Let me start with issues I have seen other fans bring up recently. First, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton have not really interacted physically in the last few weeks with each other. It is obviously nothing wrong in terms of injury. Both men have had matches. The WWE has just kept them apart. Personally, it does not bother me. There are some feuds where you want to keep the guys away from each other to make their PPV encounter feel more special. I don't think this is the kind of feud that needs that, but there is that idea. Nevertheless, I can understand if some fans are irked by this. This whole feud has strayed from the norm these days, and people tend to have mixed feelings when that kind of thing happens.
Another issue I have seen some fans bring up is that the feud has become too much about Sister Abigail and not enough about the WWE Championship. And that goes back to a point I have made before, this feud did not need the WWE Championship and Royal Rumble victory involved. There was enough there to make it good. Even with the questionable storyline development it has gotten, it was still a good elaborate storyline. This is the stuff elaborate storylines are made of. Unique segments. Character development. Use of supporting players. And it has obviously been given a lot of time to develop. Again, the development could have been handled better, but it was good enough to not need a title.
Don't get me wrong, there are some good feuds that can also involve a title even when not necessary. Look at Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens. There is a good feud. Jericho and Owens were friends. Jericho helped Owens retain his title numerous times. But Owens turns on Jericho. Solid betrayal storyline. The United States Championship was not needed in this feud, but I am not complaining that it's there.
Go to TNA last year. Look at the feud between Matt & Jeff Hardy. I wouldn't have hated it if the TNA Championship was involved in that feud. It was the biggest thing TNA had going. The characters and segments were a success. TNA didn't really have anything else that great going on. But they chose to spread things around by letting other guys fight for the top title, and I can respect that decision. Matt vs. Jeff did not absolutely need the title.
Why do I not respect the WWE's decision to include the WWE Championship in Smackdown's most elaborate feud going right now? Because, unlike TNA last year, there are other men and other feuds that could have used that title that the Wyatt/Orton feud does not need that badly. John Cena is stuck in a position that is beneath him. AJ Styles is stuck in a position many fans dislike. Dean Ambrose is in a midcard feud. These are all guys that were WWE Champion in the last few months that Bray/Orton has been building. They now find themselves in feuds that were thrown together in the last two months or less. Dolph Ziggler looked like he was on fire a few months ago, and is now in a battle royal on the pre-show. Miz looked like he regained his main-event form, only to be put in this feud with Cena that looks like it will do more for Nikki Bella than anyone else. The WWE very much could have put together better feuds for the Smackdown roster.
Regardless of all the issues, here we are. Who wins? The Royal Rumble winner has not been successful at Wrestlemania in recent years. Triple H won the Royal Rumble, and the title, last year and lost at Wrestlemania. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble and lost at Wrestlemania the year before that. The year before that was the Batista fiasco. I think the tradition continues. I don't feel Orton wins this match, even if it is so close to his birthday. Bray Wyatt retains.
Speaking of feuds that don't need a title, Goldberg defends the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar. Letting Goldberg win the title is one thing. But did they really need to continue this feud? The guy is old and obviously cannot go like he used to. With what few matches they could get out of him, they should have built a fresh feud for him. His feud with Kevin Owens was hardly even a real feud. It was overshadowed by Goldberg/Lesnar and Owens/Jericho. The feud was really just used to develop these other feuds. Goldberg/Lesnar should have just ended for good at Survivor Series last year.
Unless some change of heart happens, it seems Brock Lesnar is winning the title. Even disregarding reports, what's the point of continuing this feud if Goldberg keeps beating Lesnar? But what has Brock Lesnar done since his last title win to deserve another? Get caught using illegal substances? Give Randy Orton a concussion? Nothing? Yeah, that's the one. And this will be the first time since the WWE started embracing part-timers so much that a top title will go from one part-timer to another. That is a terrible thing. Is this going to become a habit? I would probably be less against it if it was The Undertaker winning the title from Goldberg. I do not consider myself a fan of Taker, but it would be nice if he had gotten one more title run. But Lesnar? Not this again.
The story of this match is also an issue. Reports are claiming this will be a squash match. It seems kind of ridiculous for Lesnar to just squash Goldberg and end things there, but given that Goldberg doesn't look like he can handle a long match, I am not doubting the possibility this happens. Still, I feel like the WWE might pull some swerve to protect Goldberg. He won't just walk into an F5 and lose.
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