5 Botches from WWE Super Showdown, and 5 reasons Goldberg become Universal Champion
Botch: Audio issues
Before WWE Super Showdown got underway, there was a kick- off show that saw
Charly Caruso, Sott Stanford and David Otunga talk about the Pay Per View.
During the kick-off, fans got to see a video package from Ricochet, where the high-
flyer spoke about his upcoming WWE Championship match against Brock Lesnar, as
well as his career.
Unfortunately for fans, many will have struggled to hear what the RAW Superstar had
to say about the match, as during the video, the trio of Caruso, Stanford and Otunga
could still be heard talking, as their microphones hadn't been muted.
Charley could be audibly heard realising that her mic was still on, and quickly muted
both herself and the other two, but this was still a pretty rookie error from the biggest
wrestling company in the world.
Reason Goldberg won: Roman Reigns
With Goldberg as the Universal Champion, everyone's attention has turned to
WrestleMania, and who will challenge the Hall of Famer at the show of shows.
Right now, the current favourite is Roman Reigns, one of the 6 entrants in the
upcoming Men's Elimination Chamber match, though it was also suspected that Reigns
would win and go on to face the Fiend.
If the plan is for the Big Dog to leave Tampa as the new Universal Champion, then
putting the title on Goldberg was definitely the right thing to do.
Since returning from his leukemia battle, Reigns has been able to maintain a good
reaction from the crowd, and defeating the popular Fiend at WrestleMania would
have only hurt that goodwill from the crowd.
Now, Reigns can go on to defeat the 53 year old part- timer, who will no doubt be
hated thanks to his win over the Fiend, and whilst it's a shame for Wyatt, this all fits
with WWE's long term plan.
Botch: The Viking Raiders
Despite both teams being former RAW Tag Team Champions, the Viking Raiders and
the OC were relegated to the pre-show, in a match that saw the pairing of Gallows and
Anderson walk away with the victors.
Given that the Raiders recently held the titles, and the OC being crowed the best tag
team in the world at Crown Jewel last year, it's surprising that this match didn't make
it to the main card, but after the botches that took place, maybe it's for the best.
The most notable error during the match occurred when Ivar almost completely
missed his handstand double clothesline, and this wasn't the only mistake in the match.
When the OC looked to deliber the Magic Killer, a move that they've hit countless
times, Gallows dropped before Anderson was properly in position.
There was also plenty of other sloppy moments from all four men during the match,
and we can't help but wonder whether the long trip to the Middle East and possible
jet lag could have caused these four notably talented stars to mess up.
Why Goldberg won: To cause outrage
This may seem like an odd reason for the WWE to put the title on Goldberg, but the
company surely knew that what they'd decided on would outrage fans.
In fact, the idea of outraging fans may have been a reason why the company chose to
have the title change hands, as the WWE is a TV show, and like any good TV show,
needs a good cliffhanger.
Over the years, there's been plenty of people who have told people that they'll stop
watching WWE after a match didn't go as they wanted, but how many of these people,
actually stop watching?
With the title no longer on Wyatt, there is obviously a level of intrigue in what will
happen next, both for the former, and new Universal Champions.
That intrigue will surely lead to viewing figures, and after a year or two of shaky
viewing figures, having good numbers is exactly what the company needs ahead of
WrestleMania 36.
Botch: Undertaker's chokeslam
Even though the Undertaker wasn't officially announced for the show, everyone new
he would be appearing.
After several reports from non- WWE sources that shared photos of the Deadman in
Riyadh, the company had no choice to address the former World Champion being in
Saudi Arabia, and speculated themselves on whether he would appear at the Pay Per View.
Sure enough, the Dead did rise at Super Showdown, as after laying waste to Karl
Anderson and Luke Gallows backstage, the Undertaker claimed the Tuwaiq Mountain
Trophy by defeating AJ Styles.
When the Phenom did choke slam the Phenomenal One though, his knee clearly
buckled, causing the Deadman to nearly drop the RAW Superstar before he had
planned to.
Fans will remember Undertaker's Super Showdown match last year against Goldberg,
which also suffered from a lot of botches, and whilst the Deadman certainly fared
better this time, with just one small botch, it's still a mistake that took away from what
should have been his epic return.
Why Goldberg won: Because the Fiend didn't need the title
Like the majority of people online, we hear at Slat Rock enjoyed the Fiend's title reign,
but the real question is, did he need the title.
Given the fact that his feuds with the likes of The Miz and Daniel Bryan were focussed
on Wyatt's darker side, the argument could be made that the Universal title was just
an afterthought in these story lines, something a title should never be.
Though he is no longer the Universal Champion, we doubt that this loss will affect the
Fiend's booking, especially this close to WrestleMania.
Whether it be against the likes of Roman Reigns, or John Cena, fans should still expect
Wyatt to have a major match at this year's show in Tampa, whilst the Universal title
can be more effectively used, to build a different feud.
Botch: Mansoor's moonsault
Mansoor is one of WWE's most popular stars in Saudi Arabia, and has certainly been
booked well in his home country.
At Super Showdown last year, the Saudi prospect won the 50-Man Battle Royal, and
continued on his winning ways by defeating Cesaro at last October's Crown Jewel.
Super Showdown 2020 was no different for the highflyer, who picked up another
impressive win over Dolph Ziggler, despite a botched moonsault during the match.
In the final moments of the contest, Mansoor's moonsault was misplaced, which
meant that the Show Off received both of Mansoor's knees in his chest in a
particularly brutal spot.
Whilst the commentary team tried to gloss over it, by claiming it was intentional,
there's no way that Mansoor would have intended to hit such a painful move, that no
doubt left Ziggler feeling hurt.
Hopefully Mansoor will be able to learn from this event, and be able to hit the
Moonsault perfect next time, as it goes to show that despite his popularity in his
homeland, the young Superstar still has a lot to learn about operating in the ring.
Why Goldberg won: Because fans didn't expect it
Since The Fiend captured the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel 2019, no-one
had been able to put him down.
Going into Super Showdown, the majority of fans expected Goldberg's return to be a
one-off, as the Saudi shows offer legends such as himself a big money payday for just one match.
In short, the vast majority of fans expected the Fiend to retain his title, and this may
be exactly why the company chose to put the coveted blue title on Goldberg.
In an era where WWE is lambasted for being predictable and boring, having Goldberg
win was certainly something that many fans didn't see coming, but don't confuse
unpredictable for good.
Whilst Goldberg's win was shocking, it was also what many fans didn't want to see,
and in the time since Super Showdown, the fans have been very vocal about this
change, and the new Universal champion on social media.
Botch: The Women's Match
At WWE Super Showdown, Bayley and Naomi made history, when they took part of
the first ever Women's Championship match in Saudi Arabia.
A contest that saw Bayley retain her SmackDown Women's title, the match had a lot
of eyes on it, which may explain the multiple botches that trook place.
When the Glow attempted to hit her Scorpion Kick, she almost fell over in what must
have been embarrasing for Naomi, who has been booked as a star who can keep her
When the Glow attempted to hit her Scorpion Kick, she almost fell over in what must
have been embarrasing for Naomi, who has been booked as a star who can keep her
balance, as her appearances in the Women's Royal Rumbles have proven.
That wasn't the only mistake from Naomi though, as the springboard that she
intended to be a clothesline, turned into a spear of sorts, and this even caused Corey
Graves to try and cover it by saying the move wasn't intended, but still effective.
It was clear to anyone watching that this match wasn't at the same cailber as last
year's contest between Natalya and Lacey Evans, but Bayley and Naomi were still able
to make history in Saudi Arabia, despite multiple botches plaguing their match.
Why Goldberg won: Because he is the bigger star
Whilst The Fiend has been one of WWE's most popular and dominant stars over the
past year or so, he doesn't hold a candle to Goldberg's star power.
Debuting in WCW back during the Monday Night Wars, Goldberg is a Hall of Famer for
a reason, having transitioned from WCW to WWE, holding the World Championship of
both companies.
And whilst Goldberg is a big star in the U.S. he is an even bigger star overseas, as due
to the WWE not touring Saudi Arabia often, legends such as Goldberg are revered
when they make the trip out of North America.
Given the length of his career, and his success in WCW and WWE, it's hard to argue
that lot more people across the world know who Goldberg is than The Fiend, and
this is especially true for markets where WWE does not tour nearly as often.
Simply put, the WWE wants big names on their marquee, and for as popular as the
Fiend is, Goldberg is a bigger name for them to put on posters for WrestleMania,
especially as the new Universal Champion.