Bill Goldberg Vs. Bobby Lashley

I hear people comparing Bobby Lashley to Bill Goldberg all the time. The more I think about it I think the comparison is unfair.

To Bill Goldberg, that is.

First let's compare the similarities. Both men have monster physiques with Lashley actually being thicker than Goldberg. Both wrestle similar styles and were built as stars by simply going out and destroying their opponents. Hulk Hogan in his early career was pushed (booked to win matches quickly) in a similar fashion. Goldberg used spears and shoulder tackles as offensive weapons. The same is true with Lashley, however this is where the comparison ends for me.

Although Bill Goldberg wasn't a classic mat wrestler, he often showed flashes of huge potential. He used submission and mixed martial arts moves. He had surprising speed for a man of his size. His spear and jackhammer finishing combination looked devastating. Although he didn't talk, the greatest thing about Goldberg was that he knew how to play to the crowd. He often let out a roar when he hit his opponent with a big move. He would signal for the jackhammer. Indeed, he learned a lot about the subtle art of pro wrestling.

His entrance is still one of the best ever in wrestling. Goldberg would have the cameras follow his from the locker room area all the way to entryway. Once he came through the entrance or later the appeared on the ramp in WWE, he would allow pyrotechnic sparks to cover his body. He would then exhale the smoke as if he indeed walked through fire to get to his opponent. He would then let out a ferocious roar that no doubt was, in part at least, real because even though Goldberg would cover his body in water, he would say later indeed he could feel the heat of the sparks hitting him.

Goldberg became tremendous ratings and box office draw for World Championship Wrestling. His title match with Hulk Hogan in 1998 drew over 40,000 fans to the Georgia Dome and set a ratings record at the time. He was without question a star.

I have no doubt WWE would love to recapture lightning in a bottle and make Lashley into the type of star that Goldberg was. Unfortunately, Bobby Lashley has a lot of deficiencies that Bill Goldberg didn't.

Bobby Lashley has no charisma. None. His facial expression rarely changes. He's dull. Despite having been pushed for a over a year and becoming the ECW World Champion (a title that is losing credibility by the second but that's another article), he has done little it seems to improve his wrestling skill and overall in-ring work. He can't cut promos. Despite the fact that Goldberg didn't speak until over a year after his debut, he let his body language speak for him. Lashley fails to do the subtle things that Goldberg did to get over with the fans.

Finally, Lashley is the victim of bad timing. American professional wrestling is in a slump. Although TNA Wrestling has risen to become a competitor for the WWE, they are a far cry from WCW of 1998. Goldberg came along when pro wrestling was red-hot, at the peak of the Monday Night Wars (the name given the ratings war between WCW and WWE). Lashley has arrived during a down period and unlike Goldberg he has failed to make an impact in terms of ratings and box office.

Yet WWE is determined to make Bobby Lashley a star. He has been placed in the billionaire hair verses hair match between Donald Trump and Vince McMahon and will face Umaga. There is no doubt that Lashley is in phenomenal shape and has "the look" to be a successful pro wrestler. At this point in his career, however, he is a far cry from the type of star Bill Goldberg was and it makes me wonder if WWE continues to push Lashley down the throats of wrestling fans if he'll ever truly be accepted.