5 WWE Superstars Vince McMahon wishes he hired earlier

2. Goldberg's long-awaited return to WWE

After the fall of WCW in 2001, many of its stars made the jump to WWE, but not Goldberg. The master of the jackhammer refused to join Vince McMahon's company because the chairman was not willing to pay his worth, according to The Sportster. Instead, the former WCW Champion joined All Japan Pro Wrestling. He kept earning his contract money from his former employer as well.

Goldberg's debut in WWE had to wait two years. He finally fulfilled McMahon's wish in 2003. His run with the company lasted only a year but seemed very successful, winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

Goldberg left on bad terms with McMahon. He later told TMZ that he "wouldn't work for Vince McMahon if he was the last motherf****r on Earth.", as Cageside Seats reported.

Despite this, McMahon wanted to bring the former champion back to WWE in 2010. Goldberg confirmed it on Twitter, saying: "YES... I am in negotiations with the WWE", but it never worked out.

Goldberg's return to WWE came six years later. He went directly after Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. In his second run with WWE, Goldberg successfully captured the Universal Championship twice and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

The relationship between Goldberg and Vince McMahon had its ups and downs but they seem to have reached peace in the end. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, the former Champion said, "I hated him in the beginning, and now I’d die for him."