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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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There's no denying that Bill Goldberg has much significance in professional wrestling. However, recent criticism from the Hall of Famer aimed at WWE star Asuka has captured attention and seemingly prompted WWE to fire a subtle shot.
During a podcast appearance, Goldberg mentioned how he'd won 173 matches consecutively, which set an impressive record in wrestling history. However, WWE is constantly looking for ways to put new superstars over, and Goldberg believes they intentionally did that by having Asuka surpass his record.
"They already did. Some girl at WWE. They did it on purpose. I have nothing against the girl, by any means, but yeah," he said on the "Real Talk With Mike Burke" podcast episode.
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Goldberg speculated that this is due to WWE having a sore spot over WCW winning the Monday night battle years ago, when he was part of WCW. On the podcast, he suggested that once WWE acquired WCW, they knew they could treat its talent as they wished.
His "some girl" remarks caused a stir in the wrestling community, with some defending Goldberg and others seemingly taking an opposing side. On the latest episode of "Monday Night Raw," WWE also seemed to get involved with a shot potentially fired at Goldberg.
The company celebrated Asuka's 10th anniversary as one of the greatest in professional wrestling. In conjunction, they released a special video that included career highlights.
Read more: WWE Star CM Punk Gets Honest About His Retirement Plans
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"THE DECADE OF ASUKA," they wrote in a caption for the video, which clocked in at under two minutes.
"A DECADE OF DOMINATION," the text said on the screen before highlights of many of her wins appeared in the video.
Among her career achievements were winning WWE's Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank, winning the Women's Championship five times, and winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.
"NO ONE IS READY FOR ASUKA," additional text on the screen said before the video ended.
As of this writing, WWE's video had collected over 18,000 likes and 300-plus comments from fans about Asuka's career.
Asuka broke her silence on the Goldberg comments this weekend, and did so gracefully and without firing back. She acknowledged the story and his criticism, but also indicated that it's not about her records.
"Goldberg’s comments about me are all over the news right now. But honestly, I’m not bothered by it at all. What he said came from his own perspective, and that’s fine. So there’s really no need to make such a big deal out of it," she wrote on her X post.
"It’s not about what I accomplish. It’s about what I try to create. Philosophy and vision, that’s where the real value is. I don’t find meaning in anything without beauty," Asuka said.
"I don’t chase records or championships. They’re the ones that come to me. There’s not enough art in this world," She also wrote.
Asuka also said she embraces "having the power to change an era" using her art, indicating it's "where true value and beauty exist."
In addition to the above video, she appeared on last night's Raw along with her Kabuki Warriors tag team partner Kairi Sane, as part of an in-ring attack on current WWE Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, suggesting a match could be imminent.
Whether she's chasing the championship or not, it's hard to ignore that she has filled her wrestling career with artistic performances and memorable matches worldwide.
More WWE News:
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For more on WWE and professional wrestling, visit Newsweek Sports.
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