The Real-Life Feud Between Goldberg And William Regal Explained
Since his debut in WCW back in 1997, Bill Goldberg has made some enemies in professional wrestling. Some of those enemies, such as Bret Hart, hold an ill will for the former WWE Universal Champion, though a career-ending injury is as good a reason as any for some long-term animosity.
However, Goldberg tends to hold a grudge, as well. Most specifically, a grudge against wrestling veteran and AEW star William Regal. The cause of this bad blood is the result of a singles match between the two on February 8th, 1998, seven months into Goldberg's monstrous run in the company (per TheSportster). The match, which saw Regal push Goldberg to his longest televised match to date at the time, led to Regal's subsequent firing from the company.
Regal utilized his stiff style against the former defensive tackle, something that his lordship says was planned by the match's agent and not an attempt to make Goldberg look bad. "I did as I was told by the person in charge of that match," Regal explained on an episode of his "Gentleman Villain" podcast. "I was thrown under the bus by the producer in charge of it."
There was a lack of communication in WCW
William Regal, a former WWE Intercontinental Champion, ultimately believes a lack of communication is what soiled both his relationship with Goldberg and his tenure in WCW. "I was so frustrated that night," Regal continued to explain on his podcast, "There was a lack of communication in WCW. Eric [Bischoff] came out screaming. I took it on the chin."
On an episode of "83 Weeks," Bischoff explained his view of the match and where it went wrong. "Bill needed to dominate that match," Bischoff said. "There was no reason at that point in Bill's character trajectory to have him stumble, trip over, or diminish in any way the perception of how powerful of a character Bill Goldberg was." Unfortunately, the match did expose these weaknesses of Goldberg's, and thus the former WCW World Champion has held a grudge against the Blackpool Combat Club leader ever since.
Regal personally feels no ill will against Goldberg, saying that he has wanted to bury the hatchet for years but has never been granted the chance.