Bill Goldberg on talent today vs. Monday Night War era
During an appearance on the Chicago Sports podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg commented on the current generation of wrestlers compared to the Monday Night War…
“The internal storylines, I don’t think, are better. The characters, I surely know aren’t better. The guys that are doing their thing right now and leading the charge, they’re doing a damn good job, they’re just not deep. That’s all. They just aren’t deep.
It’s hard to have a couple different people carrying the flag and be able to hand it off to a proper person and keep…I’m trying to keep this as vanilla as possible. It’s tough to have the depth. I think they’re lacking in that area. That’s all. Period, end of story. I don’t like getting into it, I don’t like people talking sh-t.” (quote courtesy of Jeremy Lambert)
Goldberg is the product of the boardroom. He was drawn up on the board in crayon and pitched to the executives. Stone Cold’s look, but if Stone Cold had simply been someone who couldn’t feel pain. In any other era, he’d have been a mid-card wrestler based on his lackluster promo skills and his terrible work in the ring.
What did he say was wrong? Talk about horrible worker. How does Kevin Owen’s and Samy get away with that lame head grabbing punch either with horrible transitions that has caught on. When Seth Rollins or others do it, I cringe. Where is Omos? There is a ton of talent but selling and having basic moves end matches has disappeared.
The small guys need their division back as pace is a huge part of Wrestling and in the WWE they’ve lost that concept. AEW is over the top in that concept. How the Rock sold Stone Cold’s punches laid to many wrestlers selling hard thrown punches the right way. Who even punches hard today? Undertaker with his bag had a helluva way to throw a punch and Triple H sold that like gold. Natalie didn’t even want to sell a Liv Morgan finisher because she knows what works. Why else has she been around so long? Selling the chop, I mean those chops to the chest. Brock made the German Suplex the most over basic move and guys still don’t get why he’s so over. He made being dropped on your head repeatedly something that should hurt. He and Cody had an amazing match even with the bleeding lasting 4 mins. Where’s the chokeslam from 7 ft men? That move in itself was devastating. Braun Stroman anyone? Why couldn’t he pick the chokeslam? He picked a powerslam. How many strong wrestlers, use the military press? A sleeper hold is just a transition to plan for something else with whispers instead of a momentum builder. What about the Boston crap or Texas cloverleaf? Fujiwan armbars? Roman Reigns should break the record because he is believable and unbelievable. Where are the gimmicks that are fun? It’s so PG you can’t have a Ho train anymore. Road Dogg Jessie James was a bad ass on the mic. The whole DX had players that could work the crowd. The closet thing is the Judgement Day. What about last amn standing matches that don’t end with the announce table on a wrestler. The lionsualt, a mid rope moonsualt. Come on that’s legendary. We don’t even have a bulldog being done for finishers anymore. Jim Ross mentioned how the DDT is the most poorly used move for a reason. Superkicks aren’t even super. They just sound good.
L.A. Knight is a stiff guy that doesn’t want to sell because he’s the fastest rising star. Faster than Randy Orton who made people hate him for beating up old wrestlers. In a world of equals men can’t powerbomb women. Rhea Ripley should be powerbombed by Gunther for the biggest heat of this century. All Wrestling on everyone’s show is being rerun. At one point a suplex would end matches at the start of Wrestling. Bill told a truth that hurt a disgruntled jobber.