Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33 Does Not Need WWE Universal Title

Following months of speculation, Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar was made official for WWE WrestleMania 33 on the Feb. 6 edition of Raw when Goldberg accepted Lesnar's challenge to one more match.

However, the landscape of the marquee match could change drastically between now and then. It was confirmed on the same show that Goldberg will contend for the WWE Universal Championship at Raw's Fastlane pay-per-view on March 5.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) recently reported that the plan heading into WrestleMania will be for Goldberg to win the title from Kevin Owens at Fastlane. From there, he will presumably defend against Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 33.

The match makes sense on paper, if only because no one else on Raw comes close to being as prominent a babyface as Goldberg is at the moment. Lesnar isn't far behind in terms of star power, either. Goldberg announced his intentions months ago to have one last world title run, so it seems WWE has had the idea of doing this match for the title since Survivor Series.

For as much storyline support as the Goldberg-Lesnar feud has received, it simply isn't a world-title-caliber contest for WrestleMania. It's a big enough bout that it doesn't need a championship up for grabs in order to feel any more special than it already does.

Credit: WWE.com

As an attraction, Goldberg vs. Lesnar is perfect for WrestleMania, especially since it likely won't last longer than a few minutes. But with a world title on the line, they would be forced to wrestle a 10-minute match, at the very least, in order for it to live up to the hype, and their past two one-on-one outings have shown they aren't capable of that at this point.

Either way, the outcome is pretty predictable, with Lesnar finally overcoming the one adversary he has yet to beat in singles competition. It is imperative that he goes over in their third match to make up for the lost momentum from Survivor Series and Royal Rumble.

Even if Lesnar wins the title, what will become of the WWE Universal Championship? Goldberg is apparently signed through WrestleMania, and Lesnar continues to work a part-time schedule, so he would have to drop the belt immediately to a member of the active roster on Raw.

Granted, WWE could do something similar to what it did in 2014-15 by having Lesnar remain off TV until SummerSlam and hold the gold hostage, but it didn't do the on-air product any favors the first time. Repeating that formula would be worse in 2017 with the brand split now in effect.

Truth be told, Lesnar conquering his last remaining demon and taking the title to close out WrestleMania isn't all that compelling. If Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, or an alternate matchup of equal value, were to be the main event, it wouldn't change the fact that Lesnar vs. Goldberg is a waste of Raw's most coveted prize.

The best route WWE can take would be to keep the championship on Owens. While he hasn't been the best-booked champion in recent memory, he and Chris Jericho can square off for the title at 'Mania, and in that case, we'll know one or possibly both of them will be around after WrestleMania.

That is a match that would benefit from a world title being at stake. Meanwhile, Goldberg vs. Lesnar would mark the sixth straight year that WWE will have ended WrestleMania with a part-timer in the main event slot—and the fourth time since 2013 that a part-timer walked into the event as world champion.

That should show you that officials have virtually no faith in their current crop of talent to headline WrestleMania and be able to sell tickets. Including part-timers in the WrestleMania main event is one thing, but having two part-timers face each other with a world title on the line is almost pointless because it hardly affects the everyday storylines.

It isn't a foregone conclusion that Goldberg will capture the championship at Fastlane, so there is time for WWE to change plans. It would be better if Owens remained champion after interference from Lesnar, giving Goldberg an added incentive to beat The Beast Incarnate again at The Show of Shows.

With so many potential players to work with at WrestleMania 33 this year who aren't out injured, WWE would be making a grave mistake by merging the Universal Championship into the Goldberg-Lesnar saga when it clearly isn't necessary.

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.