How WWE Can Fully Maximize Goldberg's Feud vs. Brock Lesnar

As announced on the Oct. 10 edition of Raw, Goldberg is set to return to the flagship show for the first time in a dozen years this coming Monday night. He will be addressing Paul Heyman's challenge to fight his advocate Brock Lesnar.

This came after it had been heavily rumored (h/t Dave Meltzer of Figure Four Online) for well over a week that internal plans called for Goldberg and Lesnar to rekindle their rivalry at Survivor Series next month. Heyman throwing down the gauntlet this week and Goldberg's upcoming appearance virtually confirm that will be the case.

Goldberg was last seen in a WWE ring at WrestleMania XX in a match also against Lesnar that was memorable for all the wrong reasons. The Madison Square Garden crowd knew both behemoths were on their way out of the organization, so they rejected the match by booing both competitors relentlessly.

Not happy with the backstage politics (h/t Wrestling Inc), he opted not to renew his contract with the company and left following The Show of Shows in 2004. It wasn't until he struck a deal with 2K Sports to serve as the cover athlete for WWE 2K17 that the door was opened for a potential comeback.

Now that his speculated match with Lesnar looks to be a lock, WWE must do all they can to fully maximize the former WCW World Heavyweight champion for as long as they have him in an on-air role.

WWE.com

It is telling that WWE might be going with Lesnar vs. Goldberg II sooner rather than later, as opposed to saving it for WrestleMania 33. That might be for the better as it opens up Lesnar for other possible matchups on the grandest stage of them for all.

Furthermore, with WWE 2K17 out this week, now is the perfect time for WWE to capitalize on the buzz surrounding its release by having the two biggest names in the game do battle in reality.

Survivor Series has lost quite a bit of its luster over the last decade-plus, but headlining the event with a rematch for the ages would surely solidify the show as a major happening. Lesnar has been in action at all but one of WWE's "Big Four" pay-per-views since returning in 2012, with the autumn extravaganza being the sole exception.

The former UFC heavyweight champion has kept a low profile for the past two months, last seen beating Randy Orton to a bloody pulp at SummerSlam. Not many Superstars in today's WWE look like legitimate threats to Lesnar, but having beaten The Beast Incarnate before, Goldberg has a fighting chance against him.

Of course, it is currently unknown how many matches Goldberg has signed on to do and how long he plans on sticking around for. That said, it would be best for him to be brought in to do one more match before calling it a career in WWE.

Fans may question why Goldberg will be facing Lesnar for a second time instead of going up against a fresh face or at least someone he didn't cross paths with during his previous run. Simply put, that is the biggest money match WWE can do with him at the moment given few other options make sense.

Unlike Sting, who lost in his WrestleMania debut for no apparent reason, it would be logical for Goldberg to fall short of victory in his final match with WWE. Only an elite handful of Superstars can say they have slayed the Conqueror, but Goldberg is the sole Superstar Lesnar has never beaten one-on-one.

This would present Lesnar with the ultimate opportunity to come across as being even more unstoppable than he already is. Goldberg would lose nothing in defeat, given he hasn't stepped inside a ring in over a decade, while simultaneously righting the wrong from WrestleMania XX.

Regardless of what the outcome is, WWE must approach this program carefully at the risk of ruining its unlimited potential. There is plenty of excitement from fans surrounding his return, and one miscalculated move might squander what remains of his mystique in an instant.

The less fans see of The Myth in the coming months, the more meaningful it will be when he eventually resurfaces, hopefully culminating in a worthy WWE Hall of Fame induction over WrestleMania 33 weekend.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

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