Report: WWE’s Early WrestleMania 37 Plans for Goldberg

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since losing to Drew McIntyre in a WWE Championship match back at the Royal Rumble. The WCW won’t be at WrestleMania 37 this weekend either, but a new report from Fightful Select states that wasn’t always the case. Sean Ross Sapp wrote this week that one of the initial plans for Mania was to have the Goldberg/McIntyre program there. Those plans fell apart by February.

McIntyre instead defended his WWE Championship against five other men in an Elimination Chamber match and succeeded, only to get attacked by Bobby Lashley as the Chamber started to rise. This gave The Miz the perfect opening to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and become a two-time WWE Champion. Miz then dropped the title to Lashley eight days later, setting up a grudge match with McIntyre.

Even back at the Rumble, Goldberg’s sudden involvement in a world championship match was met with a mixed reaction from fans online. Goldberg addressed the criticism of his booking, especially his 2020 Universal Championship squash victory over The Fiend, in an interview with FOX Sports.

I”‘m asked to go out and perform, and I don’t pass judgment on it,” Goldberg said. “I don’t worry about a finish. I don’t worry about who’s winning. I don’t worry about who’s losing. At the end of the day, I’m there to provide a service, and I do it with a smile on my face either way. And I’m not a booker. I don’t make the decisions. I really don’t. I just come in and provide “that guy,” and the only thing I can do in a situation like that is be the best package that they remember.”

Do you think Goldberg should’ve been booked for WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments below.

Here’s the full card for WrestleMania 37, as of now:

Night One

• WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre
• SmackDown Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair
• Raw Tag Team Championships: The New Day vs. AJ Styles & Omos
• Bad Bunny and Damian Priest vs. The Miz and John Morrison
• Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon (Steel Cage)
• Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins
• Lana & Naomi vs. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs. Riott Squad vs. Natalya & Tamina vs. Billie Kay & Carmella (Tag Team Turmoil Match)

Night Two

• WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan
• Intercontinental Championship: Big E vs. Apollo Crews (Nigerian Drum Fight)
• United States Championship: Riddle vs. Sheamus
• Raw Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs. Tag Team Turmoil Winner
• Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
• The Fiend vs. Randy Orton