Flip television channels and you're bound to hear Mike Goldberg sooner or later.
Goldberg is the voice of the Ultimate Fighting Championship on both pay-per-view and Spike TV telecasts. He hosts the new "Shaq vs." reality show (9 p.m. EDT Tuesdays, ABC) featuring NBA star Shaquille O'Neal. Goldberg has even found time to handle play-by-play duties for Arizona Cardinals NFL preseason games.
It seems the only sports-themed venture Goldberg hasn't tried in his 22-year broadcasting career is pro wrestling. But that was his decision upon snubbing World Wrestling Entertainment.
When returning to USA Network in 2005 after five years on Spike, WWE sought new blood at the "Monday Night Raw" announcing table. Goldberg was heavily courted to leave UFC and replace the legendary Jim Ross. Although he isn't steeped in pro-wrestling knowledge, Goldberg's strengths in calling real fights while serving as a UFC pitchman would have been a perfect fit in WWE.
"The offer was extremely overwhelming," Goldberg said this week in a telephone interview. "I had a great affinity for WWE. I'm sure we could have had a lot of fun."
But nowhere near the fun Goldberg is having now.
As the UFC grew in popularity, Goldberg's profile -- and paychecks -- did likewise. Goldberg declined WWE's feeler because he liked his co-workers and felt UFC was on the verge of mainstream success after near-financial collapse on several occasions.
"WWE is very glamorous," said Goldberg, 44. "But I'd been in the UFC boat for so long that I really wanted to see where we were going to embark. It also has to do with the friendships and relationships I have there. Turning down the job was one of the most difficult things I had to do. But, in retrospect, it was the greatest decision I've ever made."
Goldberg began announcing for UFC in 1997 while he was working as an NHL announcer. Goldberg admits he didn't take the job because he thought mixed martial arts would become as popular as it is now.
"It was just one of those extra gigs I was hoping to keep going," a laughing Goldberg said. "I got to see people fight and work with friends from the NHL (in production)."
Goldberg does have one tie to WWE: He and announcing partner Joe Rogan call the matches of crossover UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. The winner of Saturday night's Randy Couture-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira bout on the "UFC 102" pay-per-view show could be in line for a future title shot at Lesnar.
"It's going to be very interesting to see who pulls it out from the disappointment of their last fights," said Goldberg, referring to losses by Couture (Lesnar) and Nogueira (Frank Mir). "Randy has to overcome Nogueira's size advantage. Nogueira is a true heavyweight. It's pretty well documented that Nogueira was not healthy when he fought Frank. Nogueira has been in so many wars that you know what to expect from him. I expect Randy to try and stay on the outside and work his boxing skills, which are very good, and then try get inside and use some dirty boxing."
For more information on "UFC 102," visit www.ufc.com.
WWE owner Vince McMahon celebrated his 64th birthday on this week's "Raw" by pinning heavyweight champion Randy Orton in a six-man tag-team match. No word on whether McMahon will mark his 65th birthday in 2010 by hiring Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan to lie down for him to further feed his WWE-sized ego.
(Alex Marvez writes a syndicated pro-wrestling column for Scripps Howard News Service. Contact him at alex1marv(at)aol.com or follow him via Twitter at http://twitter.com/alexmarvez.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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