WWE Ignore Goldberg After Meeting

It’s a subject that seems to resurface at least once every couple of months. Goldberg states that he wants one more match on a big stage so his kids can see him live, but nothing ever seems to come of it. In a new interview with Sports Illustrated the former WCW star has made the picture a bit clearer … WWE don’t seem to want him.

I had a conversation with Paul [Levesque] recently and I said, ‘Listen, I’m willing to put everything aside. If you guys want to sit down and make some money and have some fun, then let’s do it. My son wants to see me wrestle, and I’m willing to put all the bad feelings aside. If you guys want to move forward and do this thing the right way, then let’s talk.’ And that’s the way it ended. There’s nothing there.

Truthfully, I don’t even think they want me to come, period. I’m just not of them. The fact that I’m not far outweighs the financial gain, which they truly may not even believe is there. And I’m good with that. I’m absolutely fine with that.

WWE would be foolish not to realize that there’s still some equity in the Goldberg name. He’s one of the few wrestlers from back in the day that old casual fans occasionally still talk about. His original WWE run was short enough and long enough ago that he’s certainly not overexposed either. He didn’t go TNA, he hasn’t been in the public eye making a fool of himself. He’s still a bad ass.

In reality WWE probably know this. They released his DVD (which outsold Triple H’s) and he was part of the Monday Night War Network series. WWE probably also understand that they could do something with him in the storylines, but the question is what? And will all parties play ball?

There’s obviously a built in feud with Ryback waiting right there. But it only makes business sense if Ryback picks up the victory. Would Goldberg want to come in just to job to the guy who he previously dismissed on Twitter? If not Ryback you could slot a few other people in there. Roman Reigns and the battle of the Spears? But again it’s the younger guy that needs to go over and that might not be Goldberg’s mindset.

Then there’s the dream match angle. The trouble is Steve Austin was already out of commission the first time and everybody else from that era who he hasn’t faced has also hung up the boots. He’s already been on the receiving end of Triple H and we only just saw Sting do the whole former WCW star losing thing.

Ultimately there are many factors at play here. Money, creative, and quite possibly past heat, and judging from other quotes from the interview Goldberg never enjoyed his time in WWE in the first place:

It wasn’t a very good working environment. That’s why I only spent a year there. We had a difference in philosophy. I’m not one of the guys who can say, ‘[WWE] didn’t do what they said they were going to do.’ It’s just that they never were going to do what should have been done. I wasn’t one of their homegrown guys. I could have been, because I went there before I went to WCW. I called Jim Ross – who was a reporter who’d covered me in football – and asked him to set up a meeting with Vince because I was thinking of going into wrestling. So I met with them first, but I didn’t like what I saw or heard, so I went to WCW.

Shelton Benjamin Apologizes To Sheamus

Sheamus was a recent guest on Talk Is Jericho and recalled when he was feuding with Shelton Benjamin in 2009. He says that Benjamin constantly called him “rookie” which rubbed him the wrong way.

Benjamin, who recently signed with GFW, took to Twitter this week to give somewhat of an apology:

@WWESheamus if in fact I offended u by repeatedly calling rookie, please accept my sincerest apology. But I personally don't recall 1x

— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) June 1, 2015

Austin Wants Reigns Heel

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin continues critiquing WWE’s use of Roman Reigns on his podcast. In Part 2 of his chat with Sam Roberts he reiterated that it’s time to turn him heel:

He’s a good-looking guy, successful guy and a football guy… so no one’s going to question how tough this guy is,” Austin said. “So he’s a good-looking guy, but all of a sudden, you gotta throw these contacts on him and he’s got blue eyes now? What’s the deal with that? You don’t need blue eyes. He’s got brown eyes!

I stand by the fact that no matter what they do with him, he’s going to have to be heel first….and they’re trying to keep him babyface,” Austin stated. “I think Vince McMahon’s goal is ‘He’s going to work as a babyface…or he ain’t going to work at all.’ And he’s going to flop bigger as a babyface, especially when they put him in there with other babyfaces. Like last week with Randy Orton—Orton blew him out of the water.

I see money in Roman—if he stays the course and continues to develop and continues to get better. But he’s going to be hated before he’s universally loved and embraced by the audience.