5 times the wrong WWE Superstar won a World Championship before WrestleMania
The road to WrestleMania is one of the most important times of the year. WWE's world title matches are usually some of the most important bouts on the card at the prestigious show.
While there have been several great World Champions and challengers at WrestleMania, not all have been good. There have been plenty of times when WWE picking the wrong superstar to hold the World Championship before WrestleMania. Here's a look at five such occasions.
#5. Goldberg - won the Universal Championship before WrestleMania 33
Goldberg made his return to WWE in 2016 after 12 and a half years, and his run lasted from November until WrestleMania 33.
His original stint in WWE ended at WrestleMania 20 in the most disastrous retirement match possible against Brock Lesnar. Fans at WrestleMania 20 booed Goldberg and Brock Lesnar out of the building because they knew both men were wrestling their last match in WWE and had opted not to renew their contracts.
12 years later, Goldberg wanted to make things right. It only made sense that his return would be to challenge Lesnar. Their Survivor Series bout was promoted as "Fantasy Warfare Just Got Real". Goldberg shockingly defeated Lesnar clean in just 86 seconds. Then Goldberg returned again at the 2017 Royal Rumble.
As the road to WrestleMania 33 began, Goldberg easily eliminated Lesnar from the Rumble match. It was only a matter of time before the two stars clashed one last time at WrestleMania.
In the meantime, Goldberg challenged Kevin Owens to a Universal Championship match at Fastlane 2017. Thanks to a distraction from Chris Jericho, Goldberg beat Owens in just 22 seconds to end his Universal title reign.
Since Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar was already official for WrestleMania 33, it became a match for the Universal Championship. But was Goldberg the right man to hold the title heading into the event?
Some would argue that this title reign was meant to kickstart Brock Lesnar's 500+ day Universal Championship reign. But the original plan, according to Chris Jericho, was for him to beat Kevin Owens for the Universal title at WrestleMania, and then lose it to Brock Lesnar in the next pay-per-view.
This path was a much better option. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania never needed a title. Both men are iconic names, so the story sold itself. They had a great, redemptive match at WrestleMania 33, but having Goldberg walk in as the Universal Champion was the wrong decision.