Would fans have ever been allowed to get fully behind Bill Goldberg had the man not been fed countless enhancement talents to destroy in squash matches? Modern fans may argue that there's no place for squash encounters in the modern era, but they do have their place, and can be the perfect way to help build up a new star and ready them for bigger challenges. It wasn't so much the quantity of the men that Goldberg defeated that resonated with fans, it was his undeniable ability to connect with them, and the quality of his squash performances. Big Bill came across as an absolute bad-ass, which was exactly the point, and fans started to salivate over what it might be like should he step inside the ring with the likes of Hollywood Hogan or others. WWE tried the squash idea with Ryback, but it felt like a bit of cheap Goldberg imitation, instead of an outright push, something which quickly came across to fans around arenas, who chanted the WCW star's name. Countless names have been made through squash runs, including the likes of Sid Vicious, Vader and even The Undertaker - it can be a useful tool, one which is scarcely used nowadays.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
