Goldberg On A Possible WWE Return: ‘Never Say Never’
This past Monday’s big “hatch” announcement turned out to just be an announcement for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video, as 2K announced that if you pre-order the game, you’ll be able to play as former WWE and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg.
The announcement got everyone excited, as many are now thinking that Goldberg could be on his way back to WWE after being away from the company for 12 years.
Goldberg’s one and only run with WWE lasted for just a year, and he feuded with stars such as The Rock, Triple H, and Brock Lesnar during his time there. He also held the World Heavyweight Championship two times. WWE was never able to turn him into the kind of star that he was during his time in World Championship Wrestling.
Both Vince McMahon and Triple H haven’t been the biggest fans of Goldberg over the years, but, 2K does need the WWE Chairman’s blessing to put certain characters in the game, and Vince clearly gave 2K his blessing to put the former WCW mega-star in the company’s annual wrestling game.
2K has helped bring wrestlers into the good graces of WWE over the last couple of years, as they were an important part in The Ultimate Warrior’s return to the company in 2014 and Sting’s debut in the company, which also happened in 2014.
There have been a lot of people who have compared Sting’s situation with WWE prior to him getting signed to Goldberg’s current situation with the company now, but during an interview with The Ringer’s Wrestling Podcast, Goldberg explained why his situation is a lot different than Sting’s was.
“Sting and I’s circumstances were much different. Sting had never been here prior. I had already been there. I did my time there for a short period of time. Had some ups and had some downs. It was a different, really cool experience, though it was a little different.”
Goldberg also told The Ringer that, at this moment, he’s not considering getting back into a WWE ring. He also said that he would consider it if WWE offered him the right deal, because he wants to show his son, who wasn’t born during the height of his popularity, what he used to do.
“Does my inclusion in WWE 2K17 mean the next step is to get back in the ring? That’s not my intention by any stretch of the imagination. I just want to put a smile on my son’s face and show him what his daddy used to do, ripping guy’s heads off. If it leads to something like that then I… I don’t know, man. You never say never, you really don’t, and at the end of the day it’s water under the bridge.”
It’s worth mentioning that Goldberg has been in WWE 2K’s annual wrestling game before, as he was part of WWE 2K14. But, back then, he wasn’t one of the characters that the game was built around, and this year, 2K is completely building the game around the former WCW Champ.
Goldberg told WWE.com on Wednesday that he has “about 50 more matches left” in him. He also said that he wasn’t exactly pleased with his final WWE match, which was against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 20.
The WWE 2K17 commercial suggested that if Goldberg were to make his return to WWE, he’d end up having a rematch with Brock Lesnar. Even though their first match was atrocious, there definitely would be a ton of interest in a Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg rematch, because fans know that the two men are capable of having a much better match than they had back in 2004.
[Image via WWE]
