I’m going to preface all of this by saying that I used to be obsessive about Goldberg once I was a child. Rising up in a WCW family within the mid-to-late ‘90s, Goldberg, together with his badass look, spear and jackhammer combo, and common mystique, was an enormous hit within the Sledge dwelling. However once I not too long ago discovered that the wrestler who had enormous moments in WWE and WCW introduced he can be having a retirement match, I’ve to confess I used to be disinterested, to say the least.
With out even bearing in mind the whole lot that’s been stated about Invoice Goldberg over time by the likes of Bret Hart, the considered the wrestler-turned-actor taking a high spot at an upcoming WWE occasion simply isn’t doing something for me. And you understand, I believe I discovered why.
Goldberg Has Come And Gone A number of Instances Over The Previous Decade
After staying away from WWE for greater than a decade after being booed out of Madison Sq. Backyard at WrestleMania XX again in March 2004, Goldberg has come and gone a number of instances.
He first got here again for Survivor Collection 2016 the place he defeated Brock Lesnar in a stunning victory, squashed Kevin Owens for the Common Championship, after which misplaced it to Lesnar at WrestleMania 33 the next April. He’d come again round in 2019 and take an identical path that noticed him beat the late Bray Wyatt for the Common title once more after which lose to Braun Strowman at WrestleMania 36 after Roman Reigns dropped out as a consequence of medical considerations within the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an identical story in 2021 and early 2022.
What I’m getting at is Goldberg and his behavior of coming again, wrestling just a few matches, profitable and shedding a belt, after which dipping out has grown tiresome, boring, and never attention-grabbing by any means. There’s no longevity, no endurance, and no stakes.
If They Waste A Gunther Match On Goldberg, I am Going To Be Pissed
When Goldberg made his first look with WWE in additional than two years at Unhealthy Blood in October 2024, he received into an in-ring altercation with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther in entrance of the WCW mainstay’s hometown crowd in Atlanta, Georgia. After they had been standing face-to-face, I saved pondering to myself, “Don’t do that to Gunther, please!” as a result of I don’t need to see among the finest wrestlers in WWE, not to mention the world get caught up in what is going to in all probability be a nasty match and waste of time.
No, I don’t suppose WWE will feed Gunther to Goldberg and have the past-his-prime wrestling legend take the WHC off his waist (although the corporate did pressure Kevin Owens and Bray Wyatt to drop their belts in glorified squash matches), however you possibly can’t have one in all your greatest stars participate in a sideshow attraction like that. Plus, Gunther wouldn’t actually get any warmth from beating a 57-year-old man in what would find yourself being a five-minute match, so there’s nothing to realize.
I am Actually Extra Centered On John Cena’s Retirement Tour
I do know that I sound greater than just a little hypocritical being not fascinated about watching Goldberg’s last bout white being on board with John Cena’s retirement tour, however I’m actually extra targeted on watching the Peacemaker star make historical past than every other nostalgia match proper now. And to not be that man, however Goldberg by no means actually did something consequential since debuting with the corporate greater than 20 years in the past. He by no means gained the WWE Championship, isn’t identified for having nice matches, and most of his aura was constructed up in WCW lengthy earlier than Vince McMahon purchased his greatest rival.
Cena, alternatively, is on the Mount Rushmore of WWE and has stayed with the corporate his whole profession. Yeah, he’s working a part-time schedule proper now to give attention to his performing profession, however he’s been WWE through-and-through since day one. Watching Cena tackle the likes of Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and presumably The Rock earlier than hanging up his boots is much more interesting than something involving Goldberg, however that would simply be me.
As they are saying, wrestling is a subjective artwork kind, and as a lot as 2010 me would hate to listen to this, I’m extra excited to see Cena’s last run than absolutely anything else proper now.
I Do not Even Recall The Final Time Goldberg Put On A Good Match
Right here’s one other factor, I do know Goldberg was by no means a work-rate wrestler or in-ring technician (simply take a look at what Steven Regal did to him), however I actually can’t keep in mind the final time he placed on a great match. I assume his battle towards Bobby Lashley at Crown Jewel 2021 was first rate, however that was a no-holds-barred falls depend wherever match, and it’s just about unimaginable to mess these up. However outdoors of that, all of his singles matches since his early WWE days have been unremarkable and forgotten duds.
Once more, Goldberg is extra of a spectacle than a wrestler, and that’s at all times been the case. Nevertheless, in right now’s WWE, the place wrestlers getting room to placed on some unimaginable in-ring matches, It’s onerous to get enthusiastic about one other Goldberg match the place he beats down on an opponent, spears them, and places them within the jackhammer prefer it’s Might 1998 another time.
What Function Ought to Legacy Points of interest Play Transferring Ahead
On the finish of the day, skilled wrestling is a type of leisure, and corporations like WWE are at all times going to wish to have huge marquee sights to maintain followers filling up these more and more dearer seats and proceed to maintain a Peacock subscription to look at all these main occasions. Legacy sights like Goldberg, John Cena’s last tour, and Trish Stratus and Lita are at all times going to have a spot within the product, however what function ought to they play transferring ahead?
I’m all for a fast pop on the Royal Rumble when some shock entrant we haven’t seen in years reveals up and does their finisher and signature pose earlier than being eradicated. I am even down for a former champion exhibiting up and giving a younger star the rub. However I would like it to be performed the precise manner, a plausible and significant manner that doesn’t really feel shoe-horned or pointless, and I’m nervous that gained’t be the case with Goldberg.
I assume we’ll have to attend and see what occurs with Goldberg, his retirement match, and the whole lot that occurs in between. However with Uncooked transferring to Netflix in January 2025, I’m certain we’ll be seeing rather more of him within the very close to future, for higher or worse.