It has been nearly twenty years since the disastrous WWE dream match of Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar took place at WrestleMania 20, and though they rectified that awful occurrence a few years ago, it still lives in infamy as a complete farce. WWE is running a risk this year by booking the Smackdown Women’s Title match of Charlotte Flair defending her belt against Ronda Rousey, as it has a chance of going down the same route.
Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar Was A Disaster
Fans were initially excited at the prospect of WCW’s legend of a monster Goldberg going head-to-head with one of WWE’s biggest new stars at WrestleMania 20. At the time, they were two huge names, and it was a legitimate dream contest. However, things turned sour quickly, as it became clear that following their match, the two men would be leaving WWE. Even back then, fans were knowledgeable about the goings-on behind the scenes, especially the generally smarter Mania audience.
Goldberg was set to step away from the ring, and Lesnar intended to try a new path of American football. There was a slight chance that the fans would treat their match with applause and respect, with it being the last time of seeing them, but it turned ugly, with the fans treating them both like traitors, with many not seeing the point of having them take a spot on the card if they’re both walking away anyway. The match itself didn’t help, with Lesnar and Goldberg each turning on the audience, flipping them off, and wrestling a slow and plodding match, rather than the hard-hitting and impactful battle that they should have had. Even the addition of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as the special guest referee couldn’t salvage the match.
Fans Are Still Mad About Not Getting Ronda Rousey Vs Becky Lynch
When Ronda Rousey returned and won the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble, fans were excited. The surprise was great, she is a big name, and her last run gave some phenomenal matches. The thing that excited fans the most, was that it seemed as though Rousey would challenge Becky Lynch to set up the big singles match which fans have been eagerly anticipating for years at this point. However, it became clear very quickly that Rousey and Lynch wasn’t the plan at all.
Rousey challenged Charlotte Flair for her belt, rather than Lynch, which left much of the audience around the world with a collective groan. This is not only due to fans wanting the Lynch match but because many are still sour with the fact that Flair was included in the WrestleMania 35 main event featuring Rousey and Lynch, changing up their singles match into a triple threat. Seeing Rousey and Flair in the ring will only bring back those memories.
There may well be a plan to have Rousey and Lynch battle at the following WrestleMania a year later, which would be a good choice if they manage to commit to the booking, but it doesn’t change the fact that some people don’t want to see Rousey and Flair go at it, even if the match is likely to be impressive.
The Audience Might Not Know Who To Cheer Out Of Rousey & Flair
Another issue that surrounds the pair, and something which runs the risk of fans turning on the match as they did with Goldberg and Lesnar, is the face and heel dynamic. When Rousey left previously, she constantly bad-mouthed the fans, and even upon her return, she was brooding and angry, not acknowledging the chants and cheers from the audience, so much so that WWE reportedly had to talk to Rousey about her attitude, as she was supposed to be a face. With plenty of the audience being aware that Rousey doesn’t like them, regardless of the role she is playing, may cause them to turn on her.
Flair is currently one of the bigger heels in the company, with many being frustrated with her consistent time at the top and holding a title. This leaves WWE with potentially two women who will be treated like a heel, and for a match that is likely to main event one of the two nights of WrestleMania, that sets it up for potentially more disaster than the Goldberg and Lesnar match. WWE must produce a strong build to ensure that fans are invested in the match and can fully get behind Rousey as a face. They can have a good match at the end of it, but after a long night of action, fans could turn on it. If anticipation is built up correctly though, fans will be on board regardless.