Bill Goldberg seems to be blasting father time with one of his ferocious spears the same way he’s been blasting opponents across four decades.
The former defensive tackle’s NFL career, which began in 1992, was cut short following a serious tear to his abdomen, but standing 6’4″ and weighing over 300 pounds, a transition to pro wrestling seemed like a no-brainer. Goldberg quickly ran through the competition, shooting to fame with a mythical undefeated streak in WCW during the height of the Monday Night Wars against WWE.
The rise of Goldberg’s grappling career was so stratospheric that in July of 1998, less than a year after making his pro debut, the man from Tulsa, OK, pinned Hulk Hogan to win the WCW World Championship — at the Georgia Dome, his old stomping ground with the Atlanta Falcons no less. A run with WWE followed and served up big matches against the likes of The Rock, and Triple H, but he stepped away from the ring following a victory against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 20.
Twelve years later, when a return and rematch for Lesnar’s WWE Universal Championship was scheduled, most observers felt this would be a one-off deal to promote Goldberg’s appearance in a WWE video game. After all, with movie roles on the table and successful TV shows like Bullrun to his name, few thought that Goldberg would make an impact during his return.
The critics were wrong, and at 50 years of age and still looking chiseled, Goldberg took out the former UFC champ in 1 minute and 26 seconds. And, while he did eventually lose the title to Lesnar at WrestleMania 33, this is far from the end of the story because the master of the Jackhammer won the Universal Championship for a second time, this time at 53 years of age, by defeating The Fiend in Saudi Arabia. Incredibly, Goldberg will now take on Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship, this Saturday at SummerSlam (streaming live at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock, and live internationally on WWE Network).
Now at age 54, the big man explains to Muscle & Fitness how he is able to defy the stereotypical preconceptions around getting older. And as our call connects, we find him laid out on the massage bed making the most of every available second in preparation for Lashley.
“I’m honored and privileged to be in this situation,” says Goldberg. “I think a lot of it has to do with the investment I had with the character back in the day and the investment that the fans had with the character. I’ve hopefully left a taste in their mouth where they wanted more. Hopefully, I’ve been able to come back throughout the years and provide them with a glimpse of what Goldberg used to bring to the table, and I’m pretty much going out on a limb in saying that on Saturday the 21st, at SummerSlam, they are going to see a little bit more of Goldberg than they’ve seen in a long, damn time.”
Having main-evented all around the world, Goldberg has been there and bought the T-shirt when it comes to big-time matches, but does lacing up the boots these days require him to prepare as much mentally as physically? “Oh my God, yes,” says Goldberg. “There’s no question. I don’t [recall] the last time I’ve looked in the mirror. It’s tough being an ‘elder statesman.’ Because muscle doesn’t grow like it used to, injuries are magnified more so than they ever have been, but mentally, I’m still Goldberg, and I always will be, and if I can call upon my physical attributes to be similar to what they were in the past, and I can prepare myself mentally along with physically, then I think I can still not only pose a threat, but I can still entertain, and there ain’t many big bad son b**ches out there that can pose a threat to Bobby Lashley, but I can guarantee you that I’m one of ‘em.”
These days, building Goldberg for these big pay-per-view clashes requires careful consideration to factors that didn’t seem a priority in his 20s, such as joint health. As someone who was known for his prowess in the gym and for reportedly bench-pressing 565 pounds, has he learned to adapt his current workouts to focus more on longevity? “You couldn’t have understood that question any more than you did,” says Goldberg. “No, I don’t lift like I used to, by any stretch of the imagination. My joints, and my muscles, and my skeletal structure can’t take what I used to do, because I was a freak in the weight room. So, mentally, that’s tough, not to be able to go in the weight room and do what I used to do. Physically, it’s tough on top of mentally, because you always strive to be the best, and you want to put forward the best product humanly possible for these people that have paid their hard-earned money to watch you do your thing. I still believe that I’m that guy. I’ll push it as long as I can.”
Recovery is a key aspect of longevity, and Goldberg takes this issue very seriously. “I’m on the table right now getting stretched and cranked around, and I do this every single day,” he says. “Ice baths have been one of my best friends since I was playing in the National Football League. Yeah, I do the IV drips for vitamins and minerals… I’ve got one of those later this afternoon, so I do as much as humanly possible to take care of my body, to fix whatever I’ve done to my body and also in preparation for [SummerSlam]. I’m a firm believer that rest and rehab is just as important as training.”
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Courtesy of WWE
Mastering the Process
Goldberg is a big fan of Muay Thai and finds this style of training to be advantageous for his conditioning and stamina. In prepping for a match with a beast like Lashley, Goldberg is also packing on muscle in order to go toe-to-toe with the WWE champion. “I’m probably pushing 10,000 to 12,000 calories a day,” he says. “Last night, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, actually I had two of them. This was a big no-no for me for the past month, because I’ve eaten extremely clean. I just threw down around three cups of rice, and four fillets [of steak], prior to lying down on this bench because there’s not enough time in the day to really get the calories that you need, so I wake up in the middle of the night and eat. I train at night, and right after I get done training, I eat. Last night, I had 12 egg whites and three cups of rice with some vegetables, so yeah, it’s a process, and it’s a process that I have done my entire life. And it’s a process that I enjoy. It’s my job, it’s what I do, and it’s who I am.”
When it comes to hydration, Goldberg carries a gallon of water with him at all times in order to make sure he gets enough fluid intake, even when busy. He’s stopped drinking soda and sports drinks, and only drinks pure water. When it comes to nutrition, Goldberg is taking advice from a bodybuilding legend, and it’s becoming a family affair.
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Courtesy of WWE
You Never Stop Learning
“Flex Wheeler is a great friend of mine,” he says. “Flex has now got my son [Gage] on a meal program. Flex has helped my with my diet, and he’s helped me with my recuperation.” While Goldberg seems to have a lot more gas in the tank, it’s a real possibility that Gage could become a second-generation pro wrestler. “I’d be proud of my son if he put his mind toward anything,” he says glowingly. “I’m not setting his life up for him, by any stretch of the imagination, I’m just here as a support system, so when he chooses what he wants to do, I will help him on the road to success. I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way, and hopefully all of that can apply to whatever he chooses.”
Looking ahead to Lashley and SummerSlam, you would be foolish to underestimate Goldberg as he approaches his biggest throw of the dice, live in Vegas. “I ain’t done yet,” says Goldberg. “If you think that you’re going to encounter a normal man that is over 50 years old, you got another thing coming. I ain’t normal, and 75% of me is better than 99% of all the other guys.”
Goldberg challenges Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship, this Saturday at SummerSlam (streaming live at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock, and live internationally on WWE Network.)
