WWE Rumors: Big Update On Goldberg’s WWE Contract Status, Is Another Comeback Possible?

All things considered, Bill Goldberg’s return to WWE was a huge success. That comeback, after all, yielded him three matches, including one where he won the Universal Championship, and his title defense against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33, which largely exceeded expectations. And while Goldberg’s WWE contract has since expired, the latest rumors suggest he may be considering another comeback run, provided the price is right.

At WrestleMania 33, Goldberg faced Brock Lesnar, defending his Universal Championship in a match that lasted slightly less than five minutes, yet received favorable reviews from many wrestling journalists. 411Mania‘s TJ Hawke, for instance, wrote that the Goldberg vs. Lesnar match, which Lesnar won, was “loads of fun,” and a great way to end what had been a strange six-month feud between both men. Likewise, Heavy chose not to give the match a star rating, rather grading it as “this was awesome” for being an action-packed, if short battle between two recognizable names.

With WrestleMania 33 done, Bill Goldberg’s WWE contract has run out after lasting longer than anyone had expected. But new rumors now add to the belief that it might not be the end of the line for the 50-year-old legend after all.

On this week’s subscriber-only issue of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer detailed Goldberg’s WWE contract situation, which suggests that both parties have a “longer period of agreement” for merchandise sales, meaning Goldberg should still earn from sales of his t-shirts and other products with his likeness, even if he’s no longer a signed WWE talent.

Two other things, however, stood out as interesting from Meltzer’s report. The first was the possibility of WWE bringing Bill Goldberg back for a few more matches in the future, although there’s currently no rush to sign him to a new deal. The second was a recap of how well Bill had worked with Brock Lesnar in the lead-up to WrestleMania 33, and how things may turn out differently should another Goldberg WWE comeback involve a feud with someone else.

As far as the possibility of a comeback goes, this is something that the Inquisitr had reported on earlier this month, shortly after WrestleMania 33. On the Monday after ‘Mania, Goldberg had used the words “never say never” in possibly hinting that he may be back someday in WWE, maybe in time for WrestleMania 34 in 2018. With The Undertaker retired, The Rock busy with his movie schedule, and the uncertainty regarding Kurt Angle’s condition for a potential match, Goldberg may be brought back by WWE and signed to a new contract, so as to give casual fans someone else they may recognize from their heyday.

If Goldberg does make another WWE comeback, will it be as good as the first? According to the Wrestling Observer, there’s a chance that it won’t, and it has everything to do with Brock Lesnar “(going) to bat” for Goldberg in the run-up to WrestleMania and making him look strong in preparation for their match. This might not happen if Goldberg ends up in a rivalry with another wrestler, who might not have the backstage pull and drawing power that Lesnar does.

The possible involvement of WWE’s creative team might be another hindrance for Goldberg in such a situation — the aforementioned Inquisitr report stressed that during his last program with Lesnar, Bill Goldberg was allowed free reign to “be himself,” with WWE generally laying off the scripting when it came to his promos.

Though “smart” fans might not be too keen on the idea of Bill Goldberg making a WWE comeback, let alone a second one, the numbers don’t lie — he’s moved a lot of merchandise, and he was instrumental in hyping up casual audiences for WrestleMania 33, thanks to his status as one of the most iconic pro wrestlers of the 1990s. And while it’s far from sure as to whether Goldberg will sign a new WWE contract or not, or when he will do so, it won’t be that big of a surprise if the company brings him back for one more run, especially in the lead-up to a major pay-per-view.

[Featured Image by WWE]