Gillberg (wrestler)
 |
| Duane Gill | |
|---|---|
| Born | Glen Burnie, Maryland |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Gillberg Lords of Discipline Pain |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Billed weight | 227 lb (107 kg) |
| Billed from | Atlanta, Georgia - as Gillberg |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | 1989 |
Gill Daunce, best known as the Goldberg imitator Gillberg, is a professional wrestler, also a former WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, holding the belt for 15 months. In the World Wrestling Federation, he was a comedic jobber whose catchphrase was "Who's first?", a parody of Goldberg's "Who's next?".
Career
Duane Gill was a WWF jobber in the 1990s, and made his return to the WWF in the 1998 Survivor Series pay-per-view as Mankind's mystery opponent. Before Gill made his entrance, Vince McMahon built up the suspense by referring to him as a great wrestler with a win/loss record that no other wrestler could match. He was quickly defeated by Mankind, and later joined the J.O.B. Squad with Al Snow, Scorpio and Bob Holly.
Gill was also responsible for (supposedly) ending Marc Mero's career when the latter challenged him to a match, announcing to the crowd that he would retire from wrestling if he could not beat him. Gill won the match with some help from the J.O.B. Squad and Mero left the WWF, although he did not legitimately retire as promised.
Shortly after his match with Mero, Gill was given his most well-known gimmick: Gillberg, a parody of rival promotion World Championship Wrestling's top star Goldberg. His entrance included stage hands holding up sparklers (parodying Goldberg's pyrotechnics) and spraying the entranceway with fire extinguishers. His entrance was also accompanied by fake sound of a crowd chanting "Gillberg." This was likely put in as a reference to the controversy over Goldberg's WCW entrance, wherein there was always a "Goldberg" chant. This chant was often thought to be piped in, though some fans at shows said it was real. Gill also had a dotted line "tattoo" on his right arm (parodying Goldberg's barbed wire tattoo). After leaving the WWF, Gill continued to portray the Gillberg gimmick in some independent promotions.
On November 17, 1998, he became the WWF Light Heavyweight Champion after defeating Christian on RAW is WAR, and would become the longest recognized WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, holding it nearly 15 months.
After disappearing from television and working the independent scene for over a year, Gill was asked back by WWE to make one appearance and drop the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship in a match against Essa Rios on a February 2000 edition of Sunday Night HEAT. After this match, Rios signaled his partner Lita to hit a moonsault on the prone Gill in what was her television debut.
Gill, however, would later make an appearance on the April 21, 2003 edition of RAW, during The Rock's "The Rock Concert II" segment. Gillberg was brought out by The Rock to mock Goldberg, who The Rock was in the middle of a feud with.
On July , 2007, WWE.com added a profile of Gillberg to their WWE Alumni section. [1]
Finishing and signature moves
To fit in with his imitation Goldberg gimmick, Gill would often finish matches with Goldberg's signature Spear / Jackhammer moves, as well as dropping many of the generic light-heavyweight maneuvers to use moves favored by the larger Goldberg, such as his double underhook suplex, his signature superkick and others.
Prior to the Goldberg parody, Gill would often use sneaky roll-up pins to pick up a victory.
Championships and accomplishments
- 1-time NWA New Jersey Junior Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time WWA Tag Team Champion (with Wayne Gill)
- Eastern Championship Pro Wrestling
- 1-time ECPW Tag Team Champion (with Lords of Discipline Agony)
- All Star Wrestling Association
- 1-time ASWA Tag Team Champion (with Wayne Gill)