tpww7 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-re...s/s_180679.html By Rennie Detore TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, February 22, 2004 Goldberg cemented his status as an elite sports entertainer with 173 consecutive victories in WCW. Another number, however, will most likely define the former WCW world heavyweight champion's career. That being 365, the number of days he lasted with WWE. Remember back to the last WCW "Nitro," a joint telecast with "Raw," and picture Vince McMahon standing in the WWE ring addressing an entire nation of wrestling fans. McMahon rattled off a list of WCW superstars and asked his WWE fans who they wanted to see work for him. Buff Bagwell -- a mixed reaction for a so-called superstar who proved that a chiseled body doesn't equal success. Booker T -- Mild cheering for a tag-team wrestler just turned on to singles' stardom. Goldberg -- a thunderous ovation for pretty much the only talent left in WCW whose name could be coupled with the word "potential." Goldberg finally arrived to WWE in 2003 just after "Wrestlemania XIX," when he confronted The Rock on the post-pay-per-view "Raw." At first sight of Goldberg on WWE TV, fans naturally reacted, cheering the former WCW world heavyweight champion if for no other reason than he injected life into the stagnant company. As time passed, however, neither party -- WWE or Goldberg -- felt comfortable with the situation. The company made him into a comedic act, teaming him with Goldust in backstage vignettes that soiled the Goldberg persona. Goldberg wasn't completely innocent, flaunting his ego and name-value like he was roaming the halls of the old WCW, where intangibles like that actually mattered for leverage purposes. Last Sunday's "No Way Out" was Goldberg's next-to-last WWE appearance until March 14, when he battles Brock Lesnar at "Wrestlemania XX" in Madison Square Garden. That match, as of now, will be his final WWE match, since the federation has yet to offer him an extension. Goldberg's first, and last, "Wrestlemania." So, what happened? How could Goldberg and WWE completely squander any opportunity to succeed as a would-be unstoppable union between the creative genius that is McMahon and Goldberg, a superstar still with plenty to learn about sports entertainment? First and foremost, blame WCW for creating Goldberg. McMahon doesn't welcome former WCW superstars to his company, and his track record supports that point. Booker T, Scott Steiner and even The Big Show -- all main-event superstars with WCW -- never really ascended to top-tier status in WWE for a lengthy amount of time. A world title still eludes Booker T and Steiner, and Big Show still sometimes comes across as more of a goofball than a real-life "Giant." The Big Show actually lost his first high-profile singles match -- a one-on-one showdown with Steve Austin on March 9, 1999 -- upon arriving in WWE. A few superstars -- namely Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit -- have finally started succeeding after years with the company. In Guerrero's case, WWE added the "Latino Heat" gimmick, thus making Guerrero's character its own. McMahon, for the most part, won't push what he didn't create. But McMahon and his biased toward WCW-bred talent isn't completely to blame. Goldberg isn't really worth his price or the trouble. Think about it: Here's an ex-football player who became a top superstar in WCW in just under a year. He became the company's premier act in that time and had barely logged an hour's worth of work and was subsequently rewarded with a multimillion dollar contract with Time Warner. He learned everything that was wrong with wrestling, picking up traits of backstabbing and jockeying for position during his time in WCW, a company riddled with politics. For that, he'll always be skeptical of the wrestling business. And McMahon doesn't employ skeptics of his craft; he's got enough of them to deal with from Bob Costas to Phil Mushnick. Goldberg, because of how WCW treated him, perhaps expected WWE to employ the same kind of "do-as-little-as-possible" mentality that defined WCW. Instead, WWE expected a lot from Goldberg, more than he cared to give. Goldberg always has lacked the kind of desire that perfectly describes a WWE superstar. He doesn't have the passion of a Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar or Austin. He didn't make the business his life's work like Triple H, Benoit or Chris Jericho. Goldberg treated professional wrestling just like any other job, which is why he won't have one March 15. Rennie Detore's Pro Wrestling Insider appears Sundays in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at [email protected] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted February 22, 2004 The asshole failed to mention that STING had the biggest reaction. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caboose 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 STING! I still hope he doesn't join though. Semi-decent article. Nothing that hasn't been discussed or said already. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iliketurtles 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I enjoyed that article and it kind of sums everything up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michrome 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 The article ignores key things, like the fact that Goldberg is # 1 on the WWE's international marketing list, and the fact that his merchandise sells like nuts. Goldberg should have been a homerun for the WWE, and they blew it by having him do comedy with The Rock. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 A world title still eludes Booker T and Steiner... Thank God. and Big Show still sometimes comes across as more of a goofball than a real-life "Giant." The Big Show actually lost his first high-profile singles match -- a one-on-one showdown with Steve Austin on March 9, 1999 -- upon arriving in WWE. Show's gotten much better treatment than most of the ex-WCW guys, however his misuse has more to do with creative than biases towards Vince's homegrown talent, in my opinion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lil' Bitch 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I'm glad WWE didn't book Goldberg like his WCW version. Bless you McMahon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I can only think of maybe TWo bad things TBS has been dealt with in his 5 years with Vince... -Getting Demoted to OVW to shapen up (that worked out well didn't it) and to get rid of his ego (that actually was a success) -The Burrito. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest OSIcon Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I'm glad WWE didn't book Goldberg like his WCW version. Bless you McMahon. Yea, because then they may have actually drew decent money with him and nobody wants that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 And the WWE proved they were different than WCW HOW exactly? You have two wrestlers in the back of the program he is on deciding what happens, you have a man who wasn't even PART of the angle between him and Kane showing up and winning just because he's LITERALLY screwed his way into the family. Goldberg may be a punk, but I'm yet to see what he has done in WWE that is wrong. And I'm yet to see why he should see the WWE as different from WCW when you have NWO lite Evolution running around. He made the RAW belt seem important for the briefest of periods. He got beat down after beat down after beat down by Evolution (hell he created the monster return of DAVE!!!) that basically killed his character. And about the only time he seemed to flip out is when the WCW style politics appeared. Sorry, it's a joke and I DISLIKE GOLDBERG. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silence 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I'm glad WWE didn't book Goldberg like his WCW version. Bless you McMahon. Yea, because then they may have actually drew decent money with him and nobody wants that. With all the badmouthing he was doing just a few years ago to WWE, was there even a logical reason in WWE hiring him other than being a WCW top star that was pushed too quickly, never had a lot of talent, and having a horrible lockerroom attitude whenever he doesn't get his way (aka having the World Heavyweight Championship)? No, wait, WWE logic. That's right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest OnlyMe Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I'm glad WWE didn't book Goldberg like his WCW version. Bless you McMahon. Yea, because then they may have actually drew decent money with him and nobody wants that. You have to look at the long term, though. WWE is more than just Goldberg. If they book him like WCW, and he squashes someone different every week, then you end up with one guy on this super high level, and a bunch of challengers that have no chance against him. Same deal as with Triple H, but greatly multiplied So if you push Goldberg as WCW did, you end up with loads of people who all look like shit, because they get their ass handed to them in 1:08 or whatever. So yeah, Goldberg would have gotten more over had he been able to destroy everyone, sure. BUT in the long run it's a terrible move. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted February 22, 2004 WCW was doing JUST fine with Goldberg tearing up the company...It was when they "HUMANIZED" goldberg that the company went to shit. Others didn't lose credibility because Goldberg beat them... Goldberg aside from one to two incidents has been a model employee that done EVERYTHING the company asked him to do. Offered to work extra dates overseas, Jobbed when they told him to, Was willing to have his character RUINED with skits regarding Blonde Wigs and was willing to have his AURA erased at Summer Slam with the E.C Match...was fine with Being Evolution's Bitch... WWE Dropped the ball with Goldberg because to vince, Goldberg was just another WCW guy...Vince is still wearing the tinted glasses of 1999 still unwilling to accept the fact HE WON. I still believe he hired Goldberg for Two purposes..One to Make some money off his Merch sales and second and most importantly...To Job him out to HIS creation, his Utopia of a WWE Superstar (Brock) on the grandest stage of them all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 Choken: once Goldberg lost, his "aura" evaporated along with his drawing power. Without the streak gimmick, nobody cared much about Goldberg. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I'm glad WWE didn't book Goldberg like his WCW version. Bless you McMahon. Yea, because then they may have actually drew decent money with him and nobody wants that. There ws no reason to sacrifice the entire roster's worth for something that worked in 1998. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JRE Report post Posted February 22, 2004 "The company made him into a comedic act, teaming him with Goldust in backstage vignettes that soiled the Goldberg persona." Uh...exaggeration? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2004 I'm glad WWE didn't book Goldberg like his WCW version. Bless you McMahon. Yea, because then they may have actually drew decent money with him and nobody wants that. There ws no reason to sacrifice the entire roster's worth for something that worked in 1998. See also: the nWo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest OnlyMe Report post Posted February 22, 2004 Others didn't lose credibility because Goldberg beat them... Right, because it was expected. And THAT was the problem... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lil' Bitch 0 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 and most importantly...To Job him out to HIS creation, his Utopia of a WWE Superstar (Brock) on the grandest stage of them all. Nothing wrong with that. After all, Brock IS better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes Report post Posted February 23, 2004 "The company made him into a comedic act, teaming him with Goldust in backstage vignettes that soiled the Goldberg persona." Uh...exaggeration? One backstage segment counts as plural now -a-days? And saying "Good" and "Goldberg" in the same sentence just doesn't sound right to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Austin3164life 0 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 Goldberg's persona only works if he completely destroys, or defeats, everyone that crosses his path. Once he loses, the "aura" disintegrates. They never should've brought him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scroby 0 Report post Posted February 23, 2004 QUOTE Others didn't lose credibility because Goldberg beat them... Right, because it was expected. And THAT was the problem... I don't think it hurt anyone in WCW at all when Goldberg beat them. Even towards the end when Goldberg beat someone it didn't hurt them. If you can name one person it hurt, then go for it, but in all honestly I don't think it hurt anyone in WCW and the only reason I think people would think it would hurt someone in WWE is because its two differant places. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
