Does Wrestling Need Goldberg?

When the WWE announced that none other than the mighty Bill Goldberg had been signed during this year's Wrestlemania, the sports entertainment world was abuzz with excitement. Not since Hulk Hogan signed with WCW in 1994 had such excitement gripped the wrestling industry. With the exception of Sting, one of the last WCW-created stars who had never worked for the WWE was finally in the employ of Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

It is now nearly four months since Goldberg signed. Nearly four months since the promo aired around the world during the Wrestlemania broadcast. Nearly four months since Goldberg appeared on Raw and announced that The Rock was "next".

So what has happened in this short space of time in the career of Bill Goldberg. The answer is, well, not much really.

When it comes to wrestlers who haven't been "created" by their own writers, the WWE doesn't really have that good a track record. In the past, many stars who were big in WCW and ECW have seemingly struggled under the bright lights on Raw and Smackdown. I could run off and endless list of names, but there is no point. You all know who I'm talking about.

So is this the reason why Goldberg has failed to grasp the imagination of this particular wrestling fan?

Let's compare Goldberg's entrance to that of another former WCW World Champion - Scott Steiner.

When Steiner signed and made his first appearance at last year's Survivor Series, there was a great deal of fanfare, and his first few appearances were well thought out and well received. The bidding war between Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon for Steiner's services made for compelling viewing, as did the build-up to Steiner's match at the Royal Rumble with Triple H.

Goldberg just appeared out of thin air, suddenly appearing on Raw and challenging the Rock before the self-styled People's Champion made his way back to Hollywood. The build-up to their long awaited encounter, and the encounter itself were somewhat lacklustre.

Whereas in WCW Goldberg was a silent assassin, kicking ass wherever he went, now Goldberg spoke a great deal, and showed that perhaps he was not a natural showman as his first WWE opponent.

Then came the feud with Chris Jericho, born out of a real-life rivalry that dated back to their falling out in WCW. Many thought that this would make for entertaining television. If it wasn't for Jericho, this feud would have fallen flat on it's face. Jericho carried Goldberg all the way, not just in the promos but in the big match itself.

During the build-up to the match came the news that during a conference call, WWE CEO Linda McMahon publicly stated that the company was somewhat disappointed with Goldberg's performances.

Old Bill was not a happy man. The day of his big match with Jericho and Goldberg was apparently wandering around backstage like a bear with a sore head. After the match Goldberg was seen confronting a ringside fan who was carrying a Jericho sign. The director wisely cut away from this shot quickly. The company's newest big baby face couldn't be seen arguing with a lowly fan after all, could he?

Since then word has crept out that Goldberg has continued to complain about his status within the company, that he is considering walking out on his big bucks contract. Some say that if he isn't crowned Raw World Champion at Summerslam, then Goldberg will be through with the wrestling industry?

So this brings up the question, does the wrestling industry need Goldberg? Does the wrestling industry need someone who clearly has no love for the industry and the people in it?

Some would say that Goldberg's problems began as soon as he signed with the company. Would the WWE be willing to acknowledge that their main rival had created a bona fide superstar? Would they have been willing to push him to the moon in the way that WCW had? Some thought that by now Goldberg would have been World Champion. The reason this hasn't happened yet is obvious. Triple H has a tremendously strong powerbase, and is very reluctant to give up any of that.

Triple H's previous real-life animosity with Goldberg, if handled correctly, could be used to the WWE's advantage as they build up towards their potential match-up at Summerslam. If both men are willing to co-operate with the powers-that-be, and are willing to give this match the hype it plainly deserves, then ratings could go through the roof. One of the few remaining dream matches left in the wrestling industry could prove to be the match and feud of 2003.

If both men let their egos get in the way of business, then this could prove to be a disaster. Both men are known for their egos. If Triple H doesn't get his way, all he needs to do is go to the head writer, and ask her to change the script. If Goldberg doesn't get his way, he'll walk, and the WWE could be left with a multi-million dollar white elephant and a public relations disaster. After the recent departures of Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan, the WWE needs Goldberg's star power.

At a time when the WWE has been heavily criticised for not creating new "superstars", they will have to put their faith in a star that was created by their main rival, and virtually handed to them on a plate. If it doesn't, then the wrestling industry may never be the same again.