Goldberg: Hall Of Fame Bound?

Bill Goldberg. A six foot two, 266-pound freak of nature. He was quick on his feet and tough beyond measure. He had raw power and unnatural strength that defied explanation. From 1997 to 2001, Goldberg captivated fans with his whirlwind rise to the top of WCW. There is no denying the impact Goldberg had on the sport.

Now, six years after his last match, there is talk of Goldberg possibly being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. The question is, does he deserve it?

Anyone who has read a word of what I have written on this business knows that I am a fan of the wrestling, first and foremost. For my money, it doesn’t get any better than Ric Flair versus Ricky Steamboat. My personal standards for what I want to see in the ring are very high, some would say perhaps impossible to match.

I am an old school Jim Crockett Promotions fan. While I appreciate what the business has to offer today, I inevitably find myself using that 1970’s, 1980’s era of the NWA as the model to now compare all others by. Yes, it is perhaps impossible to match. It’s who I am, and that’s the way it is.

So, comparing Goldberg as a wrestler to those old NWA greats? Well, let’s just say he’s no Ric Flair.

He had the basics down. He could mat wrestle with the best of them, and do a fair job at carrying his end. And he was deceptively quick for a man of his size. He could grapple, he had the arm locks and leg locks in his move set, and athletic? The man could do a standing back flip. He was two hundred sixty-six pounds and could do a standing back flip. Impressive.

For wrestling purists, what wasn’t so impressive was the fact that there was an awful lot of punching, kicking, and clothes lining in Goldberg’s repertoire.

On its face, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. Those moves are used by many workers as a filler, or leading up to high spots in a match. After all, nothing says “big time impact” better than a vicious clothesline.

However, to overuse them, placing them at the forefront of a move set, suggests an underlying problem. Perhaps those moves are used to the extreme to cover a basic lack of talent or experience in the ring. This seemed to always be the assumption about Goldberg. After all, a lot of fans felt that he just couldn’t work.

Maybe they’re right. Maybe every fan who’s ever held Goldberg up to Flair, or Shawn Michaels, saw an obvious lack of ability and quickly dismissed him as a no talent bum.

I suppose, being the long time NWA fan that I am, I should agree with that sentiment.

But, I don’t.

For fear of losing any respect I may have earned thus far as a pro wrestling columnist, I have to say that I was a Bill Goldberg fan.

As I try to side step the figurative flying debris at my character as a writer, I can only offer one explanation for this seemingly absurd revelation: I just flat out liked the guy.

The menacing scowl, his razor sharp eyes, and the way he blew smoke and roared like a fire breathing dragon. He seemed to come out of nowhere, taking the wrestling world by storm, and I liked that even more.

He was so focused, he was all about the match at hand. It was months before he even uttered a word in WCW, but he didn’t need to. The destruction he carried out in the ring spoke volumes.

There has never been anyone who possessed the aura that Bill Goldberg did in this business, not before, not since.

His entrance alone created the kind of stir in the crowd usually reserved for Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Road Warriors. The second Goldberg’s music hit, fans knew who it was, and couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do.

He had the “it” factor, the intangible quality that the best in the business possess. This cannot be taught, a gimmick will not provide it, a wrestler either has it or he doesn’t. Goldberg had it. One look in his eyes and fans could see he was open for business.

But, as much as I reflect back on those days, I am faced with the glaring reality that I simply cannot deny. Goldberg’s epic run in WCW leading up to his time on the main event scene was filled with nothing but squash matches.

Squash matches used to be the only types of matches on TV in this business. The formula was always the same--a top guy versus a bump boy, in a match that would last all of six minutes.

While these matches served their purpose in allowing him to show what he could do in the ring and build his following, they did little to silence the critics who felt it was too much too soon.

Goldberg was given the push of a lifetime, and the truth was he had basically just started in the business. However, his push didn’t just come from Eric Bischoff. It came from the fans, who demanded to see more and more of Goldberg, and who blew the roof off every time he hit the ramp.

Goldberg made WCW must-watch television. His run in the WWE? Not so much.

To Vince McMahon’s credit, he did not change Goldberg’s character. The animalistic intensity was still there, and Goldberg continued to do what he always did: run through everyone in his path.

But, his time in the WWE was less than stellar, as he seemed to be placed in one weak program after another. It was hard for him to get over all the time, though he was given ample opportunity with various spots and interviews. But while it was indeed hard for him to get over, it was virtually impossible against his biggest opponent, Triple H.

Triple H is the man in the WWE. That’s it. Doesn’t matter if he’s heel or baby, Hunter IS the WWE, and will always have the respect and admiration from the crowd. Goldberg was a WCW creation who came up north from the company that shut down. It wasn’t his fault, he was just thrust into a very difficult situation.

So, the question remains: is Bill Goldberg worthy of the Hall of Fame?

Personally, I have to say yes. The fact is, we’re talking about a pro wrestling Hall of Fame as viewed through the biased eyes of Vince McMahon. And when Vince looks at Goldberg, no doubt he still sees the immensely popular, hugely marketable superstar who helped make his bank account just a little bit fatter.

Do I believe he will get in? Yes. Do I believe he’s earned it? I can’t say for sure. Perhaps Goldberg’s fate lies in the hands of the same people who were responsible for making him the star he was: The fans.

I have stated my opinion. Now, who’s next?