WWE Dream Matches For A Goldberg Return WWE sure seems to be gearing up for a Goldberg return. Credit: WWE.com ...
WWE Dream Matches For A Goldberg Return
WWE sure seems to be gearing up for a Goldberg return.
Credit: WWE.com
Over the past week, WWE's official YouTube channel has posted
multiple videos of the former Universal Champion, including a look at
his "most extreme moments," his "most vicious spears" and his WCW debut. This coincided with Goldberg being interviewed by WWE.com, which, of course, asked the WCW icon if he would return to WWE one day, and here's what he had to say:
While not an official confirmation that Goldberg would wrestle in WWE again, his previous return to the ring was a monumental success, generating strong TV ratings, attracting more WWE Network viewers and creating a buzz that almost certainly wouldn't have been there without him. In fact, Goldberg's recent WWE run was so successful that the door is reportedly open for him to return, and it would just be a matter of the money being right and there being a worthwhile storyline and feud for him.
The latter certainly shouldn't be a problem. Here are five dream feuds for a (potentially) returning Goldberg.
John Cena
Credit: WWE.com
During a recent appearance on E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness (h/t WrestlingInc),
John Cena noted that there are two main reasons why his match with
Roman Reigns happened at No Mercy instead of WrestleMania, one being the
fact that he's nearing the end of his career and the other being that
the WWE Network makes it necessary to give fans big matches all year
long.
Goldberg vs. Cena would undoubtedly be a dream match between the face of WWE for the last decade and a man who is synonymous with WCW, a bout that could go a long way toward preventing the typical Q4 drop in WWE Network subscribers. The return of Goldberg at last year's Survivor Series created an incredible buzz (see: search interest for Survivor Series 2016 in comparison to Survivor Series 2015) while Cena is perhaps the No. 1 reason why SmackDown once defeated Raw in the ratings and why the blue brand was actually outdrawing Raw at live events earlier in the year.
Cena is still a massive live event draw while, as noted earlier, Goldberg appeared to do big business for WWE last year, but the two superstars have yet to face each other and only have a tiny window to do so. Given Cena's recent comments about retirement and the fact that Goldberg is already 50 years old, WWE would have to pull the trigger on Cena vs. Goldberg ASAP in order to avoid missing out on this dream match.
But much like Cena vs. The Rock or Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, Cena vs. Goldberg would be a great way to capitalize on Cena's drawing power and the certain hype a Goldberg return would bring to WWE.
The Undertaker
Credit: WWE.com
The Undertaker is retired. Well, kind of. Sort of. Maybe.
According to a report from PWInsider (h/t WrestleZone), The Undertaker could potentially return to the ring for a Survivor Series match with Cena. Although that may seem unlikely, WWE announcer Jim Ross believes Undertaker "could return and wrestle at any time" while popular pro wrestling podcast host (and former Undertaker manager) Bruce Pichard has also made it known that he thinks Undertaker will wrestle again.
And if he does? A match against Goldberg, which has already been teased, could be a massive attraction for WWE. The last two major TV returns for "The Deadman" were smash hits, with his Raw return fending off the College Football National Championship game and his SmackDown return coming complete with a monstrous increase of 800,000 viewers from the previous episode. In other words, The Undertaker is still a must-see star among fans, which could bode well for chances of another return, even though he's well his past his prime as an in-ring performer..
There have been countless pro wrestling stars throughout history who have appeared to retire but ultimately didn't and eventually stepped back in the ring when fans least expected it. Undertaker could be the next one to do that, and his drawing power combined with that of Goldberg, could do wonders for Raw, a show that has seen its ratings steadily struggle since the NFL season began.
Samoa Joe
Credit: WWE.com
Recent YouTube viewership data suggests that Samoa Joe is one of WWE's biggest draws, which is something that was quite evident prior to his recent injury when he was one of the most over performers on Raw.
Joe's feud with Lesnar and his involvement in the Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam helped propel Raw to an impressive stretch of skyrocketing viewership this summer as "The Destroyer" proved to quickly gain his footing as one of the main roster's best heels and most legitimate monsters. He is one of the very few superstars on either brand who brings an air of authenticity and realness to everything that he does, so likewise, he is one of only a handful of superstars who would be a believable opponent for the nearly unstoppable Goldberg.
Look no further than Joe's brawl with Lesnar (eight million views) or his vicious attack on Lesnar (4.1 million views) as proof positive that Joe is acclimating incredibly well to the main roster and would likely be an ideal foe for Goldberg. Truth be told, any potential opponent for Goldberg must be big, strong and tough, three attributes that Joe clearly possesses, as we saw during his surprisingly great feud with Lesnar.
Joe is reportedly still in line for a major push as a top star even though he's no longer in the Universal title picture, and a feud with Goldberg could be both a massive attraction for WWE and a surefire way to keep booking Joe as one of the red brand's most must-see performers.
Roman Reigns
Credit: WWE.com
A dream match WWE has already teased is Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns in a battle of the spear.
WWE, of course, is intent on crowning Reigns as the face of the company at WrestleMania 34, and as evidenced by his marquee wins over both The Undertaker and John Cena, Reigns will apparently mow through WWE's biggest legends in route to a probable clash with Lesnar. Reigns and Goldberg have followed similar career paths in that as popular as they are among the masses, there is a very passionate minority that despises both stars for the massive pushes they've received throughout their careers.
But one thing both Reigns and Goldberg certainly do is generate interest among fans, as Reigns has been arguably WWE's biggest YouTube draw for much of 2017 while Triple H has gone on record in saying that Reigns is indeed a draw, something his impressive merchandise sales support. Neither star is everyone's cup of tea, but they're the type of polarizing performers that WWE loves to focus on because they always seem to create a buzz that very few stars can.
That's why WWE is reportedly open to bringing Goldberg back and why Reigns has been pushed as a top star, regardless of how many fans will claim he doesn't deserve it. As evidenced by Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Reigns vs. Cena, a major rivalry involving two massive stars is almost guaranteed to succeed, and ideally, Goldberg vs. Reigns would continue that trend for WWE.
Braun Strowman
Credit: WWE.com
Lesnar is the only person to ever defeat Goldberg 100% clean, and if
there's another superstar who could believably beat Goldberg, it's Braun
Strowman.
WWE has thrived in 2017 because it has built up realistic rivalries between its most believable behemoths. Feuds like Joe vs. Lesnar, Strowman vs. Lesnar and Reigns vs. Cena are so entertaining because they focus on massive stars, both literally and figuratively, that bring a feeling of authenticity to everything that they do. No one has done that better this year than Strowman, who appears to be developing into a bona fide main eventer who will be around for years to come.
YouTube data (h/t Fightful) indicates that Strowman is perhaps the company's biggest attraction right now as, during a five-month stretch earlier this year, nearly 50% of his videos hit the one million mark, a coveted number that most of WWE's YouTube videos don't even approach. That's because WWE, for all it's done wrong, has done a tremendous job of building up Strowman as a nearly unstoppable monster, and fans are acting to him as such because he's pulled it off so well.
Goldberg has been nearly unbeatable throughout his entire career while Strowman has followed a similar path, making them ideal opponents for each other at a time when WWE has very few stars who have been protected as much as they have. Given the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Goldberg's recent run and the fact that Strowman is arguably WWE's hottest star, there may never be a more perfect time for a clash between two behemoths from two different generations.
Credit: WWE.com
Credit: WWE.com
Hey, man, never say never, dude. Stranger things have happened. I did sit [around] for 13 years and then suddenly appear back in the ring. Let’s just say it ain’t gonna take nearly the effort to get me ready again that it did last time. So, I’ll see you on the rebound for...sure.
While not an official confirmation that Goldberg would wrestle in WWE again, his previous return to the ring was a monumental success, generating strong TV ratings, attracting more WWE Network viewers and creating a buzz that almost certainly wouldn't have been there without him. In fact, Goldberg's recent WWE run was so successful that the door is reportedly open for him to return, and it would just be a matter of the money being right and there being a worthwhile storyline and feud for him.
The latter certainly shouldn't be a problem. Here are five dream feuds for a (potentially) returning Goldberg.
John Cena
Credit: WWE.com
Credit: WWE.com
Goldberg vs. Cena would undoubtedly be a dream match between the face of WWE for the last decade and a man who is synonymous with WCW, a bout that could go a long way toward preventing the typical Q4 drop in WWE Network subscribers. The return of Goldberg at last year's Survivor Series created an incredible buzz (see: search interest for Survivor Series 2016 in comparison to Survivor Series 2015) while Cena is perhaps the No. 1 reason why SmackDown once defeated Raw in the ratings and why the blue brand was actually outdrawing Raw at live events earlier in the year.
Cena is still a massive live event draw while, as noted earlier, Goldberg appeared to do big business for WWE last year, but the two superstars have yet to face each other and only have a tiny window to do so. Given Cena's recent comments about retirement and the fact that Goldberg is already 50 years old, WWE would have to pull the trigger on Cena vs. Goldberg ASAP in order to avoid missing out on this dream match.
But much like Cena vs. The Rock or Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, Cena vs. Goldberg would be a great way to capitalize on Cena's drawing power and the certain hype a Goldberg return would bring to WWE.
The Undertaker
Credit: WWE.com
Credit: WWE.com
According to a report from PWInsider (h/t WrestleZone), The Undertaker could potentially return to the ring for a Survivor Series match with Cena. Although that may seem unlikely, WWE announcer Jim Ross believes Undertaker "could return and wrestle at any time" while popular pro wrestling podcast host (and former Undertaker manager) Bruce Pichard has also made it known that he thinks Undertaker will wrestle again.
And if he does? A match against Goldberg, which has already been teased, could be a massive attraction for WWE. The last two major TV returns for "The Deadman" were smash hits, with his Raw return fending off the College Football National Championship game and his SmackDown return coming complete with a monstrous increase of 800,000 viewers from the previous episode. In other words, The Undertaker is still a must-see star among fans, which could bode well for chances of another return, even though he's well his past his prime as an in-ring performer..
There have been countless pro wrestling stars throughout history who have appeared to retire but ultimately didn't and eventually stepped back in the ring when fans least expected it. Undertaker could be the next one to do that, and his drawing power combined with that of Goldberg, could do wonders for Raw, a show that has seen its ratings steadily struggle since the NFL season began.
Samoa Joe
Credit: WWE.com
Credit: WWE.com
Joe's feud with Lesnar and his involvement in the Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam helped propel Raw to an impressive stretch of skyrocketing viewership this summer as "The Destroyer" proved to quickly gain his footing as one of the main roster's best heels and most legitimate monsters. He is one of the very few superstars on either brand who brings an air of authenticity and realness to everything that he does, so likewise, he is one of only a handful of superstars who would be a believable opponent for the nearly unstoppable Goldberg.
Look no further than Joe's brawl with Lesnar (eight million views) or his vicious attack on Lesnar (4.1 million views) as proof positive that Joe is acclimating incredibly well to the main roster and would likely be an ideal foe for Goldberg. Truth be told, any potential opponent for Goldberg must be big, strong and tough, three attributes that Joe clearly possesses, as we saw during his surprisingly great feud with Lesnar.
Joe is reportedly still in line for a major push as a top star even though he's no longer in the Universal title picture, and a feud with Goldberg could be both a massive attraction for WWE and a surefire way to keep booking Joe as one of the red brand's most must-see performers.
Credit: WWE.com
Credit: WWE.com
WWE, of course, is intent on crowning Reigns as the face of the company at WrestleMania 34, and as evidenced by his marquee wins over both The Undertaker and John Cena, Reigns will apparently mow through WWE's biggest legends in route to a probable clash with Lesnar. Reigns and Goldberg have followed similar career paths in that as popular as they are among the masses, there is a very passionate minority that despises both stars for the massive pushes they've received throughout their careers.
But one thing both Reigns and Goldberg certainly do is generate interest among fans, as Reigns has been arguably WWE's biggest YouTube draw for much of 2017 while Triple H has gone on record in saying that Reigns is indeed a draw, something his impressive merchandise sales support. Neither star is everyone's cup of tea, but they're the type of polarizing performers that WWE loves to focus on because they always seem to create a buzz that very few stars can.
That's why WWE is reportedly open to bringing Goldberg back and why Reigns has been pushed as a top star, regardless of how many fans will claim he doesn't deserve it. As evidenced by Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Reigns vs. Cena, a major rivalry involving two massive stars is almost guaranteed to succeed, and ideally, Goldberg vs. Reigns would continue that trend for WWE.
Braun Strowman
Credit: WWE.com
Credit: WWE.com
WWE has thrived in 2017 because it has built up realistic rivalries between its most believable behemoths. Feuds like Joe vs. Lesnar, Strowman vs. Lesnar and Reigns vs. Cena are so entertaining because they focus on massive stars, both literally and figuratively, that bring a feeling of authenticity to everything that they do. No one has done that better this year than Strowman, who appears to be developing into a bona fide main eventer who will be around for years to come.
YouTube data (h/t Fightful) indicates that Strowman is perhaps the company's biggest attraction right now as, during a five-month stretch earlier this year, nearly 50% of his videos hit the one million mark, a coveted number that most of WWE's YouTube videos don't even approach. That's because WWE, for all it's done wrong, has done a tremendous job of building up Strowman as a nearly unstoppable monster, and fans are acting to him as such because he's pulled it off so well.
Goldberg has been nearly unbeatable throughout his entire career while Strowman has followed a similar path, making them ideal opponents for each other at a time when WWE has very few stars who have been protected as much as they have. Given the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Goldberg's recent run and the fact that Strowman is arguably WWE's hottest star, there may never be a more perfect time for a clash between two behemoths from two different generations.
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