Goldberg made the biggest WWE news since the Royal Rumble when he beat The Fiend in Saudi Arabia to win the Universal Championship, making him the champ going into WrestleMania 36. Though it definitely got the company some buzz, a large part of that fan response to both the match and the win was negative, including from at least one celebrity wrestling fan.
Goldberg addressed his current WWE status on the company’s YouTube talk show, The Bump, and explained how he ended up getting back in the WWE ring (transcript from Wrestling Inc.)
I answered a phone call, and I did whatever I had to do to get ready in a short period of time and provide a little bit of Goldberg out there. Fortunately, I was able to do it, and I’m looking forward to the next [match.] If I get a phone call and I believe that I can still do what I did back in the day to at least an acceptable level, then I’m not going to say ‘No.’ If you give me a challenge, I’m going to take it.
The Bump hosts pointed out, as WWE has been doing, that the picture of Goldberg holding the Universal Championship was WWE’s most-liked Instagram post of all time. Goldberg was appreciative of positive response and responded to some of the fan backlash to his win as well, remarking that fans “can do whatever they want.” He added:
I think at the end of the day, people are more concerned with being that guy who started that negative chant. It’s not enough to be part of the show anymore. They want it to be their show, and that ain’t the case.
