Former WCW and WWE champion Bill Goldberg spoke recently with TMZ Sports and was asked whether he could have cut it as a professional MMA fighter. Goldberg's professional wrestling persona was based on that of an MMA fighter, right down to the gloves, but the 6' 4" 285-pound former football player did possess legitimate combat sports skills.
"When it comes to MMA, I had one of the largest MMA gyms in the country back in the late 90s," said Goldberg. "To train alongside those guys was a dream of mine. When Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Kevin Randleman, and Don Frye were training at my place and told me how much money they were making, it did not take me a second to figure out what the right choice to make was."
"I love Muay Thai; I love mixed martial arts. It is ingrained in me. I am friends with the pioneers of this business and I have been around. I am greatly appreciative of what Dana White and those guys have done in this business and how far it has come."
"I think my standup skills would have played well. I don't think a lot have people have any idea as to what I have done in the past in Muay Thai. I would be laughed at in the ground game. And the problem is I end up hurting myself more so than getting hurt by the other person. I will break a hand on someone's face. At the end of the day I am my own worst enemy."
What do you think UG? At 54 it's obviously never going to happen, but how do you think would Goldberg have done in mixed martial arts in his prime?
I'm guessing he rolled with some of the guys he mentioned and figured it out. I'll give him credit for training.
I'm assuming this is the case. By the time Goldberg had reached WCW, he was retired out of the NFL due to injury, 30+ years old, and while a good athlete, had no actual combat sports experience. Those had to be some long fucking days, even if training lightly, with a guy like Coleman, who was an animal.
That, and the fact that he was making more money wrestling in wcw than all the other mma fighters on the mat combined.
As a pro wrestler, Goldberg had a great fucking gig- he'd show up, hit his two or three big moves, pin the guy, and go back home. It's not like he had to take bumps or carry matches or even do much. That guy had it fucking made back then, and MMA was literally the last thing he should have tried to participate in.
I remember those days. Catalfo went by the nickname Obake or something like that. He drove around in a Hummer with his logos and whatnot all over it. Back before every BJJ school owner started doing that. Goldberg was the co-owner of his gym. I remember some of his guys going to local grappling tournaments at the time. All of their attempted finishes were pain holds that people could squirm out of. Pinches, twists, canopeners, etc. but basically all of them you could re-position out of. They'd try all of that stuff from within guard for some reason. Never saw Goldberg with the team, but they were wearing stuff with his name on it.
Chris Jericho shut down Bill's MMA career in a backstage scuffle with a half hearted and desultory guillotine. Not sure what Goldberg is on to have these fantasies, but it must be good.
