Goldberg and Asuka: Who Did it Better?

During a recent interview on Real Talk with Mike Burke, Goldberg was asked if he thought anyone would ever surpass his 170-0 streak. His response was to state that “some girl” did it in the WWE. And then blamed it on them still being mad about losing for 86 weeks in the ratings.

In just a few words, he buries Asuka and shows he is bitter about his treatment by the WWE. First, I want to address if Goldberg deserves to be bitter about his treatment by the WWE, out of everyone who joined or returned to the WWE after the end of WCW. Goldberg was probably treated the best. In his first run during 2003, he was World Champion for three months and won the majority of his matches. He also beat The Rock in his debut for the company.

When he returned in 2016, he beat Brock Lesnar and would go on to beat both Kevin Owens and The Fiend to win the Universal Championship twice. No other WCW mainstay can say they had the same treatment that Goldberg did. I don’t understand why he is bitter; if anything, he should be grateful he wasn’t treated like DDP or Sting were.

Examining Goldberg’s Streak

I was 10 when Goldberg made his debut in WCW, and I was captivated by his presence and the streak. I popped huge when he beat Hogan for the World Championship and was excited to see who was next. Looking back now, I can say that while he did help prolong the death of WCW by a few months. He wasn’t someone they could rely on, long-term, as the top guy. He was the ’90s version of The Ultimate Warrior, all sizzle and very little steak.

The number 170 (actually closer to 157 per Cagematch) is impressive; if you look at who he was beating, it gets less impressive. Even once he won the World Championship, he was defending it against guys like Scott Putski, Ron Fuller, Meng, Al Green, and Bryan Adams. Guys who would have never sniffed a World Championship match if anyone else was champion, a case could be made for Meng, but he was never pushed strongly in WCW.

Did Goldberg help prop up ratings and make money for the company? For sure, he moved merch and helped sale tickets. But how sustainable was that going to be? The fans would eventually grow tired of him on top. Russo’s booking and the arm injury aside, there is a reason he never got another run as champion. He looks like a star, and people latch onto that. But if his post WCW career proved anything, it’s that less is more.

Examining Asuka’s Streak

From October 7th, 2015, to April 8th, 2018, no one was ready for Asuka. If I did my math right, Cagematch has 277 wins over 914 days. Made all the more impressive, because those wins weren’t just over lower-card wrestlers or jobbers. She was facing off against the top names in her division. Women like Ember Moon, Nikki Cross, and Bayley. Asuka dominated the NXT women’s division and was doing the same on Raw. I still believe she should have beaten Charlotte at WrestleMania. Charlotte didn’t need to be the one to end the streak, and having both your Rumble winners lose wasn’t great booking.

Asuka losing didn’t kill her aura, though. Her booking through 2018 didn’t do her any favors, but she was able to maintain her presence through her talent and charisma. She climbed her way back up and would be SmackDown Women’s Champion by the end of the year. From there, she would go on to become a multi-time champion as well as the second Women’s Grand Slam Champion.

Asuka has proven that she was more than just her streak; she is one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time. There doesn’t need to be a less-is-more approach with her. The fans love her, or love to hate her. And her skills make her a constant threat, without having to kill the momentum of her opponents.

The Verdict

I know it’s a bit silly to compare to completely fabricated win streaks. But Goldberg’s answer rubbed me the wrong way. If we examine the two streaks and what each wrestler did after losing. Asuka comes out on top for me. Her NXT run came at a time when NXT was firing on all cylinders. Which makes it hard to determine how much she contributed. While Goldberg’s run in 1998 WCW clearly was helping the company maintain its position.

But it’s really the fallout of losing the streak that seals it for me. Goldberg’s career is defined by his streak; without it he wouldn’t be held in the regard he is today. Asuka’s streak is a big part of her career in the WWE, but it doesn’t define it. It helped propel her up the ranks and coined her catch phrase. But she has gone on to do so much more that we can safely say she would have made it to the top without the streak.

At the end of the day, both have contributed to this business, and nothing should be taken away from either one. Goldberg’s streak was incredible to watch while it was happening. And Asuka has done so much to help shape the way women are looked at in the WWE. But if we are comparing streaks only? Goldberg isn’t ready for Asuka.