by Even if he’s not in WWE, the 56-year-old would like to bow out his career with a retirement match.
SI.com’s Wrestling Week is published weekly and provides below-the-surface coverage of the professional wrestling business.
“Never say never”
Bill Goldberg isn’t done yet.
The former WCW icon has only wrestled four times in the past two years for WWE. Now 56, and not quite as chiseled or powerful as he was a quarter-century ago, Goldberg has proven over the past two years that he still knows how to work his magic in the ring.
Goldberg last fought a year ago against Roman Reigns at Abortion Chamber, held in Saudi Arabia. When asked if he would consider another match, Goldberg revealed that it is a real possibility.
“You never say never, especially in wrestling, and they owe me,” Goldberg says. “That’s all I can say. I made a deal with the devil and did my job and they owe me a retirement fight. At the end of the day, at 56, it’s not something I sit by the phone waiting for a call. I have some ideas on how to do it myself, possibly in Israel. So never say never.”
Even when he’s away from wrestling, Goldberg continues to have screen presence. He will return to ABC this week for an appearance on the long-running sitcom The Goldbergswhich airs Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET.
“It’s funny when I’m on set and all the chairs say ‘Goldberg,’ but I’m the only Goldberg on set,” says Goldberg. “It’s also an honor and a privilege every time they bring me back. I’m ecstatic that I have a cast around me—literally, every single one of them—that makes it so easy to be a part of this comedy. They made the table for me.”
Goldberg will reprise his role as coach Nick Mellor. In this episode, he co-hosts the school dance with Beverly Goldberg and promises to deliver a scene that will grab people’s attention.
“I have a line that I will never, ever be able to shake,” says Goldberg. “I’m embarrassed to watch it. But that’s it The Goldbergs. It’s a line to remember.”
Speaking on the phone while watching his son’s baseball game, Goldberg reflected on his last six years in WWE. That stretch rewrote his legacy, adding another chapter to some great memories from his unforgettable run in WCW. During that time in WWE, he wrestled Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, The Undertaker (a rare blemish during this time period), Dolph Ziggler, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns. There is one consistency to this list: Goldberg worked mostly with heavyweights, with the sole exception of Ziggler, who made him shine during their brief match at SummerSlam in 2019. If Goldberg returns for another match, an opponent as versatile as Ziggler could make for a more exciting match.
This run also redeemed Goldberg with a large portion of the wrestling fans. Instead of focusing on negative moments like Bret Hart’s unfortunate injury in WCW, disappointing storylines, or his time in WWE in 2003-04 that just didn’t resonate with fans, there’s now a whole new slate of moments and memories that to love, especially for those who watched Goldberg at his height in the late 1990s.
“The tenacity of wrestling fans is unparalleled,” says Goldberg. “I’m not going to sit here and say I owe them everything, but I’m definitely close. It is an honor to be remembered and supported by such a group of people. There is such a fever in the passion of the fans. To be a part of that, I’m blessed.”
Goldberg’s last match was against Roman Reigns almost exactly a year ago. Since then, he has watched in awe as Reigns has elevated his character and quality of performance to a rare level, solidifying his belief that Reigns is the absolute best in the business.
“If you know Roman, what he’s doing doesn’t surprise you,” says Goldberg. “He and I come from similar football backgrounds and obviously he grew up in the business. As hard as it was for him at first, when he was pushed in the neck, he has turned it 180 degrees in his favor.
“I’m really proud of him. I’ve dealt with some of that negativity, and it’s hard. You go out there, work your ass off, and at the end of the day, you want to be appreciated. He is quite dedicated. I respect that, I respect him and I’d love to get in the ring and kick him, but this is his time.”
An unsung hero in Goldberg’s WWE run was Paul Heyman. Goldberg and Heyman operated in what amounted to two different galaxies in the 1990s, with Goldberg starring in WCW and Heyman forever upsetting the wrestling world in ECW. They briefly overlapped during Goldberg’s 2003–04 WWE tenure, but Heyman and Goldberg took advantage of their advanced wisdom in their second chance together. Heyman is largely responsible for putting together the entire Goldberg-Lesnar storyline, which was extremely exciting in ’16 and ’17.
“Paul is amazing,” says Goldberg. “It’s hard to believe that one person could have such a tremendous impact on the business, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, but that’s Paul Heyman. It’s a gem. it really is. He knows art inside and out. I’m very grateful to have been a part of his plan.”
Wrestling hasn’t heard the last of Goldberg. Until then, he’s excited to showcase his comedic side The Goldbergs.
“People are going to love this,” says Goldberg. “Everything about The Goldbergs It is incredible. It’s a great pleasure to be back.”
The (online) week in wrestling
- Week after week, The Bloodline/Sami Zayn storyline continues to remain extremely interesting. But how did the production team miss Zayn’s Helluva Kick?
- Will there ever be a WWE Title for Sami Zayn? His post-WrestleMania stretch will be very interesting.
- There are new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and on top of that, Trish Stratus is back—adding even more excitement to what looks to be a very exciting multi-face match at WrestleMania.
- During Raw, Brock Lesnar accepted Omos’ challenge for WrestleMania. I was expecting to see a resolution to Lesnar’s feud with Bobby Lashley, but Lashley appears to be fighting Bray Wyatt on the show.
- I’m excited to watch the Ring of Honor reboot, which starts tomorrow. Who is the best man to dethrone Claudio Castagnoli as champion?
- Best wishes to Stevie Richards, who had many memorable moments in WWE—and was a top star once upon a time in ECW.
AEW is missing a crucial element without Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes is a perfect fit for AEW.
That’s not to say that Rhodes is doing anything but thriving in WWE, but it rather highlights how much he’s been missed in AEW. This past fall, while Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks served out their suspension, a similar phenomenon occurred: AEW felt hollow without its three executive vice presidents. This absence was even more prolonged for Rhodes, who last wrestled for AEW in January 2022 before returning to WWE.
Even when the crowd alternated between booing and cheering him (sometimes even in the same promo), Rhodes just fit the brand’s ethos. A founder of AEW, Rhodes has always been instrumental in the direction of the company. He helped establish the TNT title and his title match against Chris Jericho is one of the best championship matches in company history. Rhodes’ leap from the top of a steel cage remains one of his signature moments Dynamite.
AEW’s loss was WWE’s gain. Rhodes played a highly entertaining match Rough this week against Chad Gable, building even more momentum for his own WrestleMania 39 showdown with Roman Reigns. Cody Cutter and Cross Rhodes on Gable was a sight to behold (a subtle reminder of Gable’s talent, too), and there was even some fun interaction outside the ring between Rhodes and Otis.
Rhodes will be SmackDown this Friday, as will Reigns. This has the potential to be extremely exciting. And, as evidenced in Rough, Rhodes had the crowd fully behind him, which was a reasonable question mark amid this surge in popularity for Sami Zayn. Rhodes is exactly where he should approach WrestleMania.
Obviously, AEW is more than any one person. of Sunday Revolution The pay-per-view will have no shortage of stars. But it’s worth asking: Even though Bryan Danielson is the bigger star, would the card be better suited with Rhodes challenging MJF for the AEW title? There’s no doubt that Rhodes is a perfect fit for AEW. He’s been missed since he left and WWE is reaping the benefits.
The tweet of the week
It could disrupt the locker room, but CM Punk back in AEW should be must see TV.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @Justin Barrasso.
