3 WWE Superstars who criticized Goldberg's return and 2 who support him

Goldberg, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk
Goldberg, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg returned on the Legends Night edition of the Red brand, and immediately challenged WWE Champion Drew McIntyre to a title match at the 2021 Royal Rumble event. Goldberg's return took Wrestling Twitter by storm, and a large number of fans took shots at the in-ring veteran for hogging the spotlight again on WWE TV.

Goldberg will be taking on Drew McIntyre for the WWE title at the Royal Rumble event. If he wins the match, he will be winning his very first WWE title. Although there are fans who support Goldberg, many among the WWE Universe aren't happy with him getting main event opportunities at his age. A string of former and current WWE Superstars opened up on Goldberg's big return as well, and we'll highlight those reactions in the following slideshow.


#5 T-BAR wants to destroy Goldberg

T-BAR
T-BAR

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RETRIBUTION member T-BAR was among the wrestlers who didn't seem impressed with Goldberg returning to WWE TV on RAW Legends Night. Soon after Goldberg challenged Drew McIntyre on WWE RAW, T-BAR put up a tweet, in which he had a plea for the WWE Universe. T-BAR asked the fans to retweet his tweet if they want to see RETRIBUTION destroy Goldberg.

RETRIBUTION vs. Goldberg would certainly have been a must-watch presentation

T-BAR has been pretty vocal on Twitter ever since RETRIBUTION was formed on WWE TV. He has criticized a long string of past and present wrestlers, and hasn't even spared stars from other companies. He clearly isn't happy with Goldberg returning and taking a spot on WWE TV. Unfortunately, chances of a RETRIBUTION vs. Goldberg feud are minute, as the WWE legend has limited matches in his contract, and the promotion would probably utilize the same for singles rivalries.

T-BAR is an impressive athlete himself, and a match pitting him and Goldberg would have been an interesting affair, with both Superstars in their prime. Unfortunately, Goldberg's age has caught up with him and he hasn't wrestled a full-fledged match in a long time.

#4 Finn Balor defends Goldberg's WWE return

Finn Balor
Finn Balor

While several wrestlers were taking jibes at Goldberg's WWE return on RAW Legends Night, current NXT Champion Finn Balor didn't seem to have a problem with the same. Balor had nothing but praise for WWE's legends, and said that he welcomes them with open arms.

"Those guys have carved out their legacy and proven over the years that they belong on the show. Whether it's for one night or it's every night, that doesn't affect me and it shouldn't affect anyone else."
"For me, when the tide comes in, all the ships rise. If we can have Goldberg on the show, if we can have anyone on the show for one night, I feel it's better one night than never. I welcome these legends with open arms!"

Goldberg would certainly appreciate Balor's comments

Goldberg's return has been marred with criticism from fans and current wrestlers alike. He must have been delighted to learn what Balor thinks of him and other legends of the past.

Goldberg was a megastar in WCW during the Monday Night Wars, and has somehow managed to stay relevant all these years later. Even though a lot of fans hate him, one can't say that he doesn't have a unique aura around him that keeps viewers glued to their TV screens.

#3 King Corbin has an issue with Goldberg getting another title shot

King Corbin
King Corbin

Goldberg's return was followed by WWE hyping up his past World title reigns, on its Instagram handle. The caption to the post stated that Goldberg is eyeing the fifth World title of his pro wrestling career. The post garnered a response from SmackDown Superstar King Corbin. He shared a sarcastic comment in reply to WWE's post, and it is clear as day that Corbin isn't happy with Goldberg being in the main event in 2021.

Goldberg has yet to win a WWE title in his career

Goldberg won the WCW World title on one occasion during his peak in the company, back in the late 90s. He went on to enjoy another World title reign during his first WWE run in 2003-04. Goldberg defeated Triple H to win the belt at Unforgiven 2003, and lost it to The Game in a Triple Threat match at WWE Armageddon.

Goldberg has also won the Universal title on two occasions, with wins over Kevin Owens and The Fiend. Both matches were squashes that ended pretty quickly.

#2 CM Punk thinks Goldberg is the smartest man in the room

CM Punk
CM Punk

Former WWE Champion CM Punk had tweeted out Goldberg's name when asked about his favorite wrestler in 2020. Punk occasionally answers fan questions on his official Twitter handle. When one fan recently asked him about his favorite wrestler in 2020, Punk took Goldberg's name. The comments were made soon after Goldberg's return on RAW Legends Night. What's worth noting here is that Punk called Goldberg 'smartest man in the room'.

Goldberg's WWE contract is certainly a perk-filled one

Punk's comments about Goldberg referred to the fact that the former two-time Universal Champion is a smart guy who has managed to stay relevant two decades after his heyday, and is still earning a huge paycheck in the biggest pro wrestling company in the world, while doing the least amount of work.

Goldberg revealed last year that he has a mere two matches per year in his WWE contract. What more can one ask when they're earning millions while wrestling just two matches in a year? Goldberg's impressive physique, his overall aura, and his star power all contributed to him bagging a lucrative contract with WWE, and it's safe to say that he will be called back as long as casual viewers keep tuning in to see him in action.

#1 Mustafa Ali thinks Goldberg is a has-been

Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali

Soon after Goldberg made his WWE return on RAW Legends Night, Mustafa Ali appeared on RAW Talk and took major shots at 'old has-beens' who took up valuable screen time on the Red brand. Although Ali didn't directly address Goldberg, it was clear that he was addressing every WWE veteran who came back on that night to take away TV time from the current crop of Superstars.

"I am agitated. I'm angry, but most of all, I'm confused. We dedicated a three-hour show to old has-beens. You want to call them 'Legends', call them whatever - they've had their time. A night like tonight is exactly what is wrong with this company. Three hours? To guys that can barely walk?"

Goldberg is still in amazing shape at his age

At 54-years-old, Goldberg possesses one of the most impressive physiques in all of WWE. He has managed to stay fit at his age, which is a major reason why WWE doesn't seem to have a problem calling him back every time they need a ratings boost. Goldberg doesn't exactly fit Ali's description of legends 'who can barely walk', but the fact can't be discounted that he simply can't have a good 15-minute match at his age.

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Edited by Kaushik Das
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