Despite being one of the biggest names in professional wrestling, Goldberg has only
ever had two WrestleMania matches - both against the same person.
But in 2003, he nearly had a Mania moment with someone else.
I am Luke Owen and this is Goldberg’s missing WrestleMania match.
Goldberg was one of the many WCW stars who opted not to take a pay cut when Vince McMahon
purchased the company in early 2001.
Goldberg has said in interviews since that he was asked to take 50 cents on the dollar
to sign with WWF and be part of their Invasion angle, and he wasn't willing to do that.
Several journalists noted that WWE attempted to negotiate with Goldberg after the WCW acquisition,
but he only wanted to work certain dates with certain stars - an offer he was getting while
working in Japan.
In late 2002, it was reported that WWE were again looking to hire Goldberg to help with
sinking ratings and WrestleMania business.
WWE were reportedly concerned about star power, as The Rock was making waves in Hollywood
and there was reports Steve Austin wouldn't be returning for a match at WrestleMania 19
following the disagreements he had with the company at WrestleMania X8 where he wrestled
Scott Hall.
In his autobiography Austin wrote, "I was on the third or fourth match - it wasn't even
the main event.
It was just some match on the card, the way I looked at it.
And I wasn't happy about that at all."
Pro Wrestling Torch would write, "WWE, in the midst of decreasing fan interest and media
recognition of that decreasing interest, is looking for a way to boost interest at WrestleMania.
The biggest ace that WWE has yet to utilize is Bill Goldberg, one of the biggest stars
in WCW during its peak run in the late ’90s.
WWE has begun discussions with Goldberg and his representatives about joining WWE in time
for WrestleMania."
These rumours were furthered when The Rock appeared on a Dallas radio station and said
he was working on something with Goldberg but couldn't talk about it further.
Torch sources told Wade Keller that the plan was for Goldberg to face The Rock at WrestleMania
19 as one of their marquee matches.
Keller would write, "Since neither Rock nor Goldberg are full–time WWE wrestlers, it
would be a one–time match to make WrestleMania seem like something “special,” and worthy
of the extra five bucks WWE will be charging."
According to other reports from the time however, one of the plans for Goldberg coming in was
to work three matches with The Rock - the first at WrestleMania XIX and then culminating
in a rubber match at Summerslam 2003.
The following week, Goldberg confirmed on No Holds Barred radio that he was in talks
with WWE about working WrestleMania XIX and how he wanted to wrestle The Rock, but was
worried about the backstage politics of working at the company, stating he wasn't sure how
he would deal with Triple H if he played games with him.
This was a common mindset for many ex-WCW stars following the Invasion angle in 2001.
Sting revealed in a TNA-produced documentary that the reason he never signed with WWE was
because he saw an episode of Raw where The Rock looked at Booker T and asked who he was.
"That one little comment is it all took to bury someone, in my opinion.
It was a way to let everyone know that, 'you're a WCW guy, you're a peon here'."
Booker T added to these comments in an interview with The Boston Herald saying, "I was mad
I had that confrontation with The Rock because I had to build myself all over again.
The WCW guys were supposed to be buried.
None of us were supposed to make it"
In January 2003, it was reported that talks between WWE and Goldberg had slowed down,
but there was still hope that a deal could be reached to start a program with The Rock.
This seemed to be moving forward, as Goldberg wrote on his website that he was happy with
the current deal suggested and the ball was in WWE’s court now.
The following week The Torch reported that The Rock had told an extra on the set of Helldorado
that he was going to face Hulk Hogan at No Way Out, and confirmed the match with Goldberg
at WrestleMania XIX before he steps away from wrestling for good.
However, Bruce Prichard refutes that claim on an episode of Something to Wrestle saying
“[That is] such horses***.
Made up from somebody who's an extra on a set.”
By early February, however, the reported planned match between Goldberg and The Rock fell apart
due to negotiations and WWE began to move forward with Steve Austin vs. The Rock instead.
Wade Keller wrote in the Torch, “The maximum number of dates Goldberg is willing to work
is less than the minimum number of dates WWE wants him to work, and no progress has been
made.
WWE’s concern is that investing heavy TV time in a wrestler who only is going to work
two or three PPV dates might help TV ratings and PPV buyrates, but it would hurt house
show attendance.”
In March, The Torch would report that negotiations had stalled to the point that WWE were working
on a WrestleMania without Goldberg.
In the No Way Out 2003 episode of Something to Wrestle, however, Bruce Prichard claims
that while negotiations were ongoing, there actually was never any plan for Goldberg to
wrestle on the grandest stage of them all and was always set to make his debut on the
Raw After Mania [9-screen].
“Goldberg was never considered for WrestleMania.
Yes we were negotiating with him to come in.
We had Goldberg for one year.
To bring [Goldberg] in, you had to be able to build him up for that year and get the
most out of him to build to that WrestleMania.
If you've only got a few weeks to build Goldberg for WrestleMania, it's not enough time to
get the bang for your buck.
And then you've got him for a whole year, and you don't have him for the next WrestleMania.”
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