WWE: Goldberg to be Inducted into Hall of Fame Class of 2018
By Bryan Heaton
Who’s Next? For the WWE Hall of Fame, it’s Bill Goldberg, just announced as a member of the Class of 2018.
Early Monday morning, ESPN broke a big piece of WWE news. The first name for the Hall of Fame Class of 2018 has been revealed. And it’s none other than Goldberg.
It’s right around that time of year when WWE begins the slow roll out of Hall of Fame inductees. Last year, Kurt Angle was announced as the first member of the Class of 2017 on Jan. 16. A year prior, Sting was revealed on Jan. 11.
Bill Goldberg’s career in pro wrestling certainly warrants inclusion into the WWE Hall of Fame. After a collegiate football career at the University of Georgia, Goldberg played briefly for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. Following his retirement from football, Goldberg began training at the WCW Power Plant before debuting in 1997, roughly a year after he started training.
Of course, Goldberg’s greatest claim to fame in wrestling was his incredible undefeated streak to begin his career. Officially recognized as going 173-0, he won both the WCW United States Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship before his controversial loss to Kevin Nash at Starrcade 1998.
Goldberg was dominant in his WCW career, with few matches lasting more than a couple of minutes. He was the master of the squash match – spear, jackhammer, pin. Even when he was up against an opponent who seemed primed to end the streak, Goldberg found a way to end things early. It was truly incredible, and a big part of the Monday Night Wars of the late 1990s.
After WCW was acquired by WWE in 2001, Goldberg took a brief hiatus from sports entertainment. A short stint in Japan led to renewed WWE interest, and he finally debuted with WWE in 2003. In the year he spent with WWE before retiring, he won the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H.
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This initial stint with WWE was less than successful – after all, Goldberg was a dominant star in WCW, and he lost several times in WWE (though usually from interference during his feud with Evolution). His final match before retirement was the debacle against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX. The fans in attendance turned on both superstars quickly, leading guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin to deliver stunners to both men after Goldberg’s victory.
It was 12 years before Goldberg set foot in a WWE ring again – and it was all due to a video game. Goldberg was the pre-order bonus for WWE 2K17, and it led to speculation about an in-ring return. The 49-year-old Goldberg faced off with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016 – and won in less than 90 seconds. Goldberg would then enter the 2017 Royal Rumble, win the Universal Championship from Kevin Owens at Fastlane, and face Lesnar one more time at WrestleMania 33. This time, Lesnar withstood the initial onslaught from Goldberg to win the title, and Goldberg again retired.
Next: Ranking Every WWE Hall of Fame Class
Goldberg is a great choice for a Hall of Fame headliner. What do you think?