WWE Might Re-Sign Goldberg As Saudi Arabia Strategy

Goldberg is back in WWE and on a collision course with Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The wrestling legend returned this week and while the WWE Universe had mixed feelings, there is a method to the madness. WWE makes big-time money from their shows in Saudi Arabia. Fans there mostly want to see nostalgia acts.

With most of the 1990s superstars who are popular in Saudi Arabia retired or no longer wrestling, it makes sense for WWE to include Goldberg. It has also been reported that WWE has wanted Reigns to defeat Goldberg for quite some time. The idea is to build Reigns as an unstoppable legend.

The upcoming bout between Reigns and Goldberg will be the last on the former WCW champion’s contract. WWE knows that Goldberg is one of the last remaining great nostalgia acts that can get over in Saudi Arabia. Dave Meltzer discussed what that might mean for Goldberg’s future on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I’ve not heard him re-signing. I would expect that they would re-sign him. They’re not going to put the title on him unless he re-signs, I’m sure of that… I could see the argument because of being so high not to re-sign him, but I just sense that they probably will. One, to keep him away from the opposition, and the other, because they can afford to do it… Again, like the Saudis. There’s not too many guys from that era left. In fact, there’s just about nobody. Sting is.

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But, the people there, they want those 90s guys because that’s who they grew up on and that’s who the real wrestlers are to them. You can’t really… I guess they could bring Hogan back. They brought him there one year. But, they want that nostalgia stuff. The old stuff. And Bill looks enough like Bill Goldberg to pull it off and, so, just for that, he’s that attraction if they want.

WWE, I mean, the reality is, WWE is that they have all these guys under contract that are good wrestlers and the only time that they get… They never do programs with them that really get over other than Reigns and Lesnar as the exception. But, for the most part, just go in there and stuff doesn’t really get over [in Saudi Arabia], so you rely on the nostalgia acts. And they’re running low on them. And Bill is one of the last ones. Undertaker’s done. Shawn Michaels isn’t going to wrestle again. Paul Levesque… I can’t imagine Paul Levesque would wrestle again. He may, I mean… I don’t want to say it would surprise me because nothing surprises me. But… I can’t see it. You got Brock and Ronda, but the more they’re around the less special they’ll be. So Goldberg, the one thing with Goldberg is he’s never going to work more than one or two matches a year.”

We’ll have to wait and see if WWE is interested in bringing Bill Goldberg back for a few matches a year. The money generated from the Saudi shows is more than significant. For the shows to remain a draw, WWE might need to keep Goldberg around.

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Transcription by Ringside News