8 Wrestlers Who Turned Down Big Money WWE Deals

If you believe the rumour-mill, Goldberg rejected bumper WWE contracts at least twice - first, in 2001, when WCW went under, and then again in 2004, after a disappointing 12-month stint on Monday Night Raw.

In a revealing appearance on Stone Cold Steve Austin's podcast a couple of years ago, the former NFL star spilled the beans on why he decided not to renew after WrestleMania XX, essentially stating that he no longer enjoyed the business.

As with Brock Lesnar, with whom Goldberg shared his last match for 12 years, you can't really fault his decision. His already insane popularity only grew in his absence, leading to a hugely lucrative comeback in 2016, a couple of weeks shy of his 50th birthday.

For fans, however, there is still a pang of regret about the fact that we never got to see Goldberg versus Stone Cold, or Goldberg versus Undertaker; match-ups that would have pitted together the best of WCW and the best of WWE (or, in other words: the opposite of the Invasion angle).