Opinion: Why Goldberg's Return Should Be Celebrated
It's official. WWE have announced that WWE Hall of Famer, Bill Goldberg is set to return to the ring at WWE's next Saudi Arabia event on June 7, 2019.
However, the news has been met with a decidedly mixed response online from wrestling fans who are not exactly enamored with reports that the former WWE Universal Champion will step inside the ring once more at the age of 52.
Whilst WWE have been over-reliant on former stars and legends rounding out their cards in recent years, there is still plenty of value in more in-ring performances from the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion; and his impending return should be celebrated not maligned.
WWE has neglected its star-making duties in the last few years with stop-start booking and many young wrestlers having their careers squandered by the creative team.
Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, Samoa Joe, Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Chad Gable, Matt Hardy - to name just a few, have all had the potential to be upper card or main event acts in Vince McMahon's company; but all are now treading water or actively seeking release from the company. In Ambrose's case, he has already left and through one self-made video has generated more interest in himself under his Jon Moxley persona than WWE had managed over the past four years.
WWE's ratings are sinking; however, they have a few marketable stars to turn things around. Short term fixes are in order and Goldberg fits the bill perfectly.
There is no better way to create new stars than for huge names to put younger talent over. At 52 years of age, and with only a few matches on his resume in the past decade and a half, there is no reason to suggest that the former World Heavyweight Champion will not put over names such as Samoa Joe or Finn Balor to solidify their auras.
Goldberg certainly owed his career to a succession of veteran talent who willingly laid down for him as he mowed over WCW's entire roster between 1997-1998, remaining unbeaten for 15 months before he finally lost his first-ever professional match to Kevin Nash via taser gun at Starrcade 1998.
Make no mistake about it - WWE revisionist history may have stated otherwise in the past, but Goldberg was one of the five biggest names in all of wrestling between 1998 and 2000.
His infrequent appearances in wrestling following his departure from WWE in March 2004 mean that unlike some other legendary performers, Goldberg has not been overexposed.
In fact, he has wrestled a grand total of four times in the past 15 years. If WWE wants to call on former names to boost attendance, buy rates and interest in the product, there is no one better to fullfil that role than Goldberg.
Plus, Goldberg's aura has always been strong due to the fact that he has only lost a handful of matches in his entire wrestling career. A win over Goldberg, even a Goldberg in his early 50s means a lot.
If WWE capitalizes on their this legend's name value and star power, and uses him to enhance their current squad of young, hungry talent, then Goldberg's 2019 return to the ring could be one of the best decisions the company makes this year.
Who's next? It should be Goldberg as he puts over the next big thing.