WWE signed a huge money deal with Saudi Arabia to bring its shows to the country. While those have mostly consisted of largely forgettable efforts like Super ShowDown and Crown Jewel, that will change next year when the Royal Rumble heads to the Middle East.
As you'll likely recall, The Undertaker vs. Goldberg at Super ShowDown in 2019 was a complete flop after the latter knocked himself out. Both ageing wrestlers struggled to make it to the finish and haven't shied away from acknowledging what a mess their long-awaited clash was.
However, long before stepping into the ring with the Deadman, it turns out the WCW icon had some serious reservations about competing in Saudi Arabia.
"As a Jewish person, I had reservations about going to Saudi because the first time we went was years ago and it was a different landscape than it is now," he told Ariel Helwani in a recent interview. "I was so pleasantly surprised. I was flabbergasted that they were so welcoming. It was one of the best receptions that I’ve gotten anywhere."
"I’m so appreciative of that. It shows you can’t judge a book by its cover and you can’t have predisposed opinions about things without actually knowing what the hell you’re talking about," the WWE Hall of Famer continued. "Experiencing it yourself in real time is what it’s all about, it’s not about asking somebody about their experience."
Goldberg later returned to Saudi Arabia for matches with Bobby Lashley, Bray Wyatt, and Roman Reigns. He'll have his retirement match in WWE later this year, though that's expected to take place in his home state of Atlanta.
Reflecting on the bout earlier this year, The Undertaker said:
"[Goldberg is] wound a little tight sometimes. Good dude, though. He was kind of thrust into something you can’t blame him for. They created him and it was a huge deal. That Saudi thing was a little ugly. My mindset going into the whole thing was like, at this point in my career, how often do you get to work with somebody that you’ve never [worked with]? I’ve worked with everybody for the last 30-plus years, but I never worked with Bill. Singles match, that’s the only one, and I stunk the joint up. It was 98 degrees, nine at night, outside. You could chew the air it was so thick. It was just one of those things. There’s not any humidity. Just heat. It was bad. At that time of night, too, whew."
You can hear more from Goldberg in the player below.