Richards Suggests WWE Undermined Goldberg Due to WCW Ties

Stevie Richards, a former WWE Hardcore Champion, posited that WWE’s leading figures may have deliberately set Bill Goldberg up for failure during his initial stint with the company.

Goldberg rose to prominence in WCW throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, which led to him joining WWE in 2003.

On April 27, 2003, Goldberg triumphed over The Rock at Backlash in his debut match. Two weeks prior, the former football star participated in a backstage segment on RAW where Dustin Rhodes, in his Goldust persona, placed a wig on Goldberg’s head as a comedic act.

The segment was intended to be humorous and add depth to Goldberg’s intimidating image. However, Richards claimed on his YouTube channel that WWE’s higher-ups likely intended for the WCW icon to falter during his first run.

Richards’ Commentary

“Here comes the backstage pre-tape featuring Goldust, which is guaranteed to undermine that super serious Goldberg character instantly. You’re instantly diluted,” Richards commented.

“With no disrespect to Dustin, that style of comedy was inappropriate at that time. Goldust’s act of putting the wig on Bill wasn’t random; Bill would have objected and requested a retake. It was intentional and a form of payback on Goldberg,” he elaborated.

Richards was affiliated with WWE from 1999 to 2008. During this tenure, he suffered his only defeat against Goldberg on July 28, 2003.

Richards is of the opinion that WWE executives sabotaged Goldberg owing to his WCW background.

“That’s precisely what transpired. ‘Here’s a WCW personality. Let’s diminish him, and then years later, we’ll attempt to rebuild him.’ Only after we [WWE] dismantled him, which fans remembered,” Richards stated.