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Goldberg is back in WWE, but let’s keep expectations realistic
At long last, Bill Goldberg is returning to professional wrestling. After taking a long absence from the wrestling industry, Goldberg is set to return to “WWE Raw” on Monday (Oct. 17) and will reportedly begin building toward a “WrestleMania XX” rematch with Brock Lesnar at November’s “Survivor Series.”
It’s an exciting moment for wrestling fans and Goldberg himself, but it may be time for a bit of a reality check. While Goldberg’s return is a marquee moment for WWE and will no doubt be a much talked about moment — and it should — it’s important to remember a few things.
First and foremost, Goldberg’s match with Lesnar will be his first in over 12 years. Though he’s made sporadic appearances over the years, his last actual match was his first out with Lesnar at “WrestleMania XX” in 2004. While Goldberg was the victor in that particular bout, the match is hardly remembered as a well-wrestled affair.
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That’s a long time to be out of the ring for and leaves Goldberg with a lot of readjustments to make. When you consider that Lesnar’s current style doesn’t usually leave room for competitive matches — rather one-sided beatdowns — it leaves a lot of work to be done for a match that will come anywhere near the hype.
Beyond that, it’s important to note that Goldberg is now a 49-year-old man, who will be roughly a month away from 50 when “Survivor Series” occurs. It’s not unprecedented for wrestlers to still perform at that age — The Undertaker most recently wrestled at 51 — but historically, the older a wrestler gets the more their performance suffers.
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That’s not to say Goldberg can’t have a good match. He’s clearly kept in shape over the years and trains regularly. It’s just very unlikely that he and Lesnar would have the five-star contest that many wrestling fans would believe will happen after the WWE hype machine kicks in. Especially when you consider their last meeting, when both were over a decade younger.
So instead of looking forward to the match — which, let’s be honest, will likely result in a Lesnar win — just take a moment to enjoy the spectacle of it all. WCW’s fire-breathing dragon Bill Goldberg is coming back and he’s going to lock horns with one of WWE’s biggest attractions in a confrontation that is going to be memorable… and a must watch.
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Plus, if things go well who’s to say there isn’t another match in Goldberg’s future? A sendoff at “WrestleMania” and a place in the WWE Hall of Fame shouldn’t be too much to dream of.