Month: March 2023

Even if it isn’t in WWE, the 56-year-old would like to put a bow on his career with a retirement match.

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath-the-surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

“You never say never”

Bill Goldberg is not finished yet.

The former WCW icon has wrestled only four times in the past two years for WWE. Now 56, and not as chiseled or powerful as he was a quarter century ago, Goldberg has proven over the past couple of years that he still knows how to work his magic in the ring.

Goldberg last wrestled a year ago against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber, which was held in Saudi Arabia. When asked whether he would consider one more match, Goldberg revealed that it is a real possibility.

“You never say never, especially in wrestling, and they owe me one,” says Goldberg. “That’s all I can say. I made a deal with the devil and I did my job, and they owe me a retirement match. At the end of the day, at 56, it’s not something where I’m sitting by the phone waiting for a call. I’ve got a few ideas of how to do it on my own, possibly in Israel. So never say never.”

Even when away from wrestling, Goldberg continues to hold a presence on-screen. He will return to ABC this week for an appearance on the long-running sitcom The Goldbergs, which airs Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

“It’s funny when I’m on set, and all the chairs say ‘Goldberg,’ but I’m the only Goldberg on the set,” says Goldberg. “It’s also an honor and a privilege every time they bring me back. I’m ecstatic to have a surrounding cast—literally, every single one of them—that makes it so easy to be part of this comedy. They set the table for me.”

Goldberg will reprise his role as coach Nick Mellor. In this episode, he co-chaperones the school dance with Beverly Goldberg, and he promises to deliver a scene that will grab people’s attention.

“I have a line that I will never, ever be able to shake,” says Goldberg. “I’m almost too embarrassed to watch. But it’s The Goldbergs. It’s a line to remember.”

Speaking on the phone while watching his son’s baseball game, Goldberg reflected on his past six years in WWE. That stretch rewrote his legacy, adding another chapter to some brilliant memories of his unforgettable run in WCW. During that time in WWE, he wrestled Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, The Undertaker (a rare blemish during this time period), Dolph Ziggler, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns. There is a consistency to that list: Goldberg predominantly worked with heavyweights, with the lone exception being Ziggler, who made him shine during their brief bout at SummerSlam in 2019. If Goldberg does return for one more match, an opponent as versatile as Ziggler could create a more compelling bout.

That run also redeemed Goldberg with a large portion of wrestling fans. Instead of focusing on negative moments, like the unfortunate injury caused to Bret Hart in WCW, frustrating story lines or his time in WWE in 2003–04 that simply did not resonate with the fan base, there is now a whole new slate of moments and memories to cherish, especially for those who watched Goldberg at his height in the late 1990s.

“The tenacity of wrestling fans is unparalleled,” says Goldberg. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I owe them everything, but I sure as hell am close. It’s an honor to be remembered and supported by such a group of people. There is such a fever pitch in the passion of the fans. To be part of that, I’m blessed.”

Goldberg’s last match took place against Roman Reigns almost exactly a year ago. Since then, he has watched in awe as Reigns has elevated his character and quality of performance to a rarely attained level, cementing his belief that Reigns is the absolute best in the business.

“If you know Roman, what he’s doing doesn’t surprise you,” says Goldberg. “He and I come from similar football backgrounds, and he, quite obviously, grew up in the business. As difficult as it was for him in the beginning, when he was kind of shoved down people’s throats, he has turned it 180 degrees in his favor.

“I’m really proud of him. I’ve dealt with some of that negativity, and it’s tough. You go out there, you work your ass off, and at the end of the day, you want to be appreciated. He’s quite dedicated. I respect that, I respect him, and I’d love to get in the ring and give him an ass-kicking, but this is his time.”

An unsung hero amid Goldberg’s WWE run was Paul Heyman. Goldberg and Heyman operated in what equated to two different galaxies in the 1990s, with Goldberg starring in WCW and Heyman forever disrupting the wrestling world in ECW. They overlapped briefly during Goldberg’s 2003–04 WWE run, but Heyman and Goldberg benefited from the advantages of advanced wisdom in their second opportunity together. Heyman is largely responsible for putting together all of the Goldberg-Lesnar story line, which was extremely exciting in ’16 and ’17.

“Paul’s amazing,” says Goldberg. “It’s hard to believe that one person could have such a tremendous effect on the business, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, but that’s Paul Heyman. He’s a gem; he really is. He knows the craft up and down, inside and out. I’m greatly appreciative to have been part of his plan.”

Wrestling has not heard the last of Goldberg. Until then, he is excited to showcase his comedic side on The Goldbergs.

“People are going to love this,” says Goldberg. “Everything about The Goldbergs is incredible. It’s such a joy to be back.”

The (online) week in wrestling

• Week after week, The Bloodline/Sami Zayn story continues to remain extremely interesting. But how did the production team miss Zayn’s Helluva Kick?

• Will there ever be a WWE title run for Sami Zayn? His post-WrestleMania stretch will be very interesting.

• There are new women’s tag team champions in WWE, and on top of that, Trish Stratus is back—adding even more excitement to what appears to be a very exciting multiperson match at WrestleMania.

• During Raw, Brock Lesnar accepted Omos’s challenge for WrestleMania. I expected we’d see a resolution to Lesnar’s feud with Bobby Lashley, but Lashley appears to be wrestling Bray Wyatt at the show instead.

• Mercedes Moné and Kairi’s match is going to blow people away.

• I am excited to watch the relaunch of Ring of Honor, which starts tomorrow. Who is the best person to dethrone Claudio Castagnoli as champ?

• This will forever be on AEW’s highlight reel.

• Best wishes to Stevie Richards, who had many memorable moments in WWE—and was a cutting-edge star once upon a time in ECW.

AEW missing a critical component without Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes fit perfectly into AEW.

That is not to imply that Rhodes is doing anything but thriving in WWE, but rather highlight how greatly he is missed in AEW. This past fall, while Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks served their suspension, a similar phenomenon occurred: AEW felt hollow without its three executive vice presidents. That absence has been even more prolonged for Rhodes, who last wrestled for AEW in January 2022 before returning to WWE.

Even when the crowd was alternating between booing and cheering him (sometimes even in the same promo), Rhodes simply fit into the ethos of the brand. An AEW founding father, Rhodes always played a key role in the direction of the company. He helped establish the TNT title, and his title feud against Chris Jericho is one of the single best championship match builds in company history. Rhodes jumping off the top of a steel cage remains one of the signature moments of Dynamite.

AEW’s loss has been WWE’s gain. Rhodes wrestled a highly entertaining match on Raw this week against Chad Gable, building even more momentum to his WrestleMania 39 showdown with Roman Reigns. His Cody Cutter and Cross Rhodes on Gable were a sight to behold (a subtle reminder of Gable’s talent, too), and there was even a fun interaction outside the ring between Rhodes and Otis.

Rhodes will be on SmackDown this Friday, as will Reigns. That has the potential to be extremely exciting. And, as evidenced on Raw, Rhodes had the crowd fully behind him, which was a legitimate question mark amid this surge of popularity for Sami Zayn. Rhodes is right where he needs to be approaching WrestleMania.

Obviously, AEW is more than any one person. Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view will have no shortage of stars. But it is worth asking: Even though Bryan Danielson is the bigger star, would the card fit better with Rhodes challenging MJF for the AEW title? It is undeniable that Rhodes fit just right in AEW. He has been missed since leaving, and WWE is reaping the benefits.

Tweet of the Week

It could disrupt the locker room, but CM Punk back in AEW would be must-see television.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

If you’re in the market for a QB — especially a rookie QB — it behooves you, NFL franchise, to pair him with a receiver he knows. Here’s why.

Russell Westbrook had 14 points and four turnovers in the LA Clippers 108-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night. Since signing Westbrook, the Clippers are 0-3. Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe breakdown what’s wrong with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers.

With no LeBron James the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t keep up with the Memphis Grizzlies last night losing 121-109. Ja Morant had 39 points for the Grizz, 28 of which were scored in the third quarter. Anthony Davis had a Lakers team-high of 28 while LeBron appeared on the bench in the first quarter in a walking boot. Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe react to Lakers loss.

Kevin Durant is set to make his Phoenix Suns debut tonight against the Charlotte Hornets after arriving in town during Super Bowl week. His former teammates Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook are struggling to mesh in their new homes (Dallas Mavericks 1-4, LA Clippers 0-3). Colin Cowherd explains why KD will fit well with the Suns.

MLB is doing something rare in sports: taking care of the fans.

1. I actually can’t put into words how much I love MLB’s new pitch clock, but I will try.

The pitch clock is a game-changer, literally and figuratively, and will make the sport infinitely more watchable. There is no downside at all to the pitch clock. None. No excitement will be lost. No strategy will be lost.

While baseball does need to lure in a younger audience, the pitch clock benefits fans of every age. Nobody needs to wait forever for a pitch to be thrown. The antics of pitchers, circling around the mound and going for leisurely strolls, and batters, stepping out of the box to fiddle with all their equipment and clothing, was beyond out of control.

Nobody can defend it. Something had to be done. My only issue is that MLB should’ve addressed this problem a long time ago, but better late than never, I guess.

If you’re a baseball fan on Twitter, you most likely saw this video making the rounds a few days ago. This is all the proof you need that the pitch clock is necessary.

So far, in spring training, the pitch clock is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing.

The first 40 spring training games in 2022 ranged from 2:13 to 3:41. Games so far in 2023 have ranged from 2:07 to 3:06. That drop on the high end from 3:41 to 3:06 is significant and will only help the game if it continues in the regular season.

I’ve seen some players say they like the pitch clock, and other players say they do not. The last people I want to hear from when it comes to the pitch clock are the players. They are the ones who caused this mess. They are the ones who hurt the game by dragging out every at bat with their nonsense.

Sports rarely take care of the fans. Leagues really couldn’t care less about us. They just want our money. This is the rare case where a move was made to benefit the fans, and we should all be thankful.

2. You’ll recall that the last time the Grizzlies and Lakers met, there was an incident involving Memphis players and legendary tight end Shannon Sharpe. 

So after the Grizzlies beat the Lakers, 121–109, last night, Memphis’s social media team celebrated thusly:

3. Before the game, Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks showed up to the arena dressed as Stone Cold. The shorts needed to be a little shorter, though.

4.  According to TMZ, Tom Brady is in talks with Netflix about being the subject of a roast. The working title is reportedly “The Greatest Roast of All Time.” I have one suggestion for the producers: Please limit the Deflategate jokes. The subject is so played out.

5. Aaron Rodgers did another interview in which he said he doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of him and his decisions while ripping people who criticize him and his decisions.

6. This week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina features an interview with CBS Sports and Turner Sports play-by-play man Ian Eagle.

Eagle talks about succeeding Jim Nantz next year to call the NCAA tournament Final Four and why working with Bill Raftery is so special. Eagle also shares his thoughts on the Greg Olsen–Tom Brady situation and what it means for fellow play-by-player Kevin Burkhardt. Eagle, who calls Nets games locally, also discusses the team’s implosion this season and why it was difficult for him to call Kyrie Irving’s games after Irving promoted an antisemitic film.

Other topics discussed with Eagle include his favorite sports call of all time, where he was when the NBA shut down because of COVID-19, the pronunciation of his name, Aaron Rodgers’s darkness retreat and much more.

Following Eagle, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV joins Jimmy for their weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, Jimmy and Sal discuss Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance, the NBA’s All-Star weekend, Major League Baseball’s new rules changes, the passing of Tim McCarver and more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch the SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: On this date in 2004, The Rock had one of his most awesome surprise returns to the WWE.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

We outline which players are set to steal the spotlight, which teams you should buy stock in to make a deep run, which bubble teams you should watch, and more!

The NFL Combine kicked off and one team has a decision to make regarding their future at QB. Aaron Rodgers went on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast and discussed about his NFL future, saying quote: ‘I’ll make a decision soon enough and we’ll go down that road.’ Colin Cowherd reacts to Rodgers’ comments, then explains why Green Bay must live with their decision to extend the QB.

He is reportedly expected to decline his player option for the 2023–24 season.

In January 2021, the Rockets finally dealt James Harden away after he had requested a trade. Unknown to the public, team owner Tilman Fertitta told the star shooting guard that he was always welcome back to the team in the future and Harden’s openness to a reunion was mutual. 

With a possible free agency looming, Harden is just as serious as before when entertaining a return to the Rockets, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Kelly Iko. Harden is expected to decline his player option for the 2023–24 season and if that were to happen, Houston would pursue him. ESPN was the first to report that Harden was seriously considering a return to the Rockets in December. 

It’s been a rocky road for both Harden and the Rockets since the two split up. His teaming up alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Nets didn’t work out and it resulted in his requesting another trade, this time landing with the 76ers. Meanwhile, the Rockets are in the midst of one of the worst stretches in franchise history. 

The former Western Conference powerhouse had the worst record in both the 2020–21 and the 2021–22 seasons and is on pace to do it a third time. Houston is currently an NBA-worst 13–48 and would need a lot more than Harden to return to prominence. 

But it appears the former MVP is open to the idea of joining the young squad.