Apparently WWE wants to sign Bill Goldberg to put him in WWE 2K15 and work Wrestlemania XXXI
I get putting him into the video game because older fans play the games, but why bring him onto WWE TV?
The 12-and-under demographic of the fan base weren't born when Goldberg was a big deal in WCW. They weren't even watching during his last WWE run. To them, he will be just some screaming bald guy who they won't care about because he isn't John Cena.
Any of the casual WCW viewers who popped for Goldberg's schtick in WCW likely stopped watching wrestling a long time ago.
Nobody is pining to see Bill Goldberg wrestle anybody because it's been proven that he can't do anything but the standard 2-minute Bill Goldberg squash match.
On top of that, he can't talk to save his life (one of the smart things WCW did at the beginning was make him a silent badass who came in, crushed jobbers, and left without saying a word).
What I'm trying to ask is, does Goldberg have any actual value left for any of the WWE audience beyond the smallest demographic (that being long-time wrestling fans who were watching WCW in 1998)?
Who would they put him against, and more importantly, why?
Because he sold a metric shit-ton of DVDs and people still chant his name at Ryback? Seems pretty easy to me.
Makes more sense than Sting. I wouldn't mind a brief two-month run where he squashes everyone on the way to Ryback at Mania.
ReplyDeleteWhy would people even care if he's in the video game? Are there people that say "oh, I'm not gonna buy this video game because Bill Goldberg isn't in it."?
ReplyDeleteI think the ryback thing has sailed. I'm not sure who he would face.
ReplyDeleteRyback is so buried that if they wanted to build to a Goldberg match they'd have to start rebuilding him right now.
ReplyDeleteI mean, they could do it but...
I will NEVER understand the argument that kids don't know who someone is. They don't know who Bo Dallas and Adam Rose either, and while those guys are undoubtedly cheaper than Goldberg and could actually have a future, just ask yourself how many DVD and Blu-ray sets have the sold in the last year? How frequently do their names get chanted at live events? How many older fans have nostalgic memories of them? And how many WrestleMania 'dream matches' can you plug them into without months (and more likely years) of build?
ReplyDeleteHaven't the returns of the likes of Brock Lesnar, The Rock and Batista sunk in yet? WWE wouldn't bring older names from 5-10 years ago back if they continually flopped. They don't, and WWE continues to go the nostalgia well. I'm fine with that too because as much as I love the Shield and Daniel Bryan, I can't take three hours of RAW, two house SmackDown, one hour Main Event, Superstars and NXT, and when you've got so much TV time to fill anyway, why not give a spot to someone who might pique my interest? Clearly with the amount of airtime they have, there's room for older stars as well as new.
Like I said in the other thread.
ReplyDelete1. Meh.
2. Whatever.
3. At least it's not Sting/Taker.
The big difference is that the Rock (movies) and Brock (UFC) were never really out of the public eye while they weren't in the WWE. What the hell has been Goldberg being doing the past ten years? Are the younger fans going to make the connection?
ReplyDeleteI knew there must have been a reason I haven't bought any games since HCTP. I just couldn't put my finger on it.
ReplyDeleteProbably not but I guess he sold a bunch of DVD's so maybe I'm wrong. I'm always a bit surprised by how much WCW loyalty there is still kicking around.
ReplyDeleteI just want a video game with Arn Anderson in it. Maybe Tully Blanchard, too, but definitely Double A.
ReplyDeleteI occasionally see people wearing nWo tees.
ReplyDeleteApparently, we, the members of the Internet Wrestling Community, discount the ability of younger children to actually use the internet.
ReplyDeleteEnough people make the connection to chant his name and buy his dvds. I don't see the harm in it the problem is I have no idea what "dream" matches are out there for him. Ryback was a natural one two years ago but that's not really the case anymore. Austin's not coming out of retirement and if he was there are bigger names to pair him with. I'd be down for a Hall of fame induction and a match though.
ReplyDeleteHey, they put Swagger in a WM title match after he was a loser of loser for about two years. You never know.
ReplyDeleteGoldberg is already in WWE 2K14. Or has everyone forgotten already? I can't relive the WMXX abortion between him and Lesnar in that game enough times.
ReplyDeleteI'd be totally fine with using him in the role they had lined up for Warrior as a HOF inductee/ambassador. Given he still stays in incredible shape, they could also probably entrust him to spear/Jackhammer someone once or twice a year for a token nostalgia pop. I see nothing wrong with that.
ReplyDelete"The 12-and-under demographic of the fan base weren't born when Goldberg was a big deal in WCW."
ReplyDeleteSo what? By the WWE's own admission over 80% of their televised fan base is adults.
19 % of our audience is under 18 years old
23 % of our audience is 18-34 years old
21 % of our audience is 35-49 years old
37 % of our audience is 50+ years old
If they want to give Bill Goldberg one last run and hope that he can drive network subscriptions to justify his price tag then so be it.
I was born in 1985 and I knew who guys like the Junk Yard Dog and the Killer Bees were because I rented old wrestling tapes. Kids now watch old clips on YouTube. I'm sure a lot of kids are at least familiar with Goldberg because they've heard their dad, mom, uncle or whoever talk about him and then they looked him up online.
ReplyDeleteAJ winning the title surprised me because I'm surprised the gaijin stable has so many belts.
ReplyDeleteYujiro turning on Okada and the title changing on interference just blows my mind. I cannot believe NJPW did that. That's very shocking for Japanese wrestling.
The interference figuring into the finish is very very limited. The bullet club is pretty much it. Even the little bit that Taichi and Taka does during Suzuki-Gun Matches are usually in the build up tag matches not the blow offs.
ReplyDeleteThe Bullet Club matches have some interference because that's sorta their deal; they're the sports entertainment stable. Like Briareos said, it's usually more in the lower card stuff and it's tame by American standards.
ReplyDeleteThen why bring him in? Make him the face of the video games, yes. Pay him Brock Lesner money (likely) to wrestle, no.
ReplyDeleteFor a WCW mode like the Adittude Era mode.
ReplyDelete"Because he sold a metric shit-ton of DVDs and people still chant his name at Ryback? Seems pretty easy to me. "
ReplyDeleteSame, I was born in 1986, but I still mark out for guys from the 80s. I'm sure some kids know Goldberg and Sting just like folks like us born in the mid-80s knew the guys in the 10-15 yrs before us.
ReplyDeleteI would say that his not being in the public eye makes it better, and a bigger sell. If the guy is always there, you watch him get older, and yeah, you start getting sick of him. People remember GOLDBERG. The problem is he's like 50 now, and won't be the same as he was in 1998. But there's still a desire for him to come back, unlike the guys who Just Won't Go Away.
ReplyDeleteBring Hogan back for "one last match", and let him get his win back.
ReplyDeleteA what era mode?
ReplyDeleteSo does anyone else think this means Prince Devitt is on the way to WWE? This must mean that New Japan see AJ as the main giajin in Bullet Club and not just as a make weight while Devitt takes some out back home with his family and does some indy spots in Europe.
ReplyDeleteNo you goose. But there might be people out there that are saying "oh, I wasn't gonna buy that video game, but Bill Goldberg is in it."
ReplyDeleteHe's going to wwe for sure. And probably gonna be given your name for his gimmick.
ReplyDeleteThose tubes are hard to navigate.
ReplyDeleteGoldberg haters crack me up.
ReplyDelete"it's been proven that he can't do anything but the standard 2-minute Bill Goldberg squash match."
Uh we know weirdo. It's the whole point.
Perfect use of Goldberg is him destroying Ryback at 31 in like 5 minutes. It will be great.
ReplyDeleteArn was in WWE '12.
ReplyDeleteI hope they don't do that. Ryback still has potential to be a key part of the roster for several years. I'll admit I'm something of a mark for the guy, but I don't see why smark fans hate him so much.
ReplyDeleteWith Goldberg, I could see WWE doing a WCW version of the Hogan-Austin-Rock WM30 moment where they have Goldberg talking in the ring with some other legends (Flair and Sting?). Or he comes out and spears some actual jobbers. Or they're gonna induct him in the Hall of Fame.
Then sell more metric tons of stuff. Why bring him to wrestle a match?
ReplyDeleteHa...attitude....Actually a Monday nigth war mode would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteNothing to do with Goldberg, but ...
ReplyDelete1. Am I alone in thinking an RVD and Big E tag team would be a good thing for both guys?
2. RVD and Heyman are the only two I can think of who are primarily associated with ECW that will get into the WWE Hall of Fame. Am I forgetting anybody?
So apparently Okada will now be working with Cedric Alexander at the New York ROH/New Japan show which is fantastic since I consider Cedric one of the best indy talents out there currently.
ReplyDeleteRyback will never be above what he is now, mid card heel act. And I'd think he do it in a heartbeat because it is the only way he'd get on the show.
ReplyDeleteYeah Ryback is still salvageable, especially with his current character. I don't want to see him main event or anything but he's a good hand.
ReplyDelete"he's a good hand."
ReplyDeleteRyback is the exact opposite of that.
RVD/Ryback team would be amazing. And Raven, Dreamer, and maybe Sabu all should be HoFers.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't deserve to be jobbed out to a near 50 year old Goldberg. He's doing just fine in the role he's in now. Give Goldberg the entire 3MB.
ReplyDeleteHe can be a mid-card heel, but he can still be a strong and credible mid-card heel. Treating Ryback like Heath Slater and sacrificing him to an old and pudgy Goldberg would be a bad move.
ReplyDeleteThree possibilities:
ReplyDelete1) John Cena: If they're determined to force this idea of Cena as the best ever, and they want to put him over someone whom the older fans regard as a legend and "one of the best ever" (I know, I know...) Goldberg wouldn't be a bad idea for John.
2) Reigns: Goldberg officially passes the torch to the next generation badass (would probably require Goldberg working heel, and I'm not sure if he would want to do that, but still...the match could happen.)
3) Brock again....this time, with Goldberg coming in as a guy who can sympathize with Taker losing the Streak, and thus wants a shot at the man who ended it. I wouldn't put it past WWE to do this again, as they at least have a shot at getting a better crowd reaction this time, since Brock has Heyman out there talking for him and the heat of having ended the Streak at the last Mania.
Shit. Those are all terrible. Nevermind. *Hangs head*
It would pop the crowd, be a great moment, and those two have a kind of history. I swear, some wrestling fans take wins and losses way too seriously.
ReplyDeleteIs 3MB getting Goldberg chants? Nobody cares about them.
ReplyDeleteROR
ReplyDeleteGood picks. I could see Dreamer getting in since he seems to be so well-liked in the business. Raven might be a stretch. Sabu would probably get in before him since he's seen as something of a hardcore/extreme pioneer.
ReplyDeleteRaven will never get in because of politics but he deserves based off the gimmick alone.
ReplyDeleteJoey Styles and possibly Taz at some point?
ReplyDeleteI usually don't take wins and losses that seriously. I think it'd be one thing for Goldberg to interrupt a Ryback promo and give him a spear -- that'd be cute and get the point across -- but it's another thing for him to actually beat him in a match. That's getting on Sandow-as-Magneto levels of making a guy look bad.
ReplyDeleteSandoneto was awesome. But I see your point. Remember that guy HHH? I bet he would have made it in this business if Warrior didn't squash him at 12.
ReplyDeleteAre we sure Flair is done wrestling? Flair-Goldberg in 2015 sounds like a bad Vince McMahon idea.
ReplyDeleteNo to Styles(so overrated), maybe leaning towards yes to Taz.
ReplyDeleteI think Sandow's future is at the announce table. Might want to make it happen sooner than later since they obviously have no interest in him as a wrestler.
ReplyDeleteGood call. Have you noticed how RybAxel have started doing a ton of double team moves lately? Say what you want about either of those guys as singles flops, but I appreciate creativity and effort being put into tag wrestling, and those two are trying like HELL to be interesting/fun as a team in the ring.
ReplyDeleteDo we know if Vince/HHH is holding any grudges against people who are associated long-term with TNA? I know they brought Hogan back, but he's Hogan. Just wondering if guys like Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy will have to wait longer than they should for HOF inductions because they worked for Dixie.
ReplyDeleteHeels can do whatever, they're basically bulletproof. All they to do is cut a promo the next week and they're back on top.
ReplyDeleteIt is really obvious they don't hold any grudges. If the Outlaws can get re-hired, anyone can.
ReplyDeleteThey're fine but I think a Ryback/RVD team has a ton of potential. RVD has always done well with the weird tag partners gimmick, and Ryback was born to come off the hot tag. Plus they both already have the similar gear.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm seeing with the RVD and Big E team, plus I can just hear "Big E and RVD" (or vice versa) rolling off the tongue of the ring announcer.
ReplyDeleteWhy Dreamer? I mean he's an average guy but he never accomplished much outside of ecw.
ReplyDeleteStyles will get in for sure. Saba won't get in. Dreamer might just because he's well liked and has done a lot behind the scenes but he shouldnt. Raven won't and it's honestly a toss up if he should. Great gimmick but virtually ignored by WCW and the WWF from 99 on. Taz most likely will sometime down the road. RED and Heyman are virtual locks. Lance storm more than likely will get in at some point just due to being well liked and longevity. The Dudleys should but it's hard to say where they stand with the company having spent more time in tna than almost ecw and the wwe combined.
ReplyDeleteThe dude IS ECW and WWE has a massive hard on for them. He'll get in.
ReplyDeleteSandow dressing up in a bad costume and Ryback losing to at one time the second biggest baby face in wrestling during its hottest period isn't even close to the same. Ryback just being in the match would elevate him. Also pudgy? Goldberg last I saw was in great shape.
ReplyDeleteWhat does 1999 have to do with anything? And TNA is such a non issue.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm sure he will and honestly koko b ware is in so the bar is really fucking low. So if the question is "are they a bigger star than the bird man?" Then I think they have a long line of future main eventers.
ReplyDeleteThat was the last time a national company took raven seriously. Ravens biggest accomplishment on the national scene is a one day us title reign and a few tag title reigns. He had a hell of a character but his best work was seen on America one tv network at one am or in front of a few hundred people in bingo halls on the east coast. WCW didn't care about doing anything with him and by the time he came to the WWE it was too late to be relevant
ReplyDeleteHe had one of the greatest characters of all time and was doing revolutionary things in a company that revolutionized the business. He is a HoFer.
ReplyDeleteIf it's Justin Roberts, i'm sure he has lots of other stuff from wrestlers rolling off his tongue.
ReplyDeleteThe Hall of Fame should be built like a wrestling card, so guys like Koko and Dreamer are the lowest tier(basically guys with a memorable gimmick.).
ReplyDeleteIf anything, I could see them copying the opening of this year's Mania at next year's, only with Flair and Goldberg out there talking, when the lights go out and Sting appears. Or shit, maybe even the Outsiders. Someone mentioned it earlier, and I think it actually has the best shot at happening.
ReplyDeleteExcept Dreamer's not memorable especially gimmick wise. I disagree with jobbers to the stars being included in the hall of fame.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shitty argument.
ReplyDeleteI was 4 when Goldberg was at his hottest and I know who he is.
ReplyDeleteWill I cheer for him? No, because I'm a jaded smark, but I know who he is.
The kids of today know wrestling history. WWE has sold it and Youtube is available to pretty much everybody.
When I first got into wrestling, I scoured Youtube for clips of old guys, the first people I was a "mark" for were the Rock and Jericho.
ReplyDeleteDreamer is probably one of the most famous wrestlers of all time in relation to how little he actually accomplished.
ReplyDeletehas been said a million times before: I really don't get why there doesn't seem be any japanese promotion that just hires a capable englisch-speaking announce team to do an "international" version of their show (or is there one that does this that I don't know of).
ReplyDeleteI mean, there are already quite a few people watching without understanding one word (a "quite a few" in relation to something like asian movies without subtitles etc.), I am sure there are dozens of potential fans out there.
You realize kayfab has zero to do with the Hall of Fame right? And in no way was Kidman ever a bigger star than Raven.
ReplyDeleteNot to threadjack, but if you search "Clash of the Champions" on the Network, they have now added Clash I & II. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteMine or the email?
ReplyDeleteisn't that still a very different kind of "pop" in most cases, though? (more of a "polite applause" than "wow, I actually get to see THIS GUY!?!")
ReplyDeletefor obvious reasons it won't happen, but I would love Goldberg being squashed by Reigns to put the latter over as a beast.
ReplyDelete(and Goldberg being knocked out by the Superman punch is something that needs to happen if they decide to bring Bill back in!)
"Team Big D"?
ReplyDeletewhy "shouldn't" Dreamer be in the HOF? he was one of the mainstays, if not THE mainstay of ECW (is there anyone I am forgetting who is more "the Sting of ECW" than Dreamer?)
ReplyDeleteYou're the exception tho.
ReplyDeleteEven if the scenario you described actually happened, Taker losing would still be the bigger surprise.
ReplyDeleteAside from Heyman, Sabu is probably the most deserving. Not saying Sabu is most likely, but IMO, he deserves to be in before probably any of the other "ECW guys".
ReplyDeleteYou're assuming Vince/HHH know TNA is still even a thing.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say never. Vince made up with Bret, Bruno and Warrior. Granted, Raven's obviously not even in the same ballpark in terms of stardom or what he meant to WWF/E, but I don't think it'd really be politics that hold him out. Maybe if they ever do a WrestleMania from Lincoln Financial Field or Citizens Bank Park in Philly, I could see them doing a big ECW induction.
ReplyDeleteSame, but with so many different entertainment mediums today as compared to the mid-late 80's, aside from Raw/other big WWE shows, do kids care about wrestling enough to go check out vintage wrestling on the YouTubes? When I was a kid, I was all in with wrestling, but I also had less stuff to distract me than kids do today.
ReplyDeleteSo this was a ludicrous screw job by NJPW standards then?
ReplyDeleteThe emailer is obviously being sarcastic.
ReplyDeletePeople fixate on this incorrect "WWE markets themselves to kids and kids don't know this guy!" line of thought way too much. Even their own talent says this, admittedly, but that doesn't mean it's true. Making it more kid-friendly than it was 15 years ago and directly marketing to children aren't necessarily the same. They're still after the 18-49 male demo as much as ever. If Goldberg's price is reasonable, I don't get the confusion over why WWE would do this.
ReplyDeleteI like that. People get too up in arms about the HOF like its a legit sports hall of fame. It's more like the Hollywood walk of fame. And there's def some questionable stars on that sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteFive min is a lot of ring time for Goldberg.
ReplyDeleteno u
ReplyDeleteMan, I love puro commentary. I don't know what they're saying, yet I know exactly what they're saying, know what I'm saying?
ReplyDeleteWhere did ypu read this, I couldn't find it anywhere?
ReplyDeleteNow that they have the whole Network thing in motion and they have an avenue to trot out anybody to make a buck. Who is the emailer and why is he confused?
ReplyDeleteGoldberg was kinda just a second-rate Ultimate Warrior. He dominated squash matches and popped the crowed big for the three minutes he was out there like Warrior. But the similarities end there. He had no mic skills whereas the Warrior could ramble on about nothing and still be entertaining. And Goldberg never really had a classic PPV match whereas Warrior has the WM6 and WM7 matches. Throw in Goldberg ending Bret Hart's career with his reckless bullshit and having one of the biggest trainwreck WM matches ever with Brock and he's kind of a wrestling punchline to me. The U.S. title win over Raven was great fun. The Hogan match sucks but the moment when he pins him is pretty cool. AND THAT'S IT. I can see why WWE would want to try to ring a few more bucks out of him. But I won't be caring. How could I? I didn't care in 1998.
ReplyDeleteOn the Legends of Wrestling, where they were discussing under and overachievers, J.J. Dillion was killing Goldberg, saying how limited he was in doing the two minute matches. Jim Ross basically said "Who cares? People are paying for it."
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with bring in Goldberg specifically, but I am getting increasingly tired of WWE feeling the need to bring back aging, 40-something year-old stars back in order to pique interest in their product. They are finally on a roll with guys like Bryan, Cesaro and Reigns coming up, but apparently they still prefer to just throw money at the "real" stars from the past instead of making new ones. Sooner or later they have to stop that.
ReplyDeleteWell I do and i'm glad he is doing so well since leaving TNA. Now for the newest members of Bullet Club : Bad Influence
ReplyDeleteHe probably means yours. The two-minute squash matches wouldn't work in a comeback. It was fine when he was an active wrestler. But to come back all these years later, he either has to be a talking head promo guy like Hogan (which he can't do) or he has to put on an actual PPV main-event like Rock (which I don't think he can do). Frankly, the best opportunity for a Goldberg comeback was the span where legends were crushing Heath Slater. That....or a Royal Rumble appearance would be up Goldberg's ally. But a one-on-one match at PPV? I don't think he'd be able to pull it off.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, the South of America kinda has a track record for remembering that they got beat, and threatening to one day rise again.
ReplyDeleteMatch at WM wasn't a trainwreck, the crowd just didn't want to see them.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but he didn't see his father killing him...
ReplyDeleteMaybe the bingo hall of fame.
ReplyDeleteI vehemently disagree.
ReplyDeletethat Havoc match against Page was also much better anyone would have guessed before.
ReplyDeleteThose two things aren't mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteWhen is the last time you've talked, in person, to somebody under 20 for non-job related purposes?
ReplyDeleteYours.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same shit that's used to justify Michael Bay and Nickelback, "It's okay that they're bad, it's supposed to be bad".
Intent is not the be all end all of art.
The last time I saw Goldberg he was throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game and had a beer gut. But good for him if he's back in shape.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't agree with me. You hate America.
ReplyDeleteOnce they realized that, both guys decided not to even try though.
ReplyDeleteBut Goldberg wasn't bad. AT ALL. He matches were more entertaining then half the cruiserweight matches. That is what WWE never got with him. We didn't want to see him have a 15 minute match with Jericho, we wanted to see him kill him in 5 minutes.
ReplyDeleteIs it semen? I bet you mean semen.
ReplyDeleteThat's a better argument.
ReplyDeleteMy issue with it was formal, not content based.
I disagree that people are interested in seeing Goldberg, and I think bringing him in when anything he could do (kill people convincingly) would be better spent on Roman Reigns.
Pro Wrestling NOAH put out a handful of DVDs in 2008 with English commentary when they were working with ROH. They had a US specific website and everything until recently as well. I'm guessing it didn't do so well, because I loved those DVDs and kept checking to see if they'd add more and they never did.
ReplyDelete