The WWE is putting Goldberg over anew for a big match with Bobby Lashley at SummerSlam 2021, and while many fans are excited to see another major bout planned for the event, some are less pleased. Former WWE superstar René Duprée is one of those dismissive parties, and he recently put some words behind that feeling by blasting Goldberg in a recent interview, calling the longtime superstar a "horrible" wrestler to work with.
René Duprée was a guest on That 90's Wrestling Podcast, where he was asked if he had any fun stories to share about his time working with Goldberg. While those comments wouldn't necessarily be filed under F for "Fun," Duprée went on to detail one story specifically that has clearly stood tall in his memories.
Yeah, he dislocated my [gestures towards shoulder]-it was just like my collarbone or whatever. We had a pre-tape [segment] in the back with Goldberg and he hit me with the flag, the French flag, and we had to do five takes. And to this day, if I try to flex, it still hurts. Yeah he's a shit; he's horrible.
René Duprée is undoubtedly not a diehard fan of Goldberg, who was in the WWE alongside Duprée in the early 2000s. Goldberg's run in the WWE only lasted a year at that time, but that limited stint was apparently enough to leave a bad impression on Duprée and leave him with both a lasting negative opinion of the wrestler, and also lasting physical pain.
The conversation then shifted to SummerSlam 2021, where Goldberg will get back in the ring for a match with Bobby Lashley. René Duprée admitted that he was indeed surprised to see Goldberg (who has made sporadic and brief appearances over the past few years) once again back in WWE and offered some insight as to why. To be expected, his insight isn't exactly objective.
To me, they must be desperate. That's the only thing I can figure. They can’t create new stars or they don’t have confidence in the people they have or a lot of things you and I don't realize because we're not there.
Obviously, we can only speculate on the WWE's official reasoning behind bringing Goldberg into the WWE once more. Reports indicated the company hoped to make SummerSlam 2021 its biggest event of the year so far, which would track with renting out Allegiant Stadium, the biggest venue for SummerSlam yet. Regardless of what pro wrestlers may think of his in-ring abilities, Goldberg is still a major name in the WWE with the ability to draw big numbers for matches. The only person folks may want to see more than Goldberg against Bobby Lashley is Brock Lesnar, and we haven't heard much on the Lesnar front.
SummerSlam 2021 airs on Peacock on Saturday, August 21st, at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more on the WWE, read up on the latest goings-on with Bray Wyatt and that mysterious picture he posted on social media.
