Goldberg has acknowledged Roman Reigns, and the two powerhouses will collide at WWE Elimination Chamber.
The WWE Hall of Famer returned last week on SmackDown and confronted the reigning Universal Champion to set up their looming clash.
On the newest episode of WWE’s The Bump, Goldberg shared his thoughts on the match, which is over two years in the making. Reigns pulled out of the contest when it was initially scheduled for WrestleMania 36. “Da Man” made it clear that he respects “The Tribal Chief” for his successful transition from the football world to the realm of sports entertainment. He then focused on his physical preparation for this title bout by stating that he’s already in “Godzilla” mode, which is why he’s confident that, try as he might, Reigns won’t take the torch from him when they clash.
“As much disdain I have for Roman and his position right now, I do ultimately respect him because he followed in the footsteps of guys like myself and Ron [Simmons],” said Goldberg. “Now granted he probably will be much more successful than myself. But at the end of the day, it’s not only the physical attributes, but it’s the mental aspect of the game. I’m about 10 days away from game day and right now, I’ve already made that transition into Godzilla. It’s tough to be around me at this point, in a lot of respects.
“But I know where I have to be, and I have to be in the zone. I have to bring 1000% of what Goldberg used to be and what he currently is, to be able to compete against a guy like Roman right now, but I can do it. I have the faith in myself and truthfully, I’m doing it for guys like Ron, I’m doing it for all the guys who stepped before me because I’ve got the torch right now, and one of these days I get to hand it off. But right now Roman actually wants to steal it from me, and I’m not gonna let him do it.”
Goldberg then pointed out that he has enjoyed plenty of success against Reigns’ “bloodline”, as he memorably defeated The Rock in 2003. The WWE Hall of Famer has also picked up wins against 3 Minute Warning (Rosey and Jamal). The former champion credited Reigns’ growth over the past two years by saying that he’s “more dangerous”. Goldberg admitted that he might not have progressed in the same way, but he fully believes he’s still capable of beating “The Head of the Table.”
“First and foremost, I’m batting 1000 against his family,” said Goldberg. “I’ve never lost to anybody he’s related to. So that’s something I want to carry on and true, he’s quite a different character athlete than two years ago. He’s progressed, he’s evolved, and he’s much more dangerous than he was back then. And I probably have gone the other way.
“But I’ve always said that 70% of Goldberg is 100% better than 99% of the people out there. So I still believe that I can rip his face off, and as long as I think that, as long as I’m prepared as much as I can be physically for it, it’s still attainable.”
"I've got the torch right now and one of these days, I get to hand it off. But right now, @WWERomanReigns wants to steal it from me. And I'm not gonna let him do it."@Goldberg has been waiting 2 years for this showdown at #WWEChamber!@HeymanHustle@WWETheBump pic.twitter.com/TMpehhe5r8
— WWE (@WWE) February 9, 2022
Goldberg and Reigns will wage war for the WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber. If Reigns emerges victorious, he’ll go on to defend the title against Brock Lesnar at WWE WrestleMania 38.
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