There is a lot of excitement about the announced comeback of professional wrestling's superstar Bill Goldberg to WWE. The former World Heavyweight Champion is scheduled to take part in the special event of the company on June 7 in Saudi Arabia.
Fans of Goldberg are ecstatic. The highly-decorated superstar was last seen in action during Wrestlemania 33 when he took on Brock Lesnar in the Universal Championship title match. In his farewell address to the WWE audience, Goldberg did say that a return to the ring can't be ruled out.
And he proved right, because more than two years after that event, he is scheduled to have another match. At the moment, indications are that it would be against Bobby Lashley. The latter put out a tweet mentioning the return of the former WCW champion and even got a response from him, in the form of a clenched fist emoji.
Whether it's Lashley or anyone else, the return of the WWE Hall of Fame member is confirmed. But is it a good thing? Well, the honest answer is no! Even if you are a big fan of the formerly retired superstar, it may not seem like a good idea.
Why he shouldn't have?
When Goldberg returned in late 2016, there was massive anticipation about his taking on Brock Lesnar. On his arrival, he looked in great shape. After their embarrassment of a match at Wrestlemania 20 in 2004, this was an opportunity for fans to see the pair redeem themselves with a top-class contest.
The actual match turned out to be a squash. The match lasted less than one-and-a-half minute with a win for the returning hero. Goldberg followed this victory with a brief appearance in the Royal Rumble followed by another squash victory over Universal Champion Kevin Owens (in 22 seconds) to gain the title. It was clear by then that he was simply too old to sustain a long match and hence, WWE kept him restricted to brief contests.
His latest stint in WWE culminated with the title match at Wrestlemania where Lesnar and Goldberg kept hitting each other with their signature moves and eventually the former won. To be honest, despite the clearly visible restrictions of Goldberg, it was an entertaining fight.
If two years ago, the 52-year old was unable to have a substantial match, how can we expect anything better now? Yes, he may keep himself in good shape but without any in-ring experience and advanced age, how can he be expected to produce a good contest, be the opponent Lashley or anyone?
It's not surprising though, that WWE is still trying to bank on his popularity. They kept bringing The Undertaker back to wrestle despite him having been past his time. They even brought back Shawn Michaels after years of retirement for a tag-team match last year in Saudi Arabia. Watching these wrestlers struggling to put up a decent show while clearly being past their date is a painful experience.
So, if you are a Goldberg fan and have enjoyed watching him in his prime, what you don't want is to see him like the proverbial 'Lion in winter.' Much better to remember him as the dominant superstar who had great matches in WCW and WWE than witness him compete in below-average contests. Alas, that's not how WWE's sees things these days.
