Golden Gopher often finds himself in.

Perhaps there will be a handshake or a sign of mutual respect after between two of the baddest men to ever step in the ring. It’s a battle of old war horses and for Goldberg, it’s a chance to have one final match on the biggest stage in sports entertainment. He puts on a show, drops the belt and Lesnar becomes the focal point of Monday Night RAW for the foreseeable future.