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411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Should Lesnar vs. Goldberg Main Event WM 33?

January 21, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar Image Credit: WWE

Welcome back to the latest edition of 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are 411’s Len Archibald and Jack Stevenson!

  • Questions were sent out Monday.
  • Participants were told to expect wrestling-related content, as well as possible statements on quantum physics, homemade pharmaceuticals, the Turtle Total Trip Theorem, pizza and hydroponics.

    1. It has been rumored that Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar will be the headlining match for WrestleMania 33. If this happens, it will be the right call.

    Len Archibald: FUCTION – I love Goldberg. I love Brock Lesnar. I LOVED the way the last Goldberg/Lesnar match went. I am more into their feud than when they first encountered each other in 2004. I do NOT think they should main event. To paraphrase Daniel Bryan from Talking Smack, those who are working the house shows and bringing in money the old-fashioned way of being the traveling champion should be rewarded for the main event spot. It makes sense to me. Of course I understand that WWE is looking for the casual/mainstream draw, but if there is any event that already sells before needing any marquee names, WrestleMania is it. WrestleMania itself is the marquee. The placement of Lesnar/Goldberg on the card is moot – it’s a big enough match on its own. For my own selfish sake, I am hoping we get a Triple Threat between AJ Styles, John Cena and The Undertaker as the final match, with AJ coming out on top to cement his status as the new face of WWE. Asinine fantasy booking aside, I agree with Daniel Bryan’s logic.

    Jack Stevenson: FICTION – It’s hard to say at this stage, because we’re still two months from the show, no matches have been announced, nothing is obviously being built to. If we get to April 2nd and Lesnar-Goldberg is the match that has been built to most effectively, it would be hard to begrudge it the main event spot. On principle, however, I’d rather see the WrestleMania main event feature at least one full time member of the roster, and on paper I wouldn’t be massively excited for the Lesnar-Goldberg rematch. They pulled off a nice surprise at Survivor Series, but whether they’ve got a substantive, full-length match in them is another matter. So, provisionally, I’ll say fiction.

    2. Following WWE announcing that Kurt Angle will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. This will lead to Angle eventually taking an on-air (not an in ring) role with the company.

    Len Archibald: FACT – First off, let me state that Kurt F’N Angle returning to WWE is super sweet and a long time coming (not that I discount he spent the majority of his career in TNA – I feel he was the best wrestler from 2000-2010.) But, yes, eventually – Kurt Angle will take an on-air role WWE position. He has already played General Manager and sort-of manager. Kurt still obviously still has the itch to perform and after what I feel may be one or two mini-feuds, Kurt will hang up his boots and move into a booth position, a manager or authority figure. But I think he proves he still has it in the ring first.

    Jack Stevenson: FACT – I wouldn’t be surprised to see him return to the ring, even, but I think at the very least an on-air role of some description is highly likely. Kurt is almost universally beloved among both casual and hardcore fans alike, he’s been gone from WWE for over a decade, and there’s a tangible appetite to see him again. He’s always been a good performer outside the ring, intense and convincing, but with a nice sense of comic timing as well, and he’d probably be an upgrade on Mick Foley as Raw General Manager. It would be harder for Steph to push him around, as well. I suspect that people who want to see one more match from Kurt haven’t seen any of his few matches over the last couple of years. His appearances on the independent scene have shown a man in steep physical decline, whose mind is willing, but whose body is simply not what it was. Perhaps, with the extra motivation of a dramatic WWE return, Angle would be able to drag himself to one more great match, but it seems unlikely. The best role for him at the moment is outside the ring, and I think WWE and, ultimately, Kurt himself will accept this.

    3. Neville is doing his best WWE work to date as a heel.

    Len Archibald: FACT – This is the lock of the week and easiest FACT for me. Neville (or N-EVIL-le as he is affectionately called by those enjoying his run) is for me a top-5 heel in all of WWE. Neville has upped his intensity, grounded his moveset with a sweet submission to boot and has generally done a 180 on his time as a face. The King of the Cruiserweights moniker fits him like a glove and him being Cruiserweight Champion feels right at this time. Circling back to our second question, Neville reminds me of 2006-era Kurt Angle, the wrestling machine – who was just an asskicking terminator-like cyborg. I am thoroughly a fan of Neville’s current character work.

    Jack Stevenson: FACT – Neville always had potential as a traditional, sympathetic fan favorite, but WWE are largely terrible at booking those. As such, it’s been refreshing to see him in this heel role; it’s given him a new sense of purpose and direction, and added a much-needed sheen of credibility to the Cruiserweight Division. Neville is, at the moment, its most accomplished and recognizable performer, which is a nice little niche for him to have. He’s grumpy and entitled and a bit sadistic, and it’s all coming together for him very nicely indeed.

    SWITCH!

    4. WWE running various regional, women’s and other tournaments on the WWE Network during the year is a plan you can get behind. (Excitement level 1-10)

    Jack Stevenson: 6 out of 10 – There are some tournaments I would be more interested in than others. A Japanese or Mexican tournament, or the Cruiserweight Classic II, or even a great big sprawling World Cup of some description, I could definitely see myself following very closely. On the other hand, I suspect a Women’s tournament would have to eliminate a lot of competitors who aren’t quite ready for such a stage before it got down to the really good stuff; this was a problem the UK Tournament had, with the first night being decent but a bit monotonous and predictable because half the field was noticeably more limited and inexperienced than the other half. I’m also worried about sheer saturation. There is so much pro wrestling in the world, WWE already producing a sizeable chunk of it, and part of the appeal of the Cruiserweight Classic and the UK Tournament was undeniably the freshness of the performers and the concepts. If WWE start hosting tournaments around the world on a consistent basis, very soon it’s just going to become more noise outside of the very best ones. There are several different factors that are going to decide whether future tournaments are worth investing time in, so I’ll go with a hesitant 6/10 as the answer.

    Len Archibald: 10 out of 10 – What else would the WWE Network be good for if not creating new content and expanding their reach via different tournaments? We have had the Dusty Classic Tag Team Tournament, The Cruiserweight Classic and the UK Championship Tournament. I would think a Women’s tournament is the next step and I am extremely excited for that prospect. Tournaments to find the best talent out of Australia, Germany, Japan, India and China are potential goldmines if played right and WWE has conducted each tournament as unique and great compelling television. Bring on more wrestling!

    5. By the end of 2017. WWE will have a deal with at least one UK company to air their product on the WWE Network as an early version or extension of the rumored UK show/brand.

    Jack Stevenson: FACT – I would have said fiction until I read the rumors that ICW were on the verge of agreeing to such a deal. It always seemed to me a bit of a fantasy that WWE would start picking up independent promotions for the Network, like people had seen Triple H’s willingness to co-operate with smaller companies and made a few big assumptions. It now seems like something more tangible is on the cards, though, and ICW promoter Mark Dallas hasn’t denied the whispers, so, yes, let’s say fact!

    Len Archibald: FACT – Between rumors of WWE reaching a deal with ICW to air their talent on the Network, to the collaboration with PROGRESS, I feel it is only a matter of time before WWE finishes out a deal with a UK company to extend the UK brand. The logistical issues of getting production trucks in place would be solved if they simply allow one of those promotions to handle their own production, or even outsource their production hands from across the pond. The UK Championship has just gained some steam and it would be difficult to keep that momentum without an outlet for the UK competitors. In my own conspiracy-theoried mind, I think the UK tournament was created soley to entice Zack Sabre Jr and Will Osprey to WWE where they would be superstars in the WWE UK scene. Shit all you want on WWE’s creative, but when it has come to actual in ring action and business practices to expand their brand, they have made one right call after the other.

    6. What is your level of excitement (1-10) for a potential UK brand after The WWE UK Championship Tournament?

    Jack Stevenson: 4 out of 10 – See, the thing is, I’m from the UK myself and am very proud of and excited by our little indie scene, but as I alluded to earlier, there’s too much gosh darn wrestling in the world. WWE spew out eight hours of programming every week, more if there’s a Network special of some kind. Royal Rumble week will see them offer us 15 hours of new content in between all the weekly TV shows and Takeover: San Antonio and the Rumble itself and its pre-show, which I think is two hours this year for some ungodly reason, isn’t it? As such, it’s very difficult to argue that what WWE needs to do is put on MORE PRO WRESTLING. Let’s be honest- the Cruiserweight Classic was significantly better than the UK Championship tournament and yet they haven’t been able to convert that into a compelling weekly program. I don’t see that they could make a dedicated UK brand addictive viewing either, especially since there’s no guarantees they’d be able to pick up sufficient talent. Of all the competitors in the UK Title tourney, the only ones I’d want to see on a weekly basis are Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Mark Andrews, Danny Burch… possibly Trent Seven? So, you’ve got five, and perhaps you’d be able to pick up more talent with the promise of weekly Network exposure as well, but it’s far from a certainty, and doesn’t entirely circumvent the main problem with this plan, which is that there’s already not enough time to watch all the great pro wrestling in the world. For a new brand or promotion to become must watch, it has to be better than great. Would a regular WWE: UK company reach that level? I’m not convinced.

    Len Archibald: 8 out of 10 – So at the end of the day, this is WWE, so anything that has to do with the creative end is going to be seen through a cynical prism as precedence has been set with various levels of letdowns. The Cruiserweights are finally gaining some footing through 205 Live after stumbling out of the gates on RAW. The Women’s evolution is starting to open up with rivalries between Charlotte/Bayley, Banks/Jax, Lynch/Bliss, and Nattie/Nikki all bringing something different to the table. If the UK Brand is planned to be its own entity, then I am very excited because that means it will be most likely handled by Triple H and away from Vince McMahon’s vision. If the UK Brand is expected to join RAW or SmackDown! Live, I will be hesitant. I will admit that WWE has done a good job of course-correcting some of their branding ideas, so I will be optimistic.