10 Worst-Booked WWE Stars EVER

3. Goldberg

Triple H Shovel
WWE.com

That entry on Sting, you could argue, cynically regurgitates the reductive argument that Vince McMahon involuntarily booked ex-WCW personnel like sh*t because he was not responsible for their initial success.

Goldberg's first WWE run was peak WWE. Here was an act that required no modification whatsoever: a veritable megastar commanding a next-level aura, there was even an in-built storytelling device with which to book Goldberg as Goldberg: all WWE had to do was script a nervous Triple H to get in the ear of Eric Bischoff, suggest to him that Goldberg should start from the bottom, and hey b*stard presto: Goldberg smashes through another rapid-fire jobber-murdering Streak with an end goal in mind. That end goal, in the meantime, is sh*tting himself at the prospect of facing Goldberg, thus building anticipation for their clash for months.

WWE modified him, and booked Goldberg to wrestle a series of unflattering, lengthy matches in which he had to sell for minutes on end. His aura as a destroyer destroyed, Goldberg, knowing d*mn well he'd got got, left WWE as a miserable and beaten man.

WWE did redeem the Goldberg character, years later, in 2017. It's just as well WWE couldn't build new headline stars in the interim.

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!