Jim Ross has shared his experiences of the now-infamous Brock Lesnar Vs. Goldberg match at WrestleMania 20 in 2004.
For the March 14, event, the two powerhouses faced off in the first singles match between the two, which had been one of the most hotly-anticipated matches on the show.
Days prior to WrestleMania, it was reported that both men were leaving WWE after the event, and fans turned on both men for the match.
Feeling Bad
The match is considered one of the worst bouts of both men’s careers, with Goldberg and Lesnar giving a deliberately underwhelming performance in response to the crowd.
Jim Ross had previously served as WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, and was tasked with called the disastrous match.
Speaking on the latest episode of Grilling JR, Ross said that it would have been impossible for the match to go well, given the opinion by fans before the bell was rung.
“They were dead. The jury had already declared their verdict before the trial had started. We’re done. I felt bad for those guys. I really did. I signed Brock. I helped sign Goldberg. I liked both guys for various reasons.
“They both had a lot of similar characteristics as far as physicality. I’ll tell you that for as good an athlete as Goldberg was, he wasn’t in Lesnar’s league in terms of being a pure athlete.”
“I love those guys, and I felt so bad for them.”
Jim Ross.
Lesnar and Goldberg would later return to WWE (in 2012 and 2016 respectively) and would have far better matches at Survivor Series 2016 and WrestleMania 33.
The Rattlesnake
To amp up the star power for this match, WWE brought in ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to officiate the WrestleMania 20 bout.
Austin, realising that the crowd had turned, delivered both men stunners after the match, earning the only cheers from the audience inside Madison Square Garden.
On his show, Ross said it was a wise move on the Texas Rattlesnake’s behalf.
“Thank God Austin was there, because those two stunners at the end, one to each guy, was money. It finally gave the guys something to embrace and cheer for.”
Jim Ross.
When Ross’ co-host Conrad Thompson asked him about if he spoke to either Brock or Goldberg, JR questioned what exactly he could have said on the night.
“They were making a ton of money, and they didn’t want to be there. What more could I do? Pay them more money to rent their services? Not their heart, not their soul, not their passion, but to rent their services. It was not the time to do that.”
Goldberg would beat Lesnar in the match, considered to be one of the worst bouts in the 38-year history of WrestleMania.
Brock After WWE
Lesnar’s departure from WWE came less than two years after his main-roster debut, and because he had big plans for the gridiron.
Part of Brock’s decision to leave was because he wanted to compete in the NFL, and would later be signed to the Minnesota Vikings.
Ross said that while Lesnar was not picked for the official team, he was still impressive with how far he got.
“For Lesnar to get a chance to go try out for the [Minnesota] Vikings and almost make the team. I mean, he was the last cut and he hadn’t played football since high school. We’re talking about the National Football League here. He was an extraordinary athlete. And he still is.”
After his Football dreams did not pan out, Lesnar returned to wrestling, competing in NJPW before finding success in the UFC which he joined in 2007.
