Arn Anderson Stands by William Regal’s Role in Infamous Goldberg Match

Arn Anderson recently discussed the infamous Goldberg vs. William Regal match from WCW on The ARN Show, shedding light on the dynamics behind the bout. Anderson shared that he was responsible for agenting the match and emphasized his belief that it was one of Goldberg’s best performances. According to Anderson, Regal received instructions to make the fight competitive, a directive that had been explicitly agreed upon with Eric Bischoff. Despite this, the match’s physicality and back-and-forth intensity sparked controversy, leading some to criticize Regal’s approach and believe he was taking liberties with Goldberg.

Anderson reflected, “It’s the best match that Goldberg ever had. Because it was one of the first contests that he was ever in where it was a 50-50 fight. And you know, when you’ve been given eight minutes or nine minutes, or whatever it was, you can’t just go out and slaughter a guy like William Regal for nine minutes. You have to have a competitive match.” Anderson’s account highlights that while fans may have appreciated seeing Goldberg challenged, Bischoff’s dissatisfaction soon surfaced, as the match had not met his expectations for Goldberg’s dominant trajectory.

Speaking about his discussions with Bischoff, Anderson added, “I said, ‘Eric, we got eight, nine minutes here. You know, you certainly don’t want this to be just a squash job. You can’t squash your guy for eight or nine minutes, and why would you [with] a top hand like Regal?’ He said, ‘No, no, no. They need to have a match.’” However, after the match unfolded as a hard-fought, competitive affair, it reportedly fell short of satisfying all involved.

Reflecting on the aftermath, Anderson pointed out that this was likely one of the first times Goldberg was pushed to strategize in the ring, as he’d largely been presented as an unstoppable force up to that point. Anderson posed a question to the wrestling audience, pondering, “Do you like for a guy to have to work for what he gets, especially the company babyface, the face of the company? Do you want to just go out and steamroll all your heels, or do you want a contest? And that’s what they got.” Anderson expressed regret that Regal faced significant backlash, including getting chewed out and ultimately fired over the match. He reinforced that his instructions were clear: “Guys have a hell of a match, right? Have a competitive match.”