WWE News: Chris Jericho Talks Real-Life Issues With Goldberg


Throughout Chris Jericho’s three-decade career in professional wrestling, his real-life backstage issues with former WCW superstar Bill Goldberg have been well documented. Those issues carried from WCW to WWE, at which point things got physical between the two men.

During an appearance on Ric Flair’s WOOOOO! Nation podcast this week, Jericho addressed his infamous issues with Goldberg once again. This time, the former six-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion and Fozzy frontman gave more detail about his WCW program with Goldberg, which included Jericho standing up for himself amid a hectic backstage environment.

The concept of Jericho’s actions was that he was continually getting one over on Goldberg, despite not coming into contact with Goldberg whatsoever. Jericho cited his victory over a “midget Goldberg” on WCW Nitro and called out Goldberg for a fight knowing that he was not in the building a different week. With each instance of Goldberg not answering Jericho’s antics, he’d tally up a win for himself over the then-undefeated Goldberg.

Goldberg was known for his quick and decisive matches.[Image via Associated Press]
Goldberg was known for his quick and decisive bouts, known to wrestling fans as squash matches.”[Photo via Associated Press]
Jericho says that former NWA, WCW, and WWE legend Terry Taylor played a role in coming up with the angle.

Plans called for Goldberg to eventually respond to Jericho and culminate with a squash match at the following pay-per-view, but a longer squash match than Goldberg was accustomed to. WCW officials changed their mind one week, calling for Jericho to lose to Goldberg on a random WCW Nitro, at which point, Jericho spoke up.

“‘I said we’re doing the pay-per-view, we’re doing the five-minute squash just like we talked about, I’m not doing it.’ And then I went and hid, I went and hid in the upstairs. It’s a trick I learned from [Chris] Benoit. I went and hid upstairs until the show started, and they couldn’t find me, they just forgot about it. So, I didn’t have to do it.”

The next week, Jericho was berated by Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, and Eric Bischoff in a meeting as all three men questioned the much younger and less established Jericho for not doing what he was told. Goldberg, in particular, was vocal about his dislike for the angle. Jericho says Goldberg started “flipping out” and said, “I’m the guy that stands in the sparks! I breath in smoke, I breath in fire! I’m the world champ.”

Goldberg and Hogan were part of a meeting in which Jericho was "yelled at." [Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
Goldberg and Hogan were part of a meeting in which Jericho was “yelled at.” [Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
Jericho was quick to retort, telling the much bigger and established superstar, “Yeah if I kick you in the nuts right now, you’d go down like everybody else.”

In the meeting, Jericho also referenced a piece of advice that legendary wrestling manager Jimmy Hart gave him. The advice was that if fans were bringing signs to events about a current storyline, it was getting over because fans were taking their own time to acknowledge it. That was the case during the Jericho/Goldberg on-screen feud.

Eventually, a compromise was reached that week and Jericho — after cutting a heel promo on the fans and Goldberg — became the recipient of Goldberg’s signature spear.

Jericho and Goldberg have had zero interaction since Goldberg left the WWE in 2004 after his one-year stint with the company. Both men have addressed their issues, but don’t seem to have any tense present-day feelings towards each other. In an exclusive with the Inquisitr last year, Goldberg talked about possibly having Jericho being a guest on his podcast Who’s Next With Goldberg.

“Why not? Except, if he comes on my podcast, it’ll be strange because I don’t have wrestlers on my podcast.”

[Featured Photo by Simon Hofmann/Bongarts/Getty Images]

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