Not everyone wants to see Bill Goldberg return to the WWE.
It was revealed earlier this year that the former WCW and WWE World Heavyweight Champion will grace the cover of the "WWE 2K17" video game. Following the announcement, speculation grew that Goldberg might be making a return to the ring.
Former "RAW" general manager and WCW executive Eric Bischoff, however, doesn't believe it's a good idea. Bischoff, who was part of the machine behind Goldberg's memorable 173-0 streak during his initial run through WCW, believes it would be a mistake for him to return.
"Nope [he shouldn't return], and I'll tell you why," Bischoff told Jim Ross on 'The Ross Report' podcast via WrestlingInc. "Bill and I were really, really close through a family member and we didn't have the kind of professional barriers that we would normally have. I would say to him, 'Look, Bill. Keep the mystique. Keep the memory alive.' Because people want to see Bill on the cover of that video game, they see Bill Goldberg from the late 90s. They see that monster, that machine, that energy that was so capable and could deliver 110 percent. Bill [has] reached an age now where he'll still put in 110%, but it won't look like the same 110% that we remember."
Goldberg, 49, has made comebacks to the ring before, but he hasn't appeared in the squared circle in the WWE since 2004. Bischoff said he feared the fans could be let down by a potential Goldberg comeback -- especially given all the hype it would receive.
"When you hang on a little too long, you disappoint your fans and deep, deep down inside, you're disappointing yourself and that's the part that hurts you the most," he said. "And I think it's better to embrace the legacy and build on that and enjoy that. Watch the WWE Network. Watch a DVD. Relive that. Don't try to relive it now because you won't even meet your own expectations and you won't meet the expectations of the audience. And that's not what you want. That's not how you want to end your career."
The last time Goldberg was seen in a WWE ring, he faced Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX in March 2004 at Madison Square Garden. The WWE Universe knew both combatants were leaving after the marquee show and turned on them, railing against the match and only cheering for special referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Goldberg has admitted to being open to a return in the past, but his heart isn't totally set on it.
"Hey man, I think it's widely known at this stage that I am willing to put past differences aside and make some money and do the right thing for the fans," Goldberg told 411 Mania last month.. "If it happens, it happens. It's all good. If it doesn't, I truly am not going to miss a beat of my life. I am busy right now with my family, let alone all my other projects. It's an opportunity if it presents itself. Am I holding my breath? If I am, I must be pretty damn good because that means I've been holding it for the last 12 years, which I haven't."
