Smark Out Moment

Released in November 2000, I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Unlikely Superhero accounts the early life and meteoric rise of NFL player turned WCW star Bill Goldberg.


In reviewing this book, it is a little difficult to know exactly where to begin, for the book itself is somewhat choppy in its narrative. We start with Bill at a pivotal moment in his WCW career, and then onto his college and NFL days, then his childhood, and then back to wrestling, and his journey to WCW.

The book is also frequently interrupted with inserts from the likes of Sting and Mean Gene Okerlund saying how great Goldberg is. Fair enough, but what with this being an official WCW release, somehow the statements come across as hollow and forced, especially when they are so at odds with what many other wrestlers have gone on record to say about the man's lack of passion for the business.

However, this is far from the worst thing about the book. I was actually more put off by the decision to have the wrestling part of his journey conclude halfway through the book! Why? Just like a WCW storyline, it ends with no conclusion or reason.

The rest consists of non-sequential random blog type chapters such as Bill and his charity work, Bill on being Jewish, and Bill's Dad, Bill's brothers, or Bill's ex-football coach on why Bill is great.

This book does not let you forget this. Bill is great, OK!


Order and construction of the book aside, the content did little to make me warm up to the man. Bill is quick to proclaim wrestling as goofy, silly, and that he did not watch much as a child. He has no shame admitting that he has no idea what any of the moves are called, and was clearly in no rush to learn.

Now, compare that to passionate men like Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan. They traveled the world, paid dues, and went through hell to get the top. They were told they could not do it, but they did.

Bill was told that he should wrestle, and so he did. The end.

In one sense, I feel bad to criticize Bill Goldberg for not having any real roadblocks or drama in his tale, as that is just how his life has played out, but there is no getting around the fact that this makes for a rather uninteresting book, especially when he only pursues this journey as he needed a job. His football career hadn't worked out, and he wanted big money.

Another point of contention I had with the book was his frequent contradictions. For instance, despite saying that wrestling is silly, and he didn't care about winning or losing, he then goes on to describe winning the WCW Championship as the greatest feeling in his life. Or, when fed up with the length of WCW contract negotiations, he tells them he does not need their job, as can just go and work in his brother's restaurant, just pages after having actually worked for his brother, and stating that he would never do so again.

Those hoping for in-depth backstage gossip will also be disappointed. He does not like Kevin Nash, Vince Russo is a genius, and he thinks that Triple H is a prick. This is about as good as it ever gets.

However, at least we do get the full scoop on his feelings about Jericho's Greenberg taunt and WWE's Gillberg character.

He didn't like them.

The best autobiographies inspire, entertain, and help you warm to the writer's character. I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Unlikely Superhero fails on all three counts.

NEXT!