Bill Goldberg's comments about Asuka were uncalled for and off base

There’s a continuing trend in professional wrestling of performers from the past “doing too much.” Whether it is offering hateful and unwanted opinions like Disco Inferno, continuing to pop up on television after allegations of assault like Ric Flair, or offering a non-apology for racism like Hulk Hogan, the list is long of popular performers letting the wrestling world know the industry should move past them. Bill Goldberg is the latest to join the list after uttering some daft language when speaking about his run and comparing it to one of the best in the business, Asuka.

“Well, a girl beat my winning streak,” Goldberg said while on Tim Green’s “Nothing Left Unsaid.” Asuka [after pronouncing it wildly incorrect] is her name, some Japanese girl, and they touted her as being the one to have the longest winning streak, and it just so happened that that culminated when I got there.”

Asuka’s streak lasted during her run in WWE NXT when she was booked as a dominant force in the women’s division. She would go undefeated on that brand, eventually losing to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34 in what is still considered a controversial booking decision.

Goldberg’s comments are an unfortunate slap in the face of not only Asuka but women’s wrestling. Is he showing disgust that his streak was ended, or that his streak was ended by a woman? Professional wrestling is scripted, so the “records” that are held in the industry are all fabricated. Gunther’s run as WWE Intercontinental Champion has lasted 654 days and counting. That’s an astounding record that should stand the test of time unless WWE decides to have someone break it, which they can do at any moment. Goldberg’s record is just as “legit” as that one and his comments seem odd since he knows that fact.

It's one thing to have opinions about what goes on in professional wrestling. Everyone has one and frequently shares them, no matter how off-base they may be. But there’s a concerning trend about the number of negative opinions from names of previous generations that involve the performance of women and women of color. Too often, these popular names from the past are too quick to share negative thoughts about wrestlers that have nothing to do with them.

Thankfully, many in the wrestling community rallied around Asuka, showing praise for her work, and recognizing her as one of the best performers in the industry today.

A retrospective on Bill Goldberg’s run in WCW and WWE often creates some interesting responses. The “Monday Night Wars,” and “Attitude Era” are beloved by many, but in reality, the quality of the product wasn’t as great as many remember it to be. Goldberg’s run is a big part of that and hopefully, comments such as these push him further into the lane of a memory that doesn’t get as much platform space today.