WCW Icon Goldberg Reveals Why He Refused To Turn Heel In WWE

Goldberg believes that a heel turn during his prime could have rivaled the impact of John Cena’s recent transformation, but he ultimately chose to remain a babyface. Cena’s shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber, followed by a heel promo on Raw, has drawn comparisons to Hulk Hogan’s infamous 1996 heel turn, a moment that helped change wrestling.

In a conversation with The Ariel Helwani Show, Goldberg discussed Cena’s heel turn and its potential parallels to his own career. He said the potential for a Goldberg heel turn to reach the same level of notoriety as Hogan’s, but cited his commitment to his young fans and those involved with Make-A-Wish, as the reason for his refusal.

While a heel turn can often help a career and generate significant buzz, it also carries the risk of alienating a core fanbase. Goldberg’s choice to prioritize his connection shows the type of man he is and his commitment to the business.

“I think Cena’s turn is most comparable to Hogan turning. Yeah, I could have done the same thing, but I refused to. That was when I didn’t know the business, but to me, it meant more for the Make-A-Wish kid that was in my dressing room the night I was wrestling Hacksaw Jim Duggan,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg pointed out doing Make-A-Wish things before Cena did and that was him while the top star in WCW. “I was the antithesis of what people thought outside the ring—or at least I could be. I’ll rip your face off in the ring, but then when I get out of the ring, you give me your baby, and I’ll hold them up, smile, and give them a moment of their lifetime if that’s what they want.”

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“I think Cena’s turn is freaking fabulous, no question about it. I don’t know how it all transpired week after week, but I know how it happened, and bravo to all of them. And bravo to John—he’s smart enough to understand how monumental it would be. At the time when they wanted me to do it, I wasn’t smart enough. But as I said, it meant more to me for one little girl to have a smile on her face than for me to come back and see her in tears—which is what would have happened. I don’t know, call me a mush for kids, man.”

Goldberg went on to describe the detrimental effects a heel turn had on his character. He detailed why he tried to never again portray a heel role throughout his career as long as he was in the business.

“Being a heel gives you the ability to get your ass kicked and not be that superhuman guy, right? There were a number of negatives to my character, and that was one of them—in that respect, it was one-dimensional. You can only be that good guy for so long, in my opinion.”

Goldberg had a brief one-off heel turn in 2000 while working for WCW. However, he quickly switched back to being a babyface.

“I had such a bad experience with it when it happened that I didn’t want to go back to it. I didn’t understand the business enough at the time—or honestly, care about it enough in retrospect. And, to be fair, nobody really asked me to do it again. It was never really an option. I think I would have said yes wholeheartedly, but I don’t think it ever really came up again.”

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