Goldberg Talks Backlash Over His WWE Universal Championship Win
After winning the WWE Universal Championship by defeating "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt at WWE Super ShowDown last week, many WWE Universal fans took to social media to comment on how upset they were about this new title change. Goldberg made an appearance on WWE's The Bump today to confront the negative criticism he has received as of late, and how he plans to move forward.
"I'd love to see them do it, at any age, let alone at 53," Goldberg stated. "I answered a phone call, and I did whatever I had to do to get ready in a short period of time, and provide a little bit of Goldberg out there. Fortunately, I was able to do it, and I'm looking forward to the next one [his title defense against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36]. If I get a phone call and I believe that I can still do what I did back in the day to at least an acceptable level, then I'm not going to say 'No.' If you give me a challenge, I'm going to take it. "
When Goldberg won the Universal Championship, panelist Ryan Pappolla said the photo of him holding the championship was the most liked post on WWE's Instagram of all time. He asked Goldberg how it feels to be liked by the younger generation, more specifically, the tech/social media savvy fanbase.
"It's an honor and a privilege," Goldberg exclaimed. "To be able to continue to do it, that's what pushes me. That's what gets me to train 3 times a damn day and eat 10-15,000 calories and go to PT in between. I have a job, I have a mission, and I have a reputation that I have to hold accountable.
"It's truly a different community out there. The wrestling business has changed exponentially, with the Internet, and mostly with the fans, who pay their hard-earned money and go out there and talk negatively about us. I suppose they can do whatever they want. I think at the end of the day, people are more concerned with being that guy who started that negative chant. It's not enough to be part of the show anymore. They want it to be their show, and that ain't the case."
On last week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Roman Reigns answered Goldberg's challenge to face him for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36. Goldberg noted that he loves Reigns, but he plans on "ripping his face off" when they face-off in Tampa.
"I came here for a reason, and that's the reason why I came. He's been in my sights since I heard that he played for Georgia Tech and that he does the spear," Goldberg mentioned. "I love Roman to death. I greatly appreciate what he has done as an entertainer and outside of the ring. I'm one of his number one fans. There's no animosity there, I just have a job to do. Babyface, heel, I don't give a damn what it is. I'm going to go out there and rip his face off like I do with everyone else."
Goldberg concluded by discussing the differences between his spear and Reigns'.
"I don't spear to make contact. I spear to drive through people," Goldberg informed. "Reigns is a little bit more theatrical, and mine is about delivering pain."
You can view Goldberg's full interview here. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE's The Bump with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.