The Skip Sheffield character was scrapped after Reeves was forced to take a long break to undergo several ankle surgeries. He returned as Ryback in 2012, and embarked upon a 38-match unbeaten streak, during which he drew inevitable comparisons to WCW icon Goldberg. The similarities are admittedly numerous; both men are bald, immensely powerful, and prefer to do most of their talking in the ring. Fans quickly cottoned on and began to taunt Ryback with loud 'Goldberg' chants, a stigma he thankfully seems to have shaken off over the last few years, allowing him to grow into his own persona. However, a little-known fact about Ryback is the fact that he openly welcomed the potential of a Goldberg feud. Speaking to TribLive.com in 2013, he said 'It's a match the WWE Universe want to see. I said recently that if people keep chanting his name at me, they're going to make me a ton of money. WWE's going to want to bring in Bill Goldberg to face Ryback.' He also confessed to being a huge Goldberg fan in the 1990s, ditching a night out to secretly watch the bald babyface famously defeat Hulk Hogan for the WCW Championship.
