How Good Was Goldberg Actually?

3. Range

Throughout this piece, we’ve referred to the limitations of Bill Goldberg. The term “flat track bully” was invented for him. He’s a man of few words and fewer wrestling moves. It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say that Goldberg literally has no range. No matter how popular he was, and he was VERY popular, he is the definition of a one-dimensional performer.

Paul Heyman famously encapsulated Goldberg’s run at this time with the compliment that “Goldberg was not paid by the minute, nor by the word”. It perfectly summarizes what worked about Bill, but also points to him not having much in the way of depth and nuance.

He’s an icon of the squared circle, but the evidence for Goldberg's lack of range is exposed by everything that happened after the streak. Whether you put it down to poor booking or the lack of skills necessary to have longevity, once Kevin Nash ended the streak, the aura of Goldberg was never the same again. If he had more tricks up his sleeve, there would surely have been more greatness to come from a superstar as popular as Goldberg, but the formula never changed. It only got staler and more dated as time ticked on.

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