The rise of the internet brought an end to the mystery of what’s real and what’s fake in the world of professional wrestling. These days, it’s widely known that sports entertainment is scripted and fans know the ins and outs of what happens behind the scenes. Whether that pertains to storylines or the real-life friendships and rivalries between superstars, the internet knows everything.
In this era of wrestling, it’s difficult to create angles that feel real. The ones that do, however, tend to feature superstars whose beef with each other has a basis in reality and can be mined for storyline purposes. A prime example of one of the most convincing rivalries was Edge and Matt Hardy’s from 2005, which revolved around the former’s affair with Lita while she was still dating Hardy.
In recent years, however, WWE has used social media to start and progress storylines, and sometimes it’s resulted in fascinating content. The latest development to cause a stir on social media came seemingly out of nowhere, which suggests that there’s something to the exchange that goes beyond the realms of the squared circle.
As documented by Ringside News , Goldberg uploaded a video to his Instagram account which shows him almost coming to blows with Dolph Ziggler in a Las Vegas restaurant. Goldberg was there to visit a group of friends — including MMA fighter Roy “Big Country” Nelson — who had to break up the altercation.
It’s highly likely that the whole scenario was a work to get people talking on social media. The pair recently competed against each other at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view, so they do have a history with each other on WWE television. If this was a planned confrontation, it could be to drum up interest for a rematch down the line.
Due to Goldberg’s decisive victory in their match at SummerSlam , though, it’s hard to imagine WWE booking another rivalry between the pair. Their last confrontation appeared to have milked the storyline for all it was worth, and many believe that match only took place to give Goldberg redemption after his poor showing against The Undertaker at Super ShowDown .
One wrestler who appears to definitely have a real issue with Goldberg, however, is Matt Riddle. The NXT superstar has been vocally critical of the Hall of Famer many times in recent months, and that feud could walk a fine line between kayfabe and reality should it ever happen.