The WWE Super ShowDown event in Saudi Arabia turned out to be one of the biggest disasters in the recent history of the company. Nothing signified this more than the main event featuring The Undertaker and Goldberg. The match was an absolute disaster and involved several botches, some of them seriously endangering the safety of the performers.
The fact that WWE decided to book this contest in the first place itself is regrettable since both wrestlers were clearly well past the point of being able to pull off a good contest. Their not having been in action for a long time further made the prospects of this contest bleak. In the end, the best thing that came out of this contest was the lack of any serious injury to the two legends of the business.
However, the sheer torture that two giants endured and the botches that both had, led to some serious behind-the-scenes disorder. Dave Meltzer, a leading writer on professional wrestling, revealed that after that match, when the two superstars were in the 'gorilla position,' (the area behind the stage from where wrestlers appear to face the crowds) they got into an aggressive shouting match.
Thankfully, it remained limited to it and didn't escalate into a physical altercation, but then again, they must have been physically exhausted for that as well. Not only did their age and ring-rustiness take a toll on the performers, but also the energy-sapping heat. The temperatures in the arena where the event took place have been estimated to be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Off to a bad start
The match was likely to be a disaster anyway, but when Goldberg smashed his head on the ring post and busted himself open, things were bound to get ugly. The tombstone from The Deadman turned to be, possibly the most botched of his career and Goldberg is lucky not to have suffered a broken neck.
Undertaker was lucky too as an attempted jackhammer went wrong and almost caused severe damage to him. The end of the match was symptomatic of the entire contest as The Phenom's chokeslam barely lifted Bill Goldberg. As it turned out, the latter did suffer a serious concussion and a video has surfaced of the wrestler collapsing outside the ring while Undertaker was inside it as his music played.
Fans have also focussed on the expression on the face of the man who once held a 21-0 undefeated streak at Wrestlemania after the match. It suggested dissatisfaction with the affair while his opponent also communicated his regret to his fans for a disappointing show.
With so much going wrong, one cannot blame the wrestlers for losing their cool. But the poor quality of the match is not their fault but those who booked it. For goodness sake, don't threaten the safety of these wrestlers! They have done enough wrestling in their prime to now deserve the adulation and salutation of everyone. For WWE to put them through the grinder to fulfil a contract signed with the Saudi government is unacceptable.
