"The answer is both" - Eric Bischoff comments on controversial WCW match
Eric Bischoff has offered clarity on a controversial match that occurred in WCW. On his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff gave his perspective on the infamous match between Bill Goldberg and Steven Regal.
WCW fans were used to seeing Goldberg dominate his opponents, which is why it was surprising when the mast of the Jackhammer squared off against Regal in a somewhat competitive bout.
During Goldberg's legendary undefeated streak, the bout occurred and damaged his reputation, as he wasn't accustomed to working drawn-out matches. Both men have since blamed each other for how poor the match was. Eric Bischoff has now tried to lend some clarity to the situation.
"Bill needed to dominate that match," Bischoff said. "Bill needed to be the Bill Goldberg character that people were so strongly behind. There was no reason at that point in Bill's character tragectory to have him stumble, trip over, or diminish in anyway the perception of how powerful of a character Bill Goldberg was. But at the same time I was hoping we would've seen a little bit out of Steve Regal that would've appeared, at least to the audience, that Regal was throwing some stuff at Goldberg that Goldberg didn't expect."
Bischoff also explained that Regal had a completely different wrestling style. He hoped that Regal would've been a "different" type of opponent than what Goldberg was used to facing. Ultimately, Bischoff feels that Regal took liberties with Bill during the match.
Eric Bischoff, William Regal, and Goldberg are all still involved in wrestling
All three men are still currently involved in the wrestling industry. Eric Bischoff was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Goldberg is a pseudo-journeyman legend in WWE, appearing now and then to have matches with current superstars.
Steven Regal now goes by William Regal. The famous British wrestler had a long and storied career after leaving WCW for WWE. Regal now works as the on-screen General Manager for NXT.
The controversial match hasn't affected the three men's careers too much. All these legends continue to contribute positively to the wrestling industry to this day.