WWE Doesn't Owe Goldberg a Retirement Match, AEW Revolution Fallout, More Quick Takes

Of the many notable names slated to be in action at WrestleMania 39, Goldberg isn't expected to be among them.

It's been well over a year since the WWE Hall of Famer last competed in a WWE ring. Per his recent interview with Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso, he feels the company owes him a formal retirement match, despite there being no need for him to ever wrestle again.

Even with a two-day format, WrestleMania spots are limited and Goldberg's presence on the premium live event is hardly necessary. That creative effort and focus should instead be put toward making the existing 'Mania matches more interesting.

Meanwhile, AEW is riding high following Sunday's excellent Revolution pay-per-view, headlined by an all-time classic Iron Man match between Bryan Danielson and MJF. More than anything else, the show succeeded in showcasing the homegrown stars and sending the message that they are indeed the talent of tomorrow.

This instalment of Quick Takes will look at the fallout from Revolution, how the road to WrestleMania has cooled off following a hot start, why the Intercontinental Championship must be defended in a Triple Threat at WrestleMania, and more.

A Goldberg Retirement Match Is Not Needed

Goldberg can claim WWE owes him a retirement match all he wants, but the fact of the matter is that he could have ended his career on top multiple times in recent years and passed up every opportunity to do so.

His original return run with the company, which started at Survivor Series 2016 and culminated a WrestleMania 33, was handled perfectly. That WrestleMania rematch with Brock Lesnar was everything it should have been and would have been a fitting note to close out his career.

Unfortunately, his matches since coming back in 2019 to compete occasionally have been incredibly inconsistent. He's had fun sprints with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre along with terrible stinkers against The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt.

He even reigned as world champion on two separate occasions, but his time has come and gone. There is no one opponent intriguing enough worth him returning to the ring for, at least in WWE.

Bron Breakker could be a possibility down the road, provided Breakker squashes him in a matter of minutes, but any other than that would be simply self-serving for Goldberg and not actually accomplish anything of importance.

AEW's Renewed Focus on Homegrown Talent Will Benefit Product in the Long Haul

As enjoyable of an event as Revolution was on the whole, the top takeaway was that AEW sent a clear message by having the homegrown talent emerge victorious in virtually every single match on the card.

MJF, Jamie Hayter and The Gunns all retained their titles. Wardlow won back the AEW TNT Championship. Ricky Starks, Jack Perry and Adam Page came out on top in their grudge matches.

The only exception was House of Black beating The Elite for the AEW World Trios Championship, which was the right result. Otherwise, it was a night all about the AEW originals, and every single one of those stars has the potential to be building blocks for the future.

The on-air product has suffered from a rocky road to Revolution, but AEW is obviously putting plenty of stock into talent who will be around for the long haul. Of course, all of the ex-WWE wrestlers have a ton of value as well, but a better balance going forward will be key.

The emergence of these fresh faces will only benefit AEW programming in the long haul and give fans new people to want to root for and see succeed.

Triple Threat Is Strongest Option for Intercontinental Title Match at WrestleMania

Friday's SmackDown took a significant step toward setting up whatever the Intercontinental Championship match is going to be at WrestleMania.

However, the matchup that makes the most sense is a Triple Threat with Gunther defending against both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus.

Gunther vs. McIntyre one-on-one has never been done before and is undoubtedly an attraction worthy of the WrestleMania billing, but the story lies with Sheamus. As was mentioned on SmackDown, he has shown more desire to win the title than anyone for several years.

His quest to become the ultimate Grand Slam champion can't be completed until he captures the one title that has always alluded him.

It's well established that McIntyre and Sheamus work amazingly well as opponents, thus making the Triple Threat the smartest and strongest combination of the three of them on the 'Mania card.

Although a Fatal 5-Way will be held on SmackDown this week to determine the number one contender, it can be as simple as having it end in a non-finish to ensure both McIntyre and Sheamus get the shot against Gunther and neither are excluded from the event.

Chris Jericho's Latest Loss Should Lead to Dissolution of J.A.S.

Revolution must mark the end of multiple rivalries, including Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks. Both bouts of theirs were entertaining, but everything else in between left a lot to be desired.

What's important is that Starks beat Jericho when it mattered most and did so in a clean fashion. Very few others can lay claim to having beaten Jericho twice in AEW, let alone on back-to-back occasions.

While Starks moves on to bigger and better things, Jericho should begin the breakup of the Jericho Appreciation Society considering they have been more of a hindrance than a help these past few months.

It was almost exactly one year ago following Revolution 2022 that Jericho Appreciation Society debuted on Dynamite. They've hardly done much to differentiate themselves from Inner Circle, and Jericho's best work during this period has come whenever he's been by himself.

A bit of a break from AEW TV might freshen up the Jericho character, especially if he were to return on his own for the first time in his AEW career.

WrestleMania Build Has Cooled Off After Hot Start

WWE kicked off its road to WrestleMania in spectacular fashion with the well-received Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January, followed by the outstanding Elimination Chamber event in February.

In the two weeks since then, the hype for The Show of Shows has cooled down considerably. This has in large part been due to Raw being a boring show and offering very little substance.

SmackDown has been slightly stronger with the heavy focus on the Bloodline saga and other compelling stories, but Raw has struggled to maintain that same level of excitement. Three hours worth of inconsequential matches and less-than-stellar storytelling haven't helped, either.

That's what makes Monday's Raw from Boston so important. WWE has done an effective job of stacking the show with star power and promises of major 'Mania developments, so it could turn out to be the episode that corrects course.

Although a little less than a month remains before WrestleMania 39, no time should be wasted in making the buildup as exciting as possible, and getting it back on track with Raw will be paramount.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.