Pros and Cons of Goldberg Winning the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble

When Goldberg left WWE Survivor Series 2016, the crowd was left in shocked silence. No one knew how to react to such a bizarre and sudden result. WWE answered the tacit questions the next night by having Goldberg announce his entry into the 2017 Royal Rumble match, proof that the company had long-term plans for the returned veteran.

As the Rumble approaches, it only now begins to dawn what could be on the horizon. Goldberg has done a lot in professional wrestling, particularly in WCW, but he has never won the Royal Rumble. In fact, he has never had this much noticeable momentum as a member of the WWE roster. It is easy to imagine Goldberg winning the huge 30-man Battle Royal and earning a shot at the WWE Universal Championship.

There are pros and cons to Goldberg emerging victorious at this year's Rumble. Goldberg is a massive star who would help set up WrestleMania with a mainstream main event. On the other hand, the 50-year-old Goldberg has hardly earned this opportunity in his brief appearances over the past few months.

Fans have a right to be worried and excited for the potential of a Goldberg victory and, therefore, a Goldberg title shot. It is an intriguing possibility with equal opportunities to succeed and fail. Whether it happens may just rely upon how the pros and cons balance out.

The following are the major pros and cons to Goldberg winning the 2017 Royal Rumble match, including analysis of potential matches that could come from victory, as well as thoughts on the effect it would have on the WWE roster.

Pro: Gives WWE a Ready-Made Headline Story for WrestleMania

Credit: WWE.com

Goldberg's return to WWE was a huge deal, gaining media attention and causing nostalgic fans to tune in. It would be easy to market the idea of Goldberg's last run to the main event of WrestleMania to battle for the WWE Universal Championship.

It wouldn't even matter who his opponent was. The story would be simple to sell. Goldberg came back looking to prove he could still be the man he once was, and he has looked more dominant than ever before. This unstoppable monster would now be set to battle the next generation and capture a world championship one last time.

WWE would have a hard time passing up a story this simple and mainstream. By winning the Royal Rumble, Goldberg would make history and set up a future match that casual fans would be clambering to see. That is what WrestleMania is often all about.

Con: Unnecessary to Boost Goldberg's Status

Credit: WWE.com

Goldberg's legacy is set. No one would quibble if he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the headliner of the 2017 class. A Royal Rumble win is one of the premier accomplishments for any Superstar, and most of the wrestlers in this year's Rumble will need that on their resumes more than Goldberg does.

Just by name alone, Goldberg is a headline attraction. There is an intangible excitement attached to the idea of seeing Goldberg wrestle once more. The Royal Rumble is supposed to set up a main event contest that is important because of the stakes and the difficulty of attaining the victory.

Whether Goldberg wins the Royal Rumble or not, he will still be a main event attraction, so a victory would not only fail to help Goldberg, but it would also waste a valuable opportunity to promote WrestleMania. It would be another Royal Rumble where the winner would win for the sake of immediate media coverage rather than promoting long-term success.

Pro: Likely Sets Up Goldberg to Face Young Talent with Natural Story

Credit: WWE.com

This week on Raw, we got a glimpse of Goldberg in conflict with new talent. It was special to see Goldberg in the same ring as a new heel like Kevin Owens and a new, dominant face like Roman Reigns. It was an enticing glimpse of future possibilities.

While Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar was a money match, fans had seen it before. It was simply a way to bring back Goldberg. The real reason Goldberg should stick around is so that he can battle the younger Superstars who he would work well with. A win at the Rumble would likely lead to a match with KO or Reigns at WrestleMania.

Both of these matches could be fantastic, and it would make sure someone who regularly tours with WWE would get a rub in the main event scene. Goldberg would bring the star power, and Owens or Reigns would bring the explosiveness to a match that could be special.

Con: Forces Goldberg into High-Profile Match He's Perhaps Not Ready for

Credit: WWE.com

So far, Goldberg has made an impact without being physical for more than a few minutes. Instead of his main event clash against Lesnar proving he was still in shape, it was used for shock value. To this day, no one knows what Goldberg can still do in a ring, which is a serious issue for competing in a main event match.

WWE has one of the most stacked rosters in its history, particularly with those who can put on quality matches in the ring. WrestleMania will have multiple well-wrestled clashes between young athletes, and the main event should follow the lead of what preceded it.

Winning the Rumble is meant to place the winner in the main event of WrestleMania, and those main events are meant to be 20-minute-plus clashes. Goldberg rarely wrestled over 10 minutes, even in his prime, and he just recently turned 50. This may just be a recipe for disaster.

Pro: Guarantees Fresh Match for WrestleMania

Credit: WWE.com

WWE has a problem that has cropped up from its frequent television. There are too few matches that have not already been done. In order to promote Raw and SmackDown as must-see, WWE wastes money matches on TV. WrestleMania, though, should be an event for the matches the fans have never before seen.

Goldberg facing any Superstar who is not Lesnar would be a fresh encounter—a new angle for The Showcase of the Immortals. By winning the Rumble, Goldberg would guarantee that he would not just face Lesnar at WrestleMania, ensuring that he would be used in a fresh manner, as would the talent he worked with.

Regardless of the end result of the match, WWE needs contests that do not feel like Raw and SmackDown. It would be a waste for Goldberg to just fight Lesnar another time. Fans want to see matches they have never seen before rather than once more watching Goldberg fight someone he has already defeated twice.

Con: Takes Away Spot from Full-Time Superstar...Again

Credit: WWE.com

The past four Royal Rumbles have all ended with winners who were largely disliked by the crowd, mostly due to a lack of promotion for new talent. That list of winners included both Batista and Triple H, who were barely around before or after WrestleMania. For a decade now, there has not been one Rumble victory that led to a great one-on-one WrestleMania main event.

A win for Goldberg would be more of the same, which would further discredit the idea that WWE has entered a New Era. As Raw and SmackDown work to create new stars, including Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin, the Rumble would be indicating that none of them matter. They are all just second-rate Superstars to whoever WWE brings back from a former era.

WWE has had no issue sending this message to the talent before, but the wrestlers have only stepped up since then. WWE needs a definitive Rumble victor. If Goldberg takes that victory away from stars such as Seth Rollins and The Miz, who have never won a Rumble, it would discredit the entire WWE roster.