100 Worst WWE Matches Ever - 27 - Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
Wrestlemania XX
A match that is totally unique in this process. Unlike every match that came before and still to come, I have a comment that you may find strange considering the nature of this list.
I fucking love this match.
This match is routinely heralded - perhaps for good reason - as one of the worst wrestling matches ever. Almost immediately from the moment it aired, it was universally panned from just about every conceivable outlet. And yet, I never had that feeling of repulsion that I have when watching other matches on this list. I never felt the match was boring. It’s a match I had to wrestle with my own personal biases whether or not I even wanted to include it on the list. Because this match is entertaining to me, and I have never not enjoyed watching it.
Make no mistake, this is a horrible, horrible “wrestling match”. It is unashamedly lazy on the part of both competitors - about as unprofessional a professional wrestling match could ever dream to be. And for that reason it makes its place on the list in a very high - yet arguably not high enough position.
But it is not boring, nor does it repulse me, or insult me.
It fascinates me.
Wrestlemania XX for a long time was my favourite Wrestlemania and I’m not ashamed to say this is a reason why. It’s one of the most fascinating environments in wrestling history. Never before had a crowd immediately hijacked a match and openly turned on both men - certainly never on this sort of scale. Never before had two wrestlers publicly protested and shown such a blatant lack of enthusiasm and professionalism. If you watch this match on mute, you will rightfully think this is a hideously boring affair in the same mould as other entries. But with the crowd, this turns from being dull to bizarrely mesmerising. It truly is a car crash that you can’t take your eyes from.
As soon as the bell rings, the Madison Square Garden crowd are ruthless in their reaction to both Goldberg and Lesnar, particularly the latter. The chants have become so iconic that it seems redundant to list them, but when one of the marquee matchups from Wrestlemania has a “we want Bret” chant, or people chanting for a guy dressed as Hulk Hogan in the crowd, you know it’s a special kind of crowd. Most famously, the fans do not shy away from a full “you sold out” chant directed at Lesnar, followed by a “na na na na na na na na hey hey hey goodbye” to both. Interestingly, Shane McMahon was reportedly in the crowd for this show and was involved heavily in the chants against both men. In what has become my favourite trope in the process, JR has to be completely honest about the disaster we’re seeing, and has to openly admit that Lesnar is off to try out for the NFL.
The video package may make you think the real rivalry was Steve Austin (who is the special referee here) vs Brock Lesnar, and there’s a good reason for that. See, Goldberg only had a set number of dates left on his contract. So few that he couldn’t appear on every show leading into Wrestlemania. In fact, following Goldberg’s appearance at No Way Out 2004, Goldberg can you guess how many dates he had left on his contract?
One.
Between No Way Out, where Goldberg cost Brock Lesnar the WWE title, and Wrestlemania, Goldberg did not make an appearance on WWE television. Not even as much as a pre-recorded promo. His brain was checked out and his ass was half way out the door already. The build for this match had fans scratching their heads, and the more inquisitive fans were keen to find out what was going on. Rumours circulated on the internet about the bizarre build, and in the leadup to Wrestlemania it became apparent that Goldberg was leaving after Wrestlemania XX. Meanwhile, on television, the feud mostly centred around Austin and Lesnar with a brief bit of Vince McMahon thrown in because why not.
WWE’s plan was clear from the Royal Rumble. They were going to give the fans the biggest dream match they could out of Goldberg, and have their biggest star beat Goldberg cleanly at Wrestlemania. It was going to be another crowning achievement in the short meteoric rise of Brock Lesnar.
However, as fate would have it, Brock would tell WWE just two weeks prior to Wrestlemania that he was done. Spooked by the botched shooting star press from Wrestlemania 19, and hating the brutal travel schedule of a full time WWE contract, Brock Lesnar decided he had enough of professional wrestling. He would tell the company of his intentions to try for the National Football League. All of a sudden, WWE is majorly pissed off. Not just because it derailed their plans following Wrestlemania, but WWE invested an ungodly amount of time and resource into Brock between 2002 and 2004. He received the most fierce immediate push of perhaps any wrestler in the history of the company. He was, quite literally, the Next Big Thing. All the titles - the video game - the main events - the sheer domination of television time. Brock Lesnar was the Ruthless Aggression era in the same way Austin was the Attitude Era or Cena was the PG era. And now it had all blown up in their face.
News of Lesnar’s imminent departure from WWE circulated in the week prior to Wrestlemania. Wrestling fans were no strangers to their stars looking for greener pastures. Famously just 18 months earlier, WWE fans turned on the Rock for pursuing a Hollywood career - something that many fans never let go of until the Rock’s return in 2011. For one reason or another, certain wrestling fans hate the idea of their favourites pursuing other interests. Having just been burned by the Rock, it’s no surprise that there was a similar bitterness towards Lesnar from large portions of the audience.
WWE were so pissed, that rather than have Goldberg finally lose clean, they decided that Brock didn’t deserve shit. The only one going over in this match is Stone Cold Steve Austin, and that’s how it was booked.
I imagine almost everyone reading this match has seen this before. It begins with the two men staring one another down, trying to psyche each other out while the fans relentlessly jeer both men. For the first three minutes of the match, no physical contact is made by either man, and yet it doesn’t bore me because the crowd is so special. In subsequent interviews many years later, Goldberg said he was hurt by the crowd’s reaction, whereas Brock said he was past the point of caring. On watching this, I’m not sure I believe that. To me, it looks like Brock is extremely rattled by the crowd chants. He’s swearing at everything that moves. Goldberg on the other hand looks halfway between stoic and confused.
This is the most entertaining moment of the first three minutes of this match.
After a few minutes of stalling they finally interact with two long lockups. And they just hold that position. What should feel like a clash of titans feels more like killing time, and the fans respond in kind. They don’t want any part of this whatsoever, and both men look at this point as if they’d rather be anywhere else in the world right now. Every move that would usually energise a crowd is falling flat on its face. A double clothesline spot is met with more resounding boos. Austin meanwhile spends half the match trying to encourage them to do something - anything - and the other half of the match pissing himself laughing at the fans’ chants. Most notably when a loud “Austin” chant breaks out, he can’t help but crack a smile.
Eventually they start to wrestle and you can sort of see flashes of excitement with some big power moves and bursts of energy. It’s all short lived as they drop right into a resthold before the finisher kickouts prior to Goldberg’s win. Goldberg’s win is not met positively by the Madison Square Garden crowd. After the match, Lesnar gets his final WWE moment of this run, as he gives the fans a single finger salute, before taking a stunner. Goldberg gets to drink beers with Austin, getting mercilessly booed every time he takes a drink of his beer. He too takes a stunner much to the joy of the fans. At the very least, they booked the aftermath in such a way that the fans were going to leave this debacle at least slightly satisfied.
Say what you want, but even in shitty matches, Goldberg’s offence is some of the coolest stuff ever. Also shout out Austin celebrating a move being done.
Despite the reputation this match has, I have always been a massive fan of both men’s work. I for one am glad that the two redeemed themselves thirteen years later when they had - in my opinion - the best match of the night at Wrestlemania 33. To me it puts a silver lining on what is otherwise a bitter end to both men’s first WWE run. As much as we all discuss how little both men may actually care about wrestling, I cannot help but think that both men were appreciative of the opportunity to right the wrongs of this match.
Up Next - 2 matches for the price of 1, as I prove once and for all that maybe I truly just hate fun.
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