Goldberg Says It's Hard To Build "Mega Stars" In WWE In 2021
As a special guest on the latest episode of WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, Goldberg talked about his upcoming match against Drew McIntyre at this Sunday's Royal Rumble pay per view. Goldberg discussed his preparation for the match and said plans to see if Drew is worthy of being WWE Champion.
"I've had a big three and a half weeks behind me," Goldberg said. "It's an interesting position I always find myself in but yeah, I'm here, I'm going against Drew McIntyre and if you're going to return why not make it against the best. It's my job to see if he's worthy of carrying that title around."
Goldberg mentioned that the issues he has nowadays before matches is all about preparing his body. He also compared McIntyre to a current NFL star in terms of his size and athletic abilities.
"In all honesty, my biggest issue is getting myself ready for anybody or getting myself ready for my own standards," Goldberg said. "Now taking Drew McIntyre into consideration, obviously he is a different beast. He is a beast, but he's extremely athletic at the same time. It's like going against an extremely athletic [Rob Gronkowski]. The guy can move, he's fast, he's nimble, he's a good looking kid. He's got every box checked off, but I want to see if he's got the intestinal fortitude to take me down."
As previously reported, Goldberg noted during the interview how some of the current wrestlers can be described as "soft" and the talent need to get thicker skin. He believes in the landscape of wrestling today, it's just hard to create mega stars like a Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock. Goldberg also mentioned that his message to Drew during RAW Legends Night wasn't just meant for him, it was meant for everyone in the locker room.
"It's hard in this generation seemingly to build those people," Goldberg said. "There are a couple people who have made it beyond relying on the public to do that and they've forced their way up and earned their shot and Drew McIntyre is one of them. I think mainly when I was talking to Drew in the beginning, I was speaking to the locker room and I was speaking to everybody and he's the leader."
Goldberg continued to talk about the change in the business today. He said the days of stuff staying in the locker room or the car ride to the arena are over and that upsets him.
"It's disheartening because what it does is break up the comradeship of the guys and the girls backstage," Goldberg said. "It really does. There's not much trust left. You can't confide in people without them trying to get likes and putting it on their social media. It's just ridiculous, it really is."
Goldberg addressed criticism he's received over the years about not paying his dues and being afforded opportunities, even at this point in his career. He said the business has changed so much and that nowadays, he believes wrestlers have an entitled mindset when first entering the locker room.
"Everybody's got to pay their dues and pay it in a different way," Goldberg said. "I came from the NFL where guys every 18 seconds, I got two 350 pound guys trying to rip my face off. If you think I hadn't paid dues, you gotta be crazy. It was a little different when I came in because I was a professional athlete but yet I stepped back and I did whatever I could to make sure that I solidified my place correctly as opposed to stepping in and saying here I am.
"There were a lot of badass dudes in that locker room and when I came in the heels and baby faces were never seen in public together. Things have changed exponentially, and I can't say it's for the better."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE After The Bell With Corey Graves with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.