OK, you know all those unbelieveable "headlines" at the bottom of any Wrestling news report? Wrestlezone is the heart and soul of that.
Plus, for all we know, Goldberg could be heading to the WWA, or the XWF, or the new NWA. He would be THE star headliner in any of those promotions, whereas in the WWF he WILL be humbled even moreso than DDP.
Not only that, he'd be a MUCH bigger asset to those other feds than he would be for the WWF. They need a big name like him, whereas the WWF's problems are... well, pretty well-documented here. ;)
Well, Da Meltz says he's negotiated a buyout, which makes me think someone must have been talking to him to make it worth his while. To be honest, I have trouble imagining anyone but the WWF could throw enough cash at him to make it worth giving up the cash to sit on his butt, unless he's going to go to Japan which I guess is possible. Heck, he could team with Joanie Laurer and make it hard for hardcore puro-heads to look at us in the eye when they say how much more discerning Japanese fans are ;)
"You used it to shove your miserable daughter down our throats week in and week out...not anymore!" - Ric Flair gives me hope, Raw 3/18/02
"I thought it was cool how HHH just tossed Jericho out of the ring and made him vanish, possibly into another dimension, at the end of the match." - Dr. Unlikely says the funniest thing I've ever read on Wienerville
Nevertheless, this does seem like a pretty big story. I never thought Goldberg would accept a buyout, and by accepting a buyout, it's a clear signal that he is ready to get back into the game. I find it hard to believe he accepted a buyout without having a pretty good idea that he was going to be able to accept another deal pretty darn soon. If not the WWF, who? While I find it hard to believe that the WWF is throwing that kind of cash to him, at least they have the cash, which I'm not sure the same could be said for WWA, NWA, XWF, or any other American organization for that matter. Japan is an interesting possibility.
You know, I'd say it'd be fun to see what would happen with him in the WWF, but there is no way he is going to get over for long with the WWF Audience. He isn't a great talker, and he is not the best wrestler in the world, so unless they stick him with somebody who can talk he'll end up like the any other failed run with a big name.... nWo and WCW???
I think he could work if used properly, but the pessimist in me only sees him becoming another Mark Henry.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at the man.
Originally posted by TrineoYou know, I'd say it'd be fun to see what would happen with him in the WWF, but there is no way he is going to get over for long with the WWF Audience.
The "casual fan" LOVES Goldberg. None of them are aware of his behind-the-scenes shenanigans or anything of that sort. They just remember his initial face run and are still high on that, four years after it ended. Heck, more people that ask me "What's going on with Goldberg" when they find out I'm a wrestling fan than any other question. Yes, that is including "isn't it fake?" People's opinions on things are way different when they don't know how the magician does his tricks.
As I started to say above (before I sidetracked myself) I would imagine this is designed more to bring the people who have slowly left the product behind. WCW fans were ga-ga for the guy and he still "suffered" from the things you outlined above -- he wasn't a great talker and he wasn't the best wrestler in the world.
Austin/Goldberg is a money feud that MANY people want to see.
Keep in mind that I'm not a Goldberg fan in the slightest but I can think at least of two dozen people off the top of my head that would not only resume watching Raw again on a regular basis, but would also buy the PPV where the guy returns.
Brock is a much better Goldberg than Goldberg was. He is probably as strong as Lex Luger, has the moveset that can rival Bret Hart, and the killer instinct of Mick Foley, Sabu and Terry Funk. A deadly combination. It's probably good that he is not likely to mule kick someone to premature retirement.
Originally posted by Mild Mannered MadmanHe's a nutjob with a broken arm, anyways.
Goldberg coming into the WWF 2 years ago would be news. Goldberg coming in now (which won't happen) would barely be a blip on the radar by year's end.
Besides, they already have Brock Lesnar, who is:
...Less injury prone ...Has more athletic credibility ...Younger ...Bigger ...Someone who came into the business properly.
Lesnar was an NCAA wrestling champion.
Goldberg was an NCAA football player who made it to the NFL.
I'd say both have "athletic credibility" whatever the hell that is.
Bigger? Maybe. Doesn't actually matter.
And coming into the business properly...got me there. Didn't know there was a proper way. So Goldberg didn't spend 2 years in a developmental promotion before getting to television. Oh well.
As far as being this guy who is dangerous in the ring and injures people. So he injured Bret Hart. It's unfortunate, but accidents happen in the ring of varying degrees of seriousness. Just two weeks ago on Smackdown, Bob Holly probably ended DDP's career. Is Bob Holly a dangerous career killer?
You don't teach charisma. You don't spend 18 months in OVW to develop intrinsic appeal to the public. It's a special quality that Goldberg has and the WWF would be foolish to not try to capitalize on.
BDC
"Hitler had pieces of flair that he made the Jews wear."
It's a special quality that Goldberg has and the WWF would be foolish to not try to capitalize on.
BDC
That depends on how far you're looking ahead. Goldberg won't solve the problems the WWF has now, because they've loaded the top of the card with stories and wrestlers who have a solid nostalgia pop, but what happens when they're gone?
You can get more old guys, but that's just a band-aid on the problem. It's in the WWF's better interest to create it's own starts for the next 5 years and while that may not payoff in the short term, it at least lays the groundowrk for long term growth of the company.