Survivor Series Thoughts: Looking Ahead to 2017

Although a long card at 3 1/2 hours, I give WWE Survivor Series a thumbs up.

Best Match: Tag Team Elimination Match

Worst Match: Brian Kendrick vs Kalisto

2K games makes deals with wrestlers not currently employed by the WWE, and then WWE somehow works them into the ring. Ultimate Warrior, Sting, and now Bill Goldberg. A true mercenary who wrestled for nothing but the money (and later for the fame as a superhero good guy), Bill Goldberg walked away with no regrets. He came back for one year and left with a bitter taste.

But time heals all wounds. And in the intervening years, Goldberg got married and fathered a child – who learned all about the lore and legacy of Bill Goldberg but never saw his father, live, in the ring.

That all changed when 2K made the deal for Goldberg to appear as part of WWE 2017. 

Goldberg came back, did a promo, and got over with the live crowd. It was a truly visceral response. Clearly there has been some recalculation on the part of WWE concerning Bill Goldberg, since his first in-ring promo a month ago, where he said "Brock Lesnar – You're Last."

In the real world, Goldberg would have done exactly what he did tonight – back up his words with a 1:27 squash of Brock Lesnar. Then he hugged his wife, kissed his son, high-fived the fans, then brought his son into the ring to celebrate with him before leaving triumphant.

And he would fade away and disappear.

But this being pro wrestling, the storyline continues tomorrow night. The finish will draw eyeballs to RAW. The WWE will either open the show with a Paul Heyman rant, or tease that Heyman and Lesnar are in the building and demanding airtime. Or they will just show up and Lesnar throws around everyone like a maniac, causing a no decision in the main event. 

Or they do nothing. Not this week, not next week. Nothing until perhaps the Royal Rumble. But at some point Brock Lesnar is going to return, and he is going to return pissed. And nothing will placate him except another match... with Bill Goldberg.

And that match will be at.....WrestleMania.

Okay, I'm watching.

Road to WrestleMania: 2012 Leads to 2013

Reports are that Brock Lesnar is in Miami and is negotiating with WWE.

WWE is happy with the one-year buildup to Cena v Rock for WrestleMania 27, and they clearly want to duplicate that success in 2013.

WWE wants to shoot an angle on next Monday night on RAW (April 2), which is generally the highest-rated episode of the year, coming on the heels of WrestleMania.



This may explain why The Miz was added to "Team Johnny," after WWE was doing a storyline that after headlining WM last year, he couldn't even get on a match this year.

Lesnar may be put in Miz's spot at WM - the guy who interferes in the main event, costing The Rock the victory against Cena.

The Rock would then show up Monday night and ask Lesnar to explain himself, leading to a physical confrontation. In all likelihood, John Cena would be the middleman, getting the two to agree to work the main event NEXT year (Rock v Lesnar). Remember that when WWE first brought in Lesnar, Rock was the one who put over Brock, which started him on his rise to the top.

Lesnar can also use his post-WWE success, as a guy who left and got even more famous in MMA - as the storyline material.

I could see them doing dual main events in 2013: Rock v Lesnar and Undertaker v Goldberg. Bill Goldberg has mentioned in conversations that he would like to come back for one more big match, since his son is now old enough to watch pro wrestling.

Add a potential Steve Austin v CM Punk match to the card and you already have three strong matches for 2013, with neither the World nor WWE Championships matches even being discussed.