Backstage Report on Commentary for Lesnar/Goldberg

Goldberg versus Brock Lesnar may be the most talked-about two-minute match of 2016–maybe of all time–and it’s with good reason. The match was a shocking event, and the one thing nobody expected out of the big main event was a brief squash featuring little more than a handful of signature moves.

The commentary team was told to approach the match differently, as well. According to the Wrestling Observer, the team was instructed to call the match like a “fight.” The theory was that the audience is familiar enough with UFC to know that fights can be explosive and over in an instant, and that as a result the audience wouldn’t feel “ripped off” or dissatisfied.

It’s also suggested that the match was good for “educational purposes,” as its brief runtime helps to sell the idea that main events can be over at any moment, making near falls and early finishers more believable.

Does this mean we should expect similar finishes in the future? That remains to be seen. WWE’s full-time talent has had a rough time reaching the level of popularity that this contest between special attractions could, and it’s tough to say whether similarly unexpected booking would work in the same way. Still, it seems WWE is willing to experiment with their formula, and change is a good thing. (Usually.)