Tag: Goldberg

Goldberg explains why he had beef with Triple H before he started in WWE

Goldberg felt he “wanted to rip his face off” about Triple H ahead of his arrival in WWE.

Just about everyone seems happier since Triple H took over creative control of WWE from the now deposed Vince McMahon. Goldberg is one of the rare exceptions.

That’s because the WWE Hall of Famer had heat with Triple H right from the start of his tenure with the company back in 2003. Or as he tells it, even before he ever appeared on a WWE broadcast.

Goldberg appeared this week on the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast and told host Tim Green that while he feuded with Triple H in the summer and fall of 2003, his issues with The Game “had everything to do with when I got there” (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

The fact that I didn’t get along with Paul Levesque, which is Vince’s son-in-law, had everything to do with when I got there. A lot of that between Hunter and myself was real. We had an interaction when I was in WCW leading the charge, New York had a press event. You know all the behind the scenes. The Kliq, with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, are his buddies. I hurt myself, and I know people who are friends that weren’t with me were talking to him when he was working in WWE. He made a comment while I was at home, and I remember it like it was yesterday. He said I was tanking it or faking it or something, and that I wasn’t there for the demise of WCW or how could I. From then on, I wanted to rip his face off. We had a confrontation prior to me signing with WWE, and ironically we were represented by the same agent. It made the situation quite uncomfortable once I signed with WWE.

From a business perspective, it didn’t stop the two men from working together. Goldberg defeated Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship in September 2003 at Unforgiven and retained that title in a rematch at Survivor Series 2003. Triple H won the belt back at Armageddon to close out the year in a Triple Threat match that also featured Kane.

But the effects of their real life beef could still be spilling over into the present, as Goldberg is one of the few legends who doesn’t seem eager to reunite with WWE. Instead, he’s talked openly about having a retirement match elsewhere, while WWE has been firing on all cylinders without him.

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Roman Reigns almost made it, The Rock never did: 5 former WWE wrestlers who actually played in the NFL

Take a walk down memory lane to start football season with a look at WWE wrestlers who were in the NFL.

When it comes to WWE wrestlers who once dreamed of playing in the NFL, it’s often a case of close but not quite.

Take the company’s top star, Roman Reigns. Then known as Joe Anoa’i, Reigns was a pretty good college football player at Georgia Tech, earning All-ACC first-team honors in 2006. But after going undrafted in 2007, he was signed by two teams, then released prior to the ensuing NFL season.

(He did, however, play a few games in the CFL, and we’d say he’s done alright for himself since then, what with the whole Undisputed WWE Universal Championship thing and all.)

How about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Negative there as well. After his college career at The U (a.ka. the University of Miami), Johnson also went undrafted, and found his true calling after a short stint on a CFL practice roster.

Yet there have been a handful of others who gave the NFL a shot before seeking out pro wrestling and have actually experienced the thrill of playing football at the highest level. Let’s take a quick spin through some of the WWE wrestlers who were in the NFL first, and in the ring second.

Bret Hart praises Rhea Ripley, disses John Cena and yes, Goldberg

Bret Hart doesn’t like a lot of what he sees in WWE today but does appreciate the Women’s World Champion.

Contrary to popular belief, Bret Hart does like some aspects of modern pro wrestling.

You just might never know it because the 66-year-old Hitman spends a lot of time telling anyone who will listen how it was better when he was the Excellence of Execution. Hart is definitely not someone who believes in the “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything” philosophy.

But Hart clearly keeps up on the business today and does have his favorites, one of whom is WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. In an interview this week with Fox Sports Australia, he gave Mami his seal of approval.

I really like her a lot. I really like her poise, her staying in character and sort of living her – she seems like she’s adapted a character that’s fun to play, and she’s playing into that, full tilt.

She’s putting that realism into it; that’s what I miss in a lot of wrestling today, just making it feel more real, and she makes it feel pretty real all the time.

That’s high praise from the Hitman, as one of his pet peeves is that he believes so much of pro wrestling circa 2024 does not look real. The difference between what he did in the ring and what he sees today is that his version of pro wrestling didn’t look so choreographed ahead of time.

And I think it’s starting to stand out now where it’s like – in my honest opinion, without trying to sound too boastful, they’ve pulled the curtain back on wrestling so much. So now we know the whole thing’s a show, and they’re just really good physical actors, and that is what it is.

But you watch my wrestling and you go, jeez, he was the best. I think I made it look more real than anybody all the time. I made your stuff look good, I made my own stuff look good, nothing looked rehearsed. There’s so much I think in today’s wrestling that’s so badly rehearsed, over and over.

He’s not talking about just aerial maneuvers or “flippy” moves as some derisively call them (though he’s not super fond of all of them either), but even the most basic holds, invoking the name of one of the biggest WWE stars of all time in his disdain.

I was a technical wrestler that made you, you know, when I put a headlock on, it look like a real headlock. Not like John Cena or somebody that’s got a headlock that looks like he has it on a tire. The headlock has to be tightened – real. You know, I that’s what I pride myself on. And I also pride myself on the fact that I never injured anybody, ever.

John Cena catching strays there, as they say.

Some of what Hart says always comes off like the proverbial old man yelling at a cloud. Yet his respect for his opponents is unquestionably admirable, and his pride in his safety record.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Bret Hart rant without invoking the name of the man who once injured him in a match, Goldberg. Hart says pro wrestlers shouldn’t be all that hurt once they finish a match because their opponents should be doing all they can to ensure they’re fine.

If they don’t, well, you can see where this is going.

In my understanding of pro wrestling, anytime anyone does anything to you that hurts, for real – chopping, putting blisters on your chest when you go to your room or bed, anytime anyone does things to you for real, they’re in the wrong business. They’re doing it wrong. Because you’re not supposed to get hurt. You’re not supposed to come back to your dressing room that night, or to your hotel room and have a big lump on your head and a black eye and your teeth are knocked out. That’s Bill Goldberg wrestling. That’s not how it’s done.

Never change, Hitman.

Goldberg calls Vince McMahon a ‘piece of s–t’ for not giving him a retirement match

As Goldberg tells it, he thought there was some quid pro quo in place for one final WWE match.

Goldberg never hot his big WWE retirement match, but as he tells it, he thought he would — until Vince McMahon backed out of his end of the deal.

That’s the way the former WCW and WWE star remembers it, at least. The disagreement involved what until now has been his last pro wrestling match: a loss to Roman Reigns last year at Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia.

As Goldberg told the Steve & Captain Evil podcast, his understanding was that if he went overseas and lost to Reigns, he’d get his big retirement match in return. That’s not what happened, however, and he blames McMahon for it (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

Vince is like Dana White. He’s the big boss and he makes everything happen, and in all honesty, he gave me the opportunity to put my wife and son on the front row and gave me the ability to perform again in front of them. So, I owe him everything, until we went to Saudi Arabia and he asked me to put Roman Reigns over, and I had COVID. I remember calling him from my house and said, ‘Listen, here is the deal. I’ll do it if you give me a retirement match.’ I did what he asked. As a performer, I was 56 years old. As a human being, you’re conscientious about how you look in a bathing suit, especially two months prior to being in that bathing suit, you couldn’t work out because you had COVID. I put myself in a horribly shitty situation to get what I wanted to, but to satiate him and give him what he wanted. Problem is, he never held up his bargain. Vince is a piece of shit as far as I’m concerned.

It’s not clear exactly when or where Goldberg might get the final match he seeks. There have long been rumors of it happening in AEW, and Tony Khan has confirmed he’s spoken to Goldberg on several occasions but has never promised they’d work together.

Goldberg has also suggested he might organize his own retirement card, possibly in Israel with Sting. But now Sting has his own final match plans set for March, making that appear unlikely.

It will be interesting to see if Goldberg might pivot back to WWE to take his final bow since Vince McMahon is in a position of less power these days and pretty much any reunion seems possible (see also: CM Punk). For now, however, there doesn’t appear to be a spear and Jackhammer combo in anyone’s immediate future.

The best WarGames matches of all time, ranked from worst to best

WarGames matches are about as memorable as they come. We rank every one from WWE and WCW history.

“Mad Max” is among the most memorable action franchises in film history, but it is the third installment of the franchise, “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” that was particularly notable, as it starred the late great Tina Turner and featured a dome-like structure where two people entered and only one left after a fight to the death.

Although “Beyond Thunderdome” isn’t necessarily seen as the peak of the “Mad Max” franchise, its look at a gritty, post-apocalyptic dystopian future undoubtedly left an impression on its viewers. 

One of the viewers that were particularly inspired by what they saw was a man by the name of Virgil Runnels, better known to professional wrestling fans as the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

There have been a number of pieces written over the years about the verbal prowess of Rhodes. But as much as he was a force in front of the camera, Rhodes was arguably even more influential behind the scenes. 

He was the primary booker for multiple territories during his career and while he could map out a week-to-week story, Rhodes’ true creative genius shined when it came to creating spectacles.

When Rhodes laid eyes on the Thunderdome, he saw his next project.

Rhodes added a few wrinkles to make the concept pro wrestling-friendly, but the violence and excitement remained. The result is one of the most anticipated matches in professional wrestling, one that has provided countless fond memories during its near 40 years of existence. 

But which WarGames match is the best of all time? Conversely, which one is the worst? I am here to answer that question once and for all. Well, in my opinion, at least. 

Before we dig into the rankings, some ground rules: First, this ranking will only feature WarGames matches from the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and NXT/WWE. Yes, I know, AEW has its own version of WarGames called Blood and Guts, but for the sake of this list, I’m only including matches that actually carries the match’s namesake.

Secondly, this list does not include WarGames matches that were not televised. Televised WarGames matches only!

Lastly, remember that this is merely my opinion, so don’t kill me too much if you disagree. Please feel free to disagree and give your thoughts. But again, these are just my thoughts after recently watching all of the matches that qualified for this list.

With that said, let the WarGames ranking begin!

Who is the AEW mystery signing? We break down the most likely candidates

Is Tony Khan’s new mystery signing for AEW a former WWE talent, or a hot import from overseas?

We’ll admit it: Tony Khan got us again.

The CEO, GM and head of creative has fooled us a time or two before when teasing a big announcement. Some of them have turned out to be quite big and others not so much.

However, Khan used a different tactic this week, promoting a wrestler signing with AEW this weekend at Full Gear.

Khan doesn’t always show his cards on wrestler signings, as they sometimes just arrive unannounced. Adam Copeland was the most recent example, even though the larger pro wrestling industry wasn’t totally shocked when it happened.

The wording that Khan used is also worth noting: “a pro who is known + respected by virtually every AEW fan.” That suggests it’s someone very widely recognized, and thus rules out the likes of Giulia or Flip Gordon (who signed with CMLL anyway).

So who could it be? We’re always up for some speculation ahead of the reveal on Saturday night, so let’s go over the four most likely candidates in the approximate order of likelihood as we see it.

Image credit: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Mercedes Moné

Why it could be her: If AEW was going to sign the artist formerly known as Sasha Banks, it didn’t make sense to do it until she was healed up from an injury suffered earlier this year. Mercedes Moné certainly fits the description that Khan used as a top wrestler and one who is universally known and respected. Among former WWE talents who are available, she’s arguably the biggest needle-mover out there.

Why it might not be her: Are we sure that Moné wants to tie herself down to any company, let alone AEW? Since leaving WWE, she seemed to revel in the freedom she had, which she’d likely give up by inking a deal with AEW. And the company’s booking of the women’s division isn’t exactly a strength.

Image credit: WWE.com

Goldberg

Why it could be him: Are there any wrestling fans who don’t know Goldberg? He’s certainly a recognizable name to anyone who’s even remotely dipped into pro wrestling over the last few decades, and even lapsed fans might perk up if they heard he was in AEW. He certainly hasn’t sounded like a guy who has embraced the idea of retirement, and he’s much more likely to get one more run in AEW than WWE at this point, especially since Khan has stated repeatedly they’ve talked in the past.

Why it might not be him: Khan might be overplaying his announcement if he’s suggesting Goldberg is “one of the world’s best wrestlers” when they already employ the likes of Bryan Danielson. Goldberg is also 56, and though he keeps himself in tremendous shape, it’s hard to imagine him coming in for a regular stint of any kind — and what feathers that might ruffle in the locker room if he receives a big push.

Will Ospreay

Why it could be him: One of the best wrestlers in the world? Check. Known and respected by every AEW fan? We’ll say yes since he’s appeared at Forbidden Door and on AEW TV more than once, though it’s pushing it a bit compared to Mercedes or Goldberg. Ospreay has softened his stance on not wanting to move to the U.S. and if AEW was going to lock him up, this would be the time.

Why it might not be him: Ospreay is said to be under contract until February of next year, so he might not be available to be signed right now (unless this is like a college recruit announcing their intentions ahead of time). He’s also said to be highly coveted by WWE and really appeared to enjoy working with Impact/TNA too, so there’s no guarantee that even if he decides to go across the pond that it’s going to be with AEW.

Image credit: WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler

Why it could be him: While he wouldn’t be able to use the Ziggler name in AEW, Nick Nemeth just finished two decades in WWE and is known to pretty much every wrestling fan. He’s also very well respected as an in-ring worker and a good locker room influence. So he fits all the criteria.

Why it might not be him: It’s been widely reported that Ziggler’s non-compete clause after his WWE release doesn’t expire until December, so this feels a bit too early. Also, as Dave Meltzer noted, he doesn’t quite reach the same level of widespread recognition as the other three names we’ve thrown out there, though Khan would almost certainly argue against that idea if it does turn out to be Dolph.

20 best WWE finishers of all time: The best finishing moves ever

Finishing moves come and go in WWE, but these 20 are the best we’ve ever seen.

There’s something undeniably thrilling about the best WWE finishers. Just the anticipation for an especially great finishing move is a lot of fun, the palpable feeling that ripples through the crowd when a match is about to reach its dramatic conclusion.

And those occasions where a wrestler unexpectedly kicks out of a top finisher — provided they don’t happen too often — produce some of the loudest crowd reactions in the business.

Thanks to its position as the No. 1 pro wrestling company in the world for decades (even during times it didn’t want to admit it), WWE has seen more than its fair share of amazing finishing moves. But we wanted to dive in and find the ones that were truly the best, the crème de la crème of match-ending maneuvers.

To do that, we consulted a number of lists of this type that are already out there, including the WWE’s own rankings of the 50 best finishing moves of all time. Like our list of the top WWE PPVs ever, that makes this list pseudo-crowdsourced and not just our own opinions — though we slid some up or down where we felt it was warranted.

So what makes a truly great finishing move? The answer varies from fan to fan, but we considered the following:

  • Recognizability/cultural impact – Is a finisher so famous that even casual or non-wrestling fans know what it is or who does it?
  • Believability – If pro wrestling wasn’t scripted, does the move look like it would really end a fight?
  • Uniqueness – Does the move stand out on its own, or does a certain performer elevate it by adding more atmosphere to it?
  • Sellability – Does it offer the person on the receiving end the opportunity to play it up even more?
  • Legacy – Has it passed the test of time, even if others don’t use it as a finisher?

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in and check out what we found to be a bit of a consensus on the 20 best WWE finishers of all time, starting at 20 and working down to No. 1.

Don’t count on Goldberg appearing at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Tony Khan tried to downplay the possibility of Goldberg appearing at Forbidden Door.

On Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, AEW completed the majority of its build-up for Forbidden Door. Among the announced matches, Darby Allin and Sting will team with a mystery partner to take on Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki.

At Thursday’s media call, AEW President Tony Khan was asked if Bill Goldberg, who has been speculated to have his retirement match soon, will join Allin and Sting on Sunday for Forbidden Door. While Khan confirmed discussions with Goldberg, it does not sound like he will be their partner.

“I have had nice conversations with Bill about being involved with AEW at times,” Khan said. “It’s a good thought. I don’t know if it would be the perfect fit for who Sting and Darby are going to bring to Collision this weekend, but I also want to leave all doors open for them and their partner for Forbidden Door. It would ideally be somebody that would step in and be a good fit for the Forbidden Door show.”

Khan continued to praise what Goldberg had accomplished in pro wrestling but still refrained from making any declarations.

“Bill Goldberg is a legend in pro wrestling, one of the biggest names in the sport, and I have certainly had nice conversations with him at times. As for who Sting and Darby bring in this weekend, there have been a lot of guesses, and a lot of them have been more in line with New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest names. Goldberg has gone over and competed in New Japan too. I’ve had nice talks with Bill about doing things with AEW, and that’s probably all I can say.”

Allin and Sting will announce their mystery partner on Saturday’s episode of Collision. Whether it’s someone from AEW, NJPW or a legend like Goldberg, the options available remain endless.

Goldberg retirement tour could involve Sting in Israel show

The possibility of Sting being involved with a Goldberg retirement match is an intriguing new wrinkle.

Goldberg recently said he wants a proper retirement match on his terms, and that it may happen in a “four-city world tour” he’d promote himself.

Apparently, it might actually happen. In an interview with Nick Hausman of Haus of Wrestling, promoter, trainer and agent Rick Bassman said he’s working on a date in September that would potentially involve both Goldberg and Sting, who has also teased the end of his wrestling career (h/t Fightful for transcription).

“First of all, I’m actively in touch with Bill. I’m working on a date right now. I don’t promote much these days, but every now and then, something fun comes up, and it’s worth diving into. So working on a date in Jerusalem, Israel, for September of this year, and that would involve potentially both Goldberg and Sting. You have the AEW clearance issues of course, so that’s something I really hope to put together. Now, only because I’ve been in touch actively with Bill, and then also with his agent, Barry Bloom, who’s a longtime good friend, they are working on exactly what you described. But to my knowledge, it still needs to all be nailed down. That said, I would not be surprised to see Bill end up back at WWE for something massive. Who knows,” Bassman said.

Bassman also discussed the type of story that could work for Goldberg and retirement rumors about Sting.

Goldberg and Sting would draw on nostalgia alone if they headlined a match card in 2023. The two were WCW’s top talent in the late 1990s and early 2000s, so fans may be delighted to have them together for one more night.

As for a Goldberg retirement match with WWE, the former World Heavyweight Champion said he had a handshake deal with Vince McMahon. That obviously hasn’t materialized, which led to Goldberg speaking out about his future.

Sting’s last match will presumably happen with AEW since he’s under contract. Darby Allin, who’s been linked to the Icon for most of his AEW run, is a logical choice whenever this transpires.

What plans are in store for Goldberg and Sting to wrap up their illustrious careers before the end of the year? Something is brewing, so answers may not be far.