9 Things We Learned From WWE Chronicle: Goldberg
Bro's next.
Bill Goldberg disappointed a lot of people this summer when, presumably for money, not love, it was announced he was breaking his semi-retirement for a second time to square off with fellow quinquagenarian The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia.
Here was a proud Jewish man who could easily afford to say "no" to such an offer, instead opting to perform in a country where anti-semitism is openly promoted by the state. Keep in mind his first return was predicated on showing his son what a role model he once was.
The ensuing match was even more disappointing. In fact, it was damn near devastating.
The latest episode of WWE Chronicle, which dropped immediately after Hell in a Cell, puts Goldberg in the firing line throughout that debacle. It's perfectly clear from the outset that not only was Big Bill utterly furious with the farce, but that he's determined to make things right. We see his subsequent 'redemption' against Dolph Ziggler - and it's suggested that's only the beginning.
Who, um, is next for Goldberg then? We got a pretty bloody big hint in this feature - and it's exactly who you think it is.
9. He Hated His Match With The Undertaker
The documentary begins with an eye-catching quote from the man in the middle, as he reflects on an unspecified match with some considerable disdain:
"I feel like a failure - and that's not me. [...] Nobody is going to critique my performance more stringently than I am. This is nothing but self-inflicted misery emanating from that evening.
Now, it's patently obvious precisely which contest he's lamenting: his absolute dog's dinner with The Undertaker at this June's Super ShowDown. But there's a certain degree of purposeful ambiguity in how his appraisal is presented.
Everybody knows what an absolute disaster that bout descended into, and the headline-grabbing implication here is that Goldberg's shooting on himself. But as the documentary goes on, his very real opinion is recontextualised as if he's unhappy with the defeat, rather the embarrassing spectacle, allowing WWE to delve into the subject without reflecting negative light back onto themselves.
Nevertheless, Goldberg is clearly bitterly disappointed with how things went down in Jeddah, and absolutely determined to "rectify what happened last time".