While it has been voted as one of the worst matches in WWE history, The Undertaker’s match against Goldberg in Saudi Arabia may actually be the greatest match in WWE history.
The bout at Super Showdown told the story of two old gunslingers, struggling with their own mortality, fighting not just against one another but also against the passage of time itself.
The match can be compared to the legendary Mitusaru Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi matches, from AJPW and NOAH in the 1990s and 2000s.
It is the most “King’s Road” style bout the WWE has ever put on, with huge moves ending in close kick outs, with an unexpected ending that none of the fans saw coming.
Was the match terrible? Yes. But could The Undertaker vs Goldberg also be one of the greatest WWE matches ever seen inside Vince McMahon’s ring? Maybe. And we’ll explain why now.
The Undertaker vs Goldberg Was A Dream Match Two Decades In The Making
The dream match between The Undertaker and Bill Goldberg was something that nobody ever expected to see.
After WCW went under, it took two more years for Goldberg to join the WWE, coming in the day after WrestleMania 19 to confront The Rock in an all-time great WWE debut.
In his run in the WWE, Goldberg wrestled some big stars like Brock Lesnar, The Rock and Triple H. However, due to being unhappy with the travel schedule and WWE booking, the former WCW Champion spent only a year under Vince McMahon.
The former WCW Champion walked away from the business after losing to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX for almost a decade, wrestling in Japan before seemingly hanging up his boots for good.
During his first run, Goldberg was on the opposite brand to The Undertaker, so they had no chance for this match to take place. Goldberg was on Raw battling Triple H for the World Heavyweight Champion while The Deadman was stuck on Smackdown.
It wouldn’t be until his 2015 return to the WWE this match finally became possible. While his run from Survivor Series to WrestleMania mainly consisted of short yet impressive matches with Brock Lesnar, there was soon a chance for the long-awaited dream match to finally take shape.
The Legends Set Up For A Match In Saudi Arabia
Goldberg vs The Undertaker had a very simple set-up. In the 2017 Royal Rumble match, the pair faced off for the first time.
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion made an instant impact in his second Royal Rumble appearance. He quickly tossed out Brock Lesnar before having a legendary face-to-face with The Undertaker.
Goldberg even managed to hit a spear on his future opponent, but The Undertaker had the last laugh. He managed to toss him over the top rope and tease a one-on-one encounter once he was finished with Roman Reigns after WrestleMania.
It would be another two years before this confrontation was actually built upon. Of course, as was becoming a tradition at this point, this dream match of wrestling legends took place in Saudi Arabia.
The Undertaker vs Goldberg Took Place At Super Showdown 2019
2019’s Super Showdown was the next iteration of PPV’s in WWE’s billion-dollar deal with the Princes of Arabia.
Goldberg vs The Undertaker main evented the show, which also saw Kofi Kingston defending the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler, as well as Mansoor winning a 51-man battle royal in his annual “win a match in Saudi Arabia” appearance.
The show ended with Undertaker vs Goldberg, with fans all over the world glued to their TV sets. This was the ultimate WCW vs WWE dream match (after Undertaker vs Sting, of course), and a dream match that would have been a match of the year candidate.
That was if it had taken place a decade and a half earlier. Nevertheless, this match could be considered one of the best matches of all time – from a certain point of view.
The match was less than ten minutes long but did not let up from the moment the bell rang. The bout started with Goldberg mocking The Undertaker, before retaliating with a punch from The Deadman by laying in his iconic spear. It was an awesome start to the match that had the fans on their feet from the word go.
There was one issue. Goldberg had blood trickling down his face before the match event started. He had cut himself by headbutting his dressing room door, and actually concussed himself before setting foot in the ring.
The spearing continued, with Goldberg nailing The Deadman once again and going for the pin. This could have been the end and fans wouldn’t have been too upset, but The Undertaker kicked out of the pinfall, and sat up menacingly.
Again, a great moment. Goldberg went for a third, but Undertaker moved out of the way and sent him crashing into the ring post. He immediately began bleeding.
Thus began The Undertaker’s finisher-spam beatdown, evoking the feeling of a big Japanese-style brawl. The Deadman used his full arsenal on Goldberg, with an Old School, Chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver not being enough to get the win over Goldberg. The former WCW Champion kicked out of the moves, and countered a Snake Eyes into a spear, which was a fun and creative spot.
The Undertaker vs Goldberg Is Actually A King’s Road Classic
Depending on your perspective, the next spot of the match was either the best or worst part. Goldberg hiked The Undertaker up into a suplex position, before dropping him down for his iconic Jackhammer finisher.
However, due to his concussed state from the aforementioned needless headbutting of a locker room door, Goldberg dropped The Undertaker right on his head, close to breaking his neck.
The move should really be called the JACKHAMMER ’19. The invention of this new hyper-dangerous finishing move that drops your opponent on their head is almost the very definition of the King’s Road style perpetuated by legends like Mistuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi.
If this was the fifth match between the pair and forty minutes in, people would be calling this the greatest Jackhammer ever. Somehow The Undertaker kicked out and this all-time classic match continued.
Goldberg tried to hit his own Tombstone Piledriver, but they both fall over trying to reverse it. You could see this as a clear botch (like the JACKHAMMER ’19), but I like to think this was intentional.
It showed the passage of time does not yield for anyone, not even two superhuman athletes putting it all on the line. Both men expertly sold how much the match had sapped their energy and made it look like a real fight.
I can’t stress enough – if this match occurred between Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa people would be calling it a five-star match.
The match ended rather anticlimactically. Despite doing everything he could to end The Deadman’s life, The Undertaker beat Golderg with a simple chokeslam.
After putting it all on the line and throwing the kitchen sink at one another, it was a simple grasp of the throat and slam to the ground that won the day for the WWE Hall of Famer.
This was no ordinary match. It was clearly a tribute to the iconic battles in All Japan Pro Wrestling between the Four Pillars of Heaven.
Goldberg vs The Undertaker wasn’t about WWE vs WCW. It was two old gunslingers, clinging onto their youth in one last feeble attempt to show they were still the monsters they saw in the mirror.
They walked the King’s Road, showing a struggle not only against one another but against time itself. They looked God in the face, and he looked back, annoyed, questioning why Goldberg concussed himself before the match.
He did it for the fans. It did for us.
Then God made Goldberg drop Undertaker on his head, almost killing him.
Cinema.
Yes, Goldberg nearly killed The Undertaker in this match. But doesn’t that just add to this match? The inexorable struggle against their own mortality and the fight against time itself is something we can all relate to.
Five. Star. Match. Goldberg vs The Undertaker is a masterpiece.
Did you enjoy learning about this classic? Check out our ranking of Hulk Hogan’s greatest matches too.
