10 Strange Wrestling Attire Choices - Explained

8. Goldberg's Royal Rumble Shorts

Hhh Shorts
WWE

Goldberg was as similarly unfussy as Steve Austin in his career peak of 1998.

He too wore black trunks to get over as a badass sh*t-kicker who didn't even have to prepare, much less dress up, for his matches. He snapped his opponents in half in a manner of minutes. Any ceremony attached to the act was the preserve of his entrance which, while grandiose, suited the core of the character. The air of dread and inevitability further got him over as an invincible babyface. In addition, of course, to shaving off the time he'd have to spend in the ring Triple H.

In WWE, he only tinkered with that gear very slightly by decorating his trunks with the tribal tattoo design every dudebro thought was cool for a minute. Beyond this minor mod, he was the same old Goldberg. Well, he was made to work overlong competitive matches that destroyed his aura to a point that he wasn't the same for 13 years, but he looked like the same old Goldberg, more or less.

He didn't at Royal Rumble 2021, at which he put over Drew McIntyre in a decent approximation of the old Goldberg vintage, taking into account his 54 years. He wore baggy shorts because he got the call late, and didn't have time to get in his best shape (not that he looked remotely bad, Christ).

Gentle reminder that certain stans will cry-laugh emoji if you say the words "plans changed".

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!