Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg | |||||
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![]() Goldberg in January 2015 | |||||
Born | William Scott Goldberg December 27, 1966[1] | ||||
Alma mater | University of Georgia | ||||
Occupations |
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Years active | 1995–2004, 2015–present (wrestler) 1998–present (actor) 1990–1995 (football player) | ||||
Spouse |
Wanda Ferraton (m. 2005) | ||||
Children | 1 | ||||
Ring name(s) | Bill Gold[3] Bill Goldberg[1] Goldberg | ||||
Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[4][5] | ||||
Billed weight | 285 lb (129 kg)[4][5] | ||||
Billed from | Atlanta, Georgia[4] Dawsonville, Georgia[6][7] Parts Unknown[6][7] | ||||
Trained by | WCW Power Plant[1][4] | ||||
Debut | June 23, 1997[1][8] | ||||
American football career |
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No. 71, 73 | |||||
Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
Weight: | 266 lb (121 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Tulsa (OK) Edison | ||||
College: | Georgia | ||||
NFL draft: | 1990 / Round: 11 / Pick: 301 | ||||
Career history | |||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||
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William Scott Goldberg (born December 27, 1966), also known mononymously as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE on a part-time deal. He is also best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He has acted in various films and television shows, including Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) and NCIS: Los Angeles.
One of the most popular figures of the late 1990s/early 2000s professional wrestling boom, Goldberg rose to fame in WCW with a lengthy undefeated streak in singles competition from 1997 to 1998.[9] During his time with the promotion, Goldberg became a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, two-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, and one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion with Bret Hart. Along with Hart, he is the fifth WCW Triple Crown winner.
Following WCW's closure in 2001, Goldberg wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) between 2002 and 2003, and for WWE between 2003 and 2004, becoming a one-time World Heavyweight Champion in the latter. After twelve years away from the company, he returned to WWE in 2016 and won the WWE Universal Championship for the first time in February 2017 and won it a second time in February 2020. Goldberg has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and WWE, including WCW's premier annual event, Starrcade (1998 and 1999). He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2018 the weekend of WrestleMania 34. Bill Goldberg is a 4-time world champion in his professional wrestling career between WWE & WCW and is the only man in history to have been WCW World Heavyweight, (WWE) World Heavyweight and WWE Universal Champion.
Before he was a professional wrestler, Goldberg was a professional football player. After first retiring from professional wrestling in 2004, he began working as a commentator for the mixed martial arts promotion EliteXC until its closure. He hosted 26 episodes of Garage Mahal on the DIY Network from 2009 to 2011.
Early life
Goldberg was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he had a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel[10] and graduated from Tulsa Edison High School.[11] He acquired a love for football early in life and was a bouncer at age 16.[12] Goldberg's mother, Ethel, is a classical violinist, while his father, Jed, who attended Harvard University, was an obstetrician and gynecologist. They divorced, and Jed died in late 2006.[13] Ethel also breeds flowers and created an award-winning hybrid orchid, which she named after Goldberg.[14] His brother, Michael, is the owner of a music club in Aspen, Colorado.[15]
Goldberg is proud of his Jewish heritage and refused to hide it in the wrestling world, including refusing to wrestle on Yom Kippur.[16][17] His Romanian-born great-grandfather, Marcel, emigrated from Bucharest and came to the U.S. through Ellis Island.[18] Another great-grandfather, Willie, was an immigrant from Russia.
Football career
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round, with the 301st overall selection, in the 1990 NFL draft.
He played for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1990 NFL season, followed by a stint with the CFL Sacramento Gold Miners and Atlanta Falcons from 1992 to 1994. After being cut from the Falcons, in 1995 he was selected by the new expansion team, the Carolina Panthers, in the 1995 NFL expansion draft, but never played a game with the team. He was the first player to have been cut by the Panthers.
Goldberg's NFL career ended when he "tore his lower abdomen off his pelvis". He had hopes of returning to the league after rehabilitation but, due to his lack of success, was not considered a major asset. Goldberg has described playing in the NFL as "a mixed emotional experience" because, despite reaching the goal of simply playing in the NFL, he did not obtain the level of achievement that he desired.[12]
Professional wrestling career
World Championship Wrestling (1996–2002)
Training and early matches (1996–1997)
During the rehab following his NFL injury, Goldberg began powerlifting and mixed martial arts training. He was spotted by Lex Luger and Sting who urged him to try professional wrestling.[19] Although not a fan of professional wrestling, he saw it as an alternative to his fledgling football career and began training at the WCW Power Plant.
Working as Bill Gold, Goldberg made five appearances. The first was on a dark match at a Monday Nitro event on June 23, 1997 where he defeated Buddy Lee Parker.[20] He also faced and defeated Buddy Landell (Saturday Night dark match), Hugh Morrus (house show), Chip Minton (Nitro dark match) and John Betcha (house show). His final pre-televised appearance was in a dark match on July 24 at a Saturday Night taping in a loss to Chad Fortune.
Undefeated streak (1997–1998)
On the September 22, 1997 episode of Nitro, Goldberg defeated Hugh Morrus in his debut match. Soon afterward, he began to score quick victories over his fellow WCW wrestlers in the range of 1–2 minutes. Goldberg's succession of wins saw him quickly advance up the card, and he was pushed as a singles wrestler. The newcomer captivated fans with his monstrous yet silent charisma, brute strength, and agility that saw him vault the ropes, perform high kicks and even the occasional backflip. Goldberg made his pay-per-view debut at Starrcade defeating Steve McMichael.[2] In early 1998, Goldberg squashed Brad Armstrong at SuperBrawl VIII and pinned Perry Saturn at Spring Stampede.[2] By mid-March, WCW stopped referring to him by his full name, shortening it to simply Goldberg.[21] Around this time, WCW began counting Goldberg's consecutive wins on television as he continued to climb up the ranks. Goldberg's win over Saturn was his 74th consecutive without a loss, and the next night on Nitro he challenged Raven for the United States Heavyweight Championship that Raven had won the night before at Spring Stampede. Despite interference from Raven's Flock, Goldberg overpowered them all and defeated Raven to win his first professional wrestling championship.[22] Two days later on the April 22 episode of Thunder, he made his first successful title defense against Mike Enos.[23] Goldberg then started a feud with Raven and The Flock. At Slamboree, he ended his feud with The Flock after a successful title defense against Saturn.[2] Goldberg continued to make successful title defenses against Konnan at The Great American Bash and Curt Hennig.[2] By this time, he had adopted the catchphrase "Who's next?" in reference to his rapidly expanding winning streak.[24]
As Goldberg was getting over as a main eventer, he continued to defend the United States Heavyweight Championship and was slowly becoming a contender for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship that was held by New World Order (nWo) leader Hollywood Hogan. Hogan eventually promised Goldberg a title match. The match was scheduled for the July 6, 1998 episode of Nitro held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with over 40,000 in attendance, but Hogan insisted that Goldberg first had to defeat his nWo stablemate Scott Hall. Goldberg won and later in the evening was also able to defeat Hogan to become the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, in turn vacating his United States Heavyweight Championship. At Road Wild, Goldberg won a battle royal, consisting of nWo members.[2] After Diamond Dallas Page became the number one contender for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Goldberg and Page began a feud with each other. At Halloween Havoc, the feud was settled after Goldberg defeated Page to retain the title.[2] According to Goldberg, his match against Page was the favorite match of his career.[25][unreliable source] At Starrcade, Goldberg's undefeated streak ended at an official count of 173–0,[4][26] and after 174 days as champion when he lost the title to Kevin Nash after Scott Hall, disguised as a ringside security guard, made a run-in and shocked Goldberg with a taser gun.[2] Goldberg, however, got his revenge at Souled Out, when he defeated Hall in a ladder taser match. Goldberg won when he used the taser, which was hung high above the ring, requiring the ladder to obtain it.[2]
Goldberg's win–loss record at WCW events from 1997 to 1998 differed from that which was perpetuated by the company, with the official figure exaggerating the number of matches in which he won to 173.[27][28][29] Nick Schwartz of Fox Sports wrote: "No one really knows what Goldberg's actual record was... but it's generally accepted that 173–0 is an inflated number".[30] Some of Goldberg's industry peers have stated that the figure was exaggerated.[30] His then-WCW colleague Chris Jericho stated: "One week he'd be 42–0 and seven days later he'd be 58–0. Did stepping on bugs count?"[31] Manager Jimmy Hart, who also worked with Goldberg in WCW, regarded the level of embellishment as "kind of funny", while professional wrestler The Miz said: "The number would just go on and on and on, to where it was like, 'Wait a second. How did he get this many wins in such a short time'?"[32] This exaggeration damaged the streak's credibility among the WCW audience: upon noticing that the figure had been falsified, fans began to withdraw homemade signs trumpeting Goldberg's record.[28]
Championship pursuits and final feuds (1999–2002)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Goldberg_with_a_fan.jpg/220px-Goldberg_with_a_fan.jpg)
At Spring Stampede, Goldberg gained his revenge against Nash by defeating him.[2] Then at Slamboree the following month, Goldberg was "injured" in an attack by Rick and Scott Steiner and took some time off to prepare for his movie debut in the 1999 film Universal Soldier: The Return alongside Timecop film star Jean-Claude Van Damme.[2] He returned two months later and defeated Rick Steiner at Road Wild.[2][33] Goldberg then restarted his feud with DDP also involving Page's allies, The Jersey Triad, which culminated in a match at Fall Brawl that Goldberg won.[2] After Goldberg settled his rivalry with Page, he began focusing on Sid Vicious and challenged him to a match to end Sid's winning streak.[2] The two feuded with each other, which culminated in a match at Halloween Havoc for Sid's United States Heavyweight title. Goldberg defeated Sid via referee stoppage, and thus won his second United States Heavyweight Championship.[34] Later that night, he answered an open challenge from WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting and defeated him to win the championship.[35][2] On the next night's episode of Nitro, commissioner J.J. Dillon ruled that the match had not been sanctioned by WCW and that, therefore, Goldberg's victory was void.[2] Sting, however, was not given the title back due to his attack on a referee during the event and Dillon announced a 32-man tournament for the now-vacant title which included Goldberg.[2]
Goldberg wrestled Bret Hart on the same Nitro in the first round of the tournament in a match that also served as the first defense of his newly won United States Heavyweight Championship. Sid Vicious managed to interfere in the contest and cost Goldberg the match, thus giving him his second career loss, costing him the title, and eliminating him from the tournament which was eventually won by Hart at Mayhem in November.[2] Goldberg continued his rivalry with Vicious and defeated him in an "I quit" match at Mayhem to close their feud.[2] Shortly thereafter, Goldberg joined forces with Hart, teaming with him to defeat Creative Control for the WCW World Tag Team Championship.[36] One week later, they lost the title to The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash).
At Starrcade, Goldberg challenged Hart for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship; in the course of the match, Goldberg delivered a stiff kick to Hart's head, legitimately giving him a concussion and tearing a muscle in his neck. Hart continued on, suffering what he believed to be at least one other concussion when he hit his head on the floor while executing a ringpost-assisted figure-four leglock. The match ended when Roddy Piper, the special guest referee for the contest, declared Hart the winner despite Goldberg never having submitted to the Sharpshooter.[2] Hart vacated the title the next night on Nitro, saying he did not want to win that way, and gave Goldberg a rematch.[37] Goldberg was defeated again due to outside interference from Hall and Nash, who came to the ring brandishing baseball bats which they used to attack Goldberg.[37] In a swerve, Hart took one of the bats from The Outsiders and began beating on Goldberg himself, doing enough damage to score the pin and regain his championship.[2][37] After the match, Hall, Nash, Hart and Jeff Jarrett reformed the nWo[37] and gave Goldberg a new target for a feud that, however, would not last long.
Shortly after his title match loss, Goldberg injured himself on the December 23, 1999 episode of Thunder, during a sequence where he chased the nWo limousine into the parking lot. A spot in the sequence called for Goldberg to pound on the windshield of the limousine with his hands. To ensure his safety, Goldberg had assistance from a piece of metal pipe and his hands were covered in black tape. After this, Goldberg was to break some of the vehicle's windows with the pipe. There were four windows on the side of the limousine and Goldberg used the pipe on two of them. He then got aggressive, dropping the pipe and putting his forearm through the third window. A shard of glass sliced an artery in his arm and he began bleeding profusely. The show concluded with Goldberg pounding on the limousine's hood, with the television audience able to see the massive amount of blood gushing from his arm as it covered the hood. Immediately after the cameras stopped rolling, medical personnel rushed in to assist the injured Goldberg, who was eventually transported to the hospital for emergency surgery. He lost copious amounts of blood due to the injury and was told that his injury nearly resulted in the amputation of his forearm. The injury caused Goldberg to miss the January 4, 2000 New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) Tokyo Dome show, where he was scheduled to face Manabu Nakanishi. After taking time off to recuperate, Goldberg returned to WCW on the May 29, 2000 episode of Nitro interfering in a handicap match between Kevin Nash and the team of Tank Abbott and Rick Steiner.[2] At The Great American Bash, Goldberg betrayed Nash during Nash's world championship match against Jeff Jarrett and turned into a villain for the first time in his career, aligning himself with The New Blood faction.[2] This did not last long, as Goldberg again was lost to injury and had to miss time. As a result of this betrayal, Goldberg feuded with Nash and defeated him at Bash at the Beach, with help from fellow New Blood member Scott Steiner.[2] Goldberg participated in a triangle number one contender's match against Nash and Steiner at New Blood Rising, which Nash won.[2] Goldberg walked out of the match midway through while Nash had him ready for the Jackknife Powerbomb and swore at Vince Russo as he left the ring, turning face again. He then began a rivalry with Steiner, culminating in a no disqualification match at Fall Brawl which Goldberg lost due to outside interference.[2]
After his loss to Steiner, Goldberg's rivalry with Russo accelerated and in October, having finally had enough, Russo gave Goldberg an ultimatum. If Goldberg was to lose another match at any point in time, unless he managed to duplicate his undefeated streak from 1997 to 1998, he would be forced to retire from professional wrestling. Goldberg defeated KroniK (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark) at Halloween Havoc in a handicap elimination match.[2] He then started a feud with Lex Luger.[2] This culminated in a match at Mayhem, which Goldberg won.[2] They continued their rivalry and battled in a rematch at Starrcade.[1][2] Goldberg won the match, but afterwards he was attacked by Luger's partner Buff Bagwell.[2] Goldberg feuded with both Luger and Bagwell, who called themselves "Totally Buffed". His streak was broken at Sin when Goldberg, teaming with his Power Plant trainer DeWayne Bruce, lost to Totally Buffed in a tag team no disqualification match after a "fan" maced him, enabling Totally Buffed to pin him.[2] The storyline was intended to enable Goldberg to have shoulder surgery, but WCW was sold to the WWF in March 2001, while Goldberg was still recuperating. The WWF did not buy out Goldberg's contract with AOL Time Warner (the parent company of WCW) as they had done with several other WCW wrestlers, due to Goldberg still being paid out a significant amount of money by AOL Time Warner that he was owed, so he was not involved in the WWF "Invasion" angle. Goldberg instead remained under contract to AOL Time Warner until May 2002, when he agreed on a contract buyout.[2] He was WCW's highest paid athlete, alongside Bret Hart, earning 2.5 million dollars per year, a sum which would have risen to 3.5 million in the final year of his contract, due to have expired in July 2003.[38]
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2002–2003)
Goldberg had suffered an arm injury during the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in April 2002. In August 2002, he returned to the ring in Japan. He initially joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), defeating Satoshi Kojima and Taiyō Kea. He went on to defeat Rick Steiner in a match for the W-1 promotion, and teamed with Keiji Mutoh to defeat KroniK. His success in Japan led to the WWF – now renamed World Wrestling Entertainment – to begin contract negotiations with him.[35]
World Wrestling Entertainment (2003–2004)
After leaving Japan, Goldberg signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in March 2003, debuting on the March 31 episode of Raw (the night after WrestleMania XIX) and starting a feud with The Rock by performing a spear on him.[39] Their rivalry intensified when The Rock held a segment entitled The Rock Concert, where he taunted Goldberg along with Gillberg, but Goldberg defeated The Rock in his debut match at Backlash on April 27, following three spears and a Jackhammer.[40] Goldberg went undefeated over the subsequent half-year, defeating 3-Minute Warning in his first match on Raw on May 5.[1] Goldberg defeated Christian the following week on Raw in a steel cage match.[41] Goldberg next began a feud with Chris Jericho, culminating in a match between the two at Bad Blood on June 15, which Goldberg won.[42]
Goldberg entered a rivalry with Triple H, challenging him for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 24 in the second Elimination Chamber match in WWE. After eliminating Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, he was pinned by Triple H after Ric Flair threw a sledgehammer inside the chamber and Triple H hit Goldberg with it, meaning Triple H retained the title.[43] Goldberg continued his feud with Triple H and defeated him for the World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven on September 21, after agreeing to put his career on the line.[44][45] The next night on Raw, Goldberg successfully retained the title against Chris Jericho. The following week on Raw, Triple H issued a $100,000 bounty to anybody who could take Goldberg out. Steven Richards, Mark Henry, La Résistance and Tommy Dreamer all attempted to collect the bounty, but they were unsuccessful. On the October 20 episode of Raw, Batista collected the bounty after he interfered in Goldberg's title defense against Shawn Michaels and attacked Goldberg, placing a folding chair around Goldberg's ankle and jumping off the middle rope onto the chair, shattering his ankle. Furious, Goldberg demanded a match against Batista, but Triple H got involved in the match by trying to cripple Goldberg, who executed a spear on Triple H and attacked Batista with a sledgehammer. At Survivor Series on November 16, Goldberg retained the title against Triple H despite interference from Evolution.[46] On the November 17 episode of Raw, Goldberg faced Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista in a handicap match, but he was pinned following an RKO, Batista Bomb and Pedigree. After the match, Kane unexpectedly came out to seemingly assist Goldberg after Evolution continued their assault on him following the match. After scaring off Evolution, he turned on Goldberg and executed a chokeslam on him. The following week on Raw, Kane attacked Goldberg again while he was defending the championship against Triple H in a rematch from Survivor Series and expressed his desire to face Goldberg for the title. Raw general manager Eric Bischoff scheduled Goldberg to defend the championship against both Kane and Triple H in a triple threat match at Armageddon. The following week on Raw, Goldberg teamed with Shawn Michaels and Rob Van Dam to face and defeat Kane, Batista and Orton in a six-man tag team match. On the December 8 episode of Raw, Goldberg faced Kane in a lumberjack match which ended in a disqualification when Evolution and Mark Henry entered the ring and assaulted Goldberg. At Armageddon on December 14, Goldberg lost the World Heavyweight Championship when Triple H pinned him after interference from Evolution and a chokeslam from Kane, thus ending his reign at 84 days.[47]
Survivor Series also marked the first time Goldberg met the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar by interrupting Lesnar after the latter remarked that he could beat anyone in the world. The feud escalated at the 2004 Royal Rumble on January 25, when Goldberg was in the midst of dominating the Royal Rumble match (he eliminated Charlie Haas, Billy Gunn and Nunzio) as the 30th entrant until Lesnar interfered in the match and executed an F-5 on Goldberg. Angrily distracted at Lesnar's attack, Goldberg was eliminated by Kurt Angle.[35] Vowing revenge after defeating Mark Henry and Jonathan Coachman in a no disqualification handicap match the following Raw, Goldberg declared Lesnar his next victim. On the February 2 episode of Raw, Goldberg was given a front row ticket to No Way Out by Stone Cold Steve Austin. SmackDown! general manager Paul Heyman appeared the following week on Raw, and along with Mr. McMahon attempted to get Goldberg to leave Lesnar alone, but Goldberg executed a spear on Heyman and accidentally executed a spear on Austin when he was aiming for McMahon. Goldberg attended No Way Out as a fan, confronting Lesnar and after several insults by Lesnar, entered the ring and countered an F-5 from Lesnar with a Jackhammer, before being detained and escorted out of the arena by security guards. During the main event between Lesnar and Eddie Guerrero on February 15, Goldberg reemerged from the crowd and cost Lesnar the WWE Championship.[48] Lesnar then demanded a match with Goldberg at WrestleMania XX on March 14, with Austin serving as special guest referee. Fans knew this would be the final WWE match for both Goldberg and Lesnar, and thus gave largely negative reactions throughout the performance.[49][50] Goldberg won the match, causing Lesnar to show Austin and the crowd a middle finger, but he instead received a Stone Cold Stunner in return, and as Goldberg celebrated his victory with Austin, he also received a Stone Cold Stunner.[49]
Legends of Wrestling (2015–2016)
Goldberg made his return to professional wrestling on June 7, 2015 at the Legends of Wrestling show at Citi Field in New York. While he was not scheduled to wrestle at the event, Goldberg came to the aid of Rob Van Dam after his match with Scott Steiner. He performed a spear on Steiner and a Jackhammer on Doc Gallows.[51]
On January 23, 2016, Goldberg made a second return for the Legends of Wrestling event in Miami, where he delivered another spear to Steiner after his match with Chavo Guerrero.[52]
Return to WWE (2016-present)
On May 31, 2016, Goldberg was announced as the pre-order bonus for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game.[53][54] Throughout the summer, Goldberg and WWE 2K17 cover star and former rival Brock Lesnar traded insults with each other through social media and WWE 2K events such as Gamescom.[55] Goldberg would also appear at the WWE 2K SummerSlam event the weekend before the pay-per-view event took place, fueling speculation he would be appearing at the event to confront Lesnar.[56] This led to Paul Heyman challenging Goldberg to face Lesnar on the October 10 episode of Raw,[55] with Heyman stating that Goldberg was the one blemish on Lesnar's WWE career, as Goldberg had defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania XX in 2004.[57] The following week on Raw, Goldberg returned to WWE for the first time in twelve years, accepting Heyman's challenge.[58] The match took place at Survivor Series, where Goldberg defeated Lesnar in 1 minute and 26 seconds.[59][60] Months later, Goldberg would participate in the 2017 Royal Rumble match, where he entered at number 28 and eliminated Lesnar following a brief confrontation and a spear, as well as eliminating Rusev and Luke Harper before being eliminated by The Undertaker.[61][62][63]
Lesnar then appeared on the following night's episode of Raw and challenged Goldberg to one final match at WrestleMania 33.[64] Goldberg would go on to accept Lesnar's challenge on the February 6 episode of Raw whilst interrupting Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho in the process.[65] At Fastlane, Goldberg would defeat Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship.[66][67] This led to a match against Lesnar at WrestleMania where Goldberg put his title on the line. However, Goldberg lost the title to Lesnar at WrestleMania in what was also his first clean singles loss in his entire career.[68][69] Goldberg appeared the following night on Raw Talk (which aired on the WWE Network after the Raw broadcast) to wish the fans farewell, but ultimately did not rule out a return in the future.[70]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Goldberg_WWE_HOF_2018_crop.jpg/170px-Goldberg_WWE_HOF_2018_crop.jpg)
On January 15, 2018, ESPN announced that Goldberg would be inducted as the headliner of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018. This was then confirmed on Raw when it was announced by WWE.[71] On March 25, Paul Heyman was announced to induct Goldberg into the Hall of Fame; the event occurred on April 6.[72]
Despite his Hall of Fame induction, Goldberg continued to wrestle for WWE. His next match was against The Undertaker at the Super ShowDown event on June 7, 2019.[73] During the match, Goldberg suffered a concussion a few minutes into the match, which severely affected his performance, botching several moves until Undertaker won the match.[74][75] His next match was at SummerSlam, where he defeated Dolph Ziggler.[76] After six months of inactivity, Goldberg returned to WWE on the February 7, 2020 episode of SmackDown, when he appeared via satellite and challenged "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt to a match for the Universal Championship, which Wyatt accepted, setting up a match between the two for Super ShowDown.[77] At Super ShowDown on February 27, Goldberg defeated The Fiend to win the Universal Championship for the second time, becoming the first wrestler to win a world championship after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.[78] During the following weeks, WWE scheduled a match between Goldberg and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36 for the Universal Championship,[79] but after Reigns opted to pull out amid concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Goldberg’s opponent was changed to Braun Strowman.[80] At WrestleMania, Goldberg lost the Universal Championship to Strowman.[81][82]
Legacy
Goldberg's rapid rise to popularity in WCW led the WWF to parody Goldberg during the Attitude Era with longtime jobber Duane Gill being repackaged as Gillberg. Goldberg initially wasn't happy with the parody, but later embraced the Gillberg character and was happy that Gill was able to have a run with the character. The two would eventually confront each other on Raw during Goldberg's run with WWE in 2003, in which he quickly dispatched Gillberg.[83]
Trying to replicate WCW's success with Goldberg, WWE began pushing Ryback in 2012 in a similar manner to Goldberg, leading to the portmanteau of "Ryberg" to be devised by fans and commentators for Ryback.[84][85] In October 2012, after Ryback used the Jackhammer move used by Goldberg during a match against Kofi Kingston, Goldberg would respond by stating, "now comparisons offend me".[86] Spectators at WWE events had been chanting "Goldberg" during Ryback's matches from 2012, which Ryback said "never bothered [him]".[87] In response to podcast host and mixed martial artist Chael Sonnen's confusion about Ryback's appeal in late 2014, former WWE writer Jon Piermarini noted that the creative staff were doing "essentially the exact same thing they did with the character when it did not work or catch on the first time" and would only continue to get Goldberg's character over as Ryback.[88] Goldberg would return to WWE around the same time Ryback asked for and was granted his release from the company in 2016.
Many promotions would parody Goldberg's infamous streak, including WWE on multiple occasions, albeit with a losing streak such as with the aforementioned Gillberg as well as Curt Hawkins. In 2014, Ring of Honor started a gimmick for R. D. Evans, where he began gloating about his win streak, which he dubbed the "New Streak",[89] although all of his wins came over jobbers or by disqualification over serious wrestlers like Michael Elgin and Roderick Strong.[90][91] His streak eventually ended later that year.
However, Bret Hart, a wrestler who retired after Goldberg botched a move, has been highly critical with his work, stating that "His wrestling, his workrate was 0/10".[92]
Other media
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/B-Goldberg.jpg/170px-B-Goldberg.jpg)
Goldberg sponsored the Monster Jam truck "Goldberg", which was driven by Tom Meents from 2000 to 2001 as part of a deal between WCW and FELD Motorsports. The truck was very successful winning the Monster Jam World Finals Racing championship in both 2000 and 2001 and the Freestyle championship in 2001. The partnership ended after WCW was bought by WWE, and the truck was renamed to "Team Meents," which later became Maximum Destruction.
Goldberg co-authored his own biography with his brother Steve. It was entitled "I’m Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero.”[93] and released on November 14, 2000.
In 2014, Goldberg started his own podcast entitled Who's Next?! With Bill Goldberg, which includes weekly guest interviews.
Film and television
Goldberg began acting while working for WCW in 1999. His appearance in Universal Soldier: The Return corresponded with him being featured in the music video.[94] He was a special guest star on Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. On the show he showed the contestants his various power moves and also how to hit an opponent with a steel chair. He went on to host three seasons of the Speed Channel show Bullrun.
In 2005, Goldberg also starred in the Happy Madison produced Adam Sandler movie The Longest Yard, as an inmate, along with fellow wrestlers Kevin Nash, The Great Khali, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, as well as actors Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds among others. In the same year he was also the host of The History Channel documentary series Auto-Maniac and later starred in the movie Santa's Slay where he plays a homicidal Santa Claus who goes on a killing spree on Christmas. In 2007, Goldberg starred in the thriller/drama film Half Past Dead 2 alongside rapper Kurupt.[citation needed]
In March 2010, Goldberg appeared on the ninth season of Donald Trump's reality series The Celebrity Apprentice and was eliminated in the sixth episode.[95] In 2016, Goldberg starred in the documentary film Nine Legends alongside other notable wrestlers, former boxing star Mike Tyson and UFC fighter Randy Couture.[96]
In 2017, Goldberg made his first appearance in the fifth season of The Goldbergs as Coach Nick Mellor, the brother of recurring character Coach Rick Mellor.[97]
In 2018, Bill Goldberg appeared on a knife-based action show called Forged in Fire: Knife or Death, appearing on History channel, as the host. He appeared in Season 10 Episode 7 ("One of Us") of NCIS:LA as Special Agent Lance Hamilton.[98]
He also stared in the film American Satan (2017) as the tour manager/bodyguard for a heavy metal band called The Relentless.[99]
Video games
Goldberg is a playable character in numerous video games, including WCW Nitro,[100] WCW/nWo Revenge,[101] WCW/nWo Thunder,[102] WCW Mayhem,[103] WCW Backstage Assault,[104] WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE Raw 2,[105] WWE SuperCard, WWE Champions, Fire Pro Wrestling,[106] WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain,[107] WWE 2K14,[108] WWE 2K17 (for which he was the pre-order bonus),[109] WWE 2K18,[110] WWE 2K19.[111] and WWE 2K20.
Mixed martial arts color commentary
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Bill_goldberg.jpg/220px-Bill_goldberg.jpg)
In August 2002, during his professional wrestling tenure in Japan, Goldberg served as color commentator in mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion Pride Fighting Championship. He also participated in MMA training sessions, though without intention to compete himself.[112] Around this time, Goldberg was challenged by Bob Sapp to either a professional wrestling match or a mixed martial arts fight, but nothing came from it.[112] On July 22, 2006, Goldberg served again as color commentator, this time in World Fighting Alliance (WFA) King of the Streets's pay-per-view in Los Angeles, California. When asked whether he was interested in becoming a mixed martial artist, Goldberg stated, "I'd love to, especially if I was 21 or even 29, but these guys are so far ahead of me in terms of experience. I never say never, though. But I don't see myself stopping my movies, my shows, my commentating, or being a dad to do that". On June 2, 2007, Goldberg also commentated on K-1 Dynamite USA.
Goldberg became a color commentator for the EliteXC organization during their inaugural event. The event, EliteXC Destiny, was broadcast live on Showtime, on February 10, 2007. He continued in this role through all of EliteXC's showcase and combined cards, including Dynamite!! USA, Strikeforce Shamrock vs. Baroni, EliteXC: Renegade, and EliteXC: Street Certified, until the organization was defunct in 2008.
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/US_Navy_050519-N-7130B-003_Professional_wrestling_champion_and_actor_Bill_Goldberg_takes_a_moment_to_pose_with_the_photographers_of_Operations_Department%27s_OP_Division_during_his_tour_of_USS_Ronald_Reagan_%28CVN_76%29.jpg/220px-thumbnail.jpg)
On April 10, 2005, Goldberg married Wanda Ferraton, a stunt double whom he met while filming Santa's Slay.[113] They reside in Bonsall, California, and have one son together named Gage.[114]
Goldberg co-owns and operates the Extreme Power Gym Muay Thai and amateur boxing training facility in Oceanside, California.[115] He also owns over 25 vintage cars,[16] including a Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible, Shelby Cobra 427, and a Mustang Boss 429 "Lawman" (one of the two cars used in the Vietnam War to entertain the U.S. Army).
Goldberg has a long scar on the right side of his torso from a tear suffered during a college football game that required surgery to repair. He also acquired a scar on his right forearm from an altercation in WCW which kept him out of action for quite some time due to the surgery needed to fix.[116] He has a large tribal tattoo on his left upper shoulder (which became his professional wrestling logo) and a skull on the inside of his right bicep.
Philanthropy
In January 2016, Goldberg and entertainment impresario Uncle Louie started a joint venture with disabled Air Force veteran Reinaldo Horday called "Combat Crate", offering a crate of exclusive memorabilia with 100% of the profit from the inaugural crate going to Wounded Warriors of South Florida.[117]
Goldberg is an animal welfare advocate and an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) spokesman, and has addressed the United States Congress in order to raise awareness of illegal animal fighting.[118] Goldberg participated regularly in the Jimmy V Golf Classic, and visits with children in local hospitals who are undergoing cancer treatment.[119][120][121][122][123]
Filmography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Bill_Goldberg.jpg/220px-Bill_Goldberg.jpg)
The filmography includes his appearances in TV series and documentaries, and projects he has produced, but does not include his pro-wrestling appearances on televised productions.
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1999 | The Jesse Ventura Story | Luger |
Universal Soldier: The Return | Romeo | |
2000 | Ready to Rumble | Himself |
2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | Mr. Smith |
2005 | The Longest Yard | Joey “Battle“ Battaglio |
The Kid & I | Himself | |
Santa's Slay | Santa Claus | |
2007 | Half Past Dead 2 | William Burke |
2010 | Kill Speed | Big Bad John |
Holly, Jingles and Clyde 3D | Gus | |
2015 | Wrestling Isn't Wrestling | Himself |
2016 | Nine Legends | Himself |
2017 | Check Point | T.J. |
American Satan | Hawk | |
2018 | Con Man | Sax |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | The Love Boat: The Next Wave | Lou "The Pariah" Maguire | Episode: "Captain Courageous" |
1999 | Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends | Himself | Episode: "Wrestling" |
1999 | E! True Hollywood Story | Himself | Episode: "Hulk Hogan" |
2000 | The Man Show | Himself | Episode: "Holiday Show 2"[124] |
2002 | Yes, Dear | Big Guy | Episode: "Walk Like a Man" |
2002 | Family Guy | Angry bus passenger | Episode: "Family Guy Viewer Mail 1" |
2002 | Arliss | Himself | Episode: "In with the New" |
2002 | Kim Possible | Pain King | Episode: "Pain King vs. Cleopatra" |
2003 | Punk'd | Himself | Episode: "Beyonce and Lindsay Lohan" |
2004 | Monster Garage | Santa Claus | Episode: "Box-Truck Wrestling Ring" |
2005 | Modern Marvels | Episode: "Private Collections" | |
2005 | Desperate Housewives | Inmate | Episode: "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" |
2005 | Biker Build-Off | Host | [125] |
2005 | Automaniac | Host | [126] |
2005 | The Contender | Episode: "Who's Playing The Game?" | |
2006 | Pros vs. Joes | Episodes: "Can You PVJ Champ?" and "Can You Cover Jerry Rice?" | |
2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Cupid | Episode: "Loophole" |
2007–2010 | Bullrun | Host | |
2008 | Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling | Himself | Episode: "In-Ring Psychology" |
2008 | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? | Himself / Contestant | Ep. 3.15[127] |
2009–2011 | Garage Mahal | Host | with Brian Corsetti[128][129] |
2010 | The Celebrity Apprentice | Himself / Contestant | |
2017, 2019 | The Goldbergs | Nick Mellor | 8 episodes |
2018 | The Grand Tour | Himself | Celebrity guest |
2018 | The Flash | Big Sir | 2 episodes |
2018–2020 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Lance Hamilton | 3 episodes |
2018 | Forged in Fire: Knife or Death | Host (himself) | 6 episodes |
2019 | Schooled | Nick Mellor | Episode: "Friendsgiving" |
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Comeback of the Year (2016)[130]
- Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1998)[130]
- Rookie of the Year (1998)[130]
- Ranked No. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1998[131]
- Ranked No. 75 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003[132]
- Rolling Stone
- Ranked No. 5 of the 10 best WWE wrestlers of 2016[133]
- World Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Rookie of the Year (1998)[136]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g Milner, John. "Bill Goldberg Biography". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "Bill Goldberg's Accelerator profile". Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ "Goldberg " Wrestlers Database " CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Goldberg bio". WWE. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
- ^ a b "Biography". Billgoldberg.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ a b "WCW Road Wild - Saturday, 08/08/98". www.ddtdigest.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ a b "WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, 02/22/99". www.ddtdigest.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ "WCW 1997 results"., Saturday Night taping, against Buddy Landel
- ^ "How long was Goldberg's undefeated streak?". Fox Sports. November 15, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ Paul Farhi, "Goldberg: A David in Goliath's Shoes", Washington Post, December 9, 1999.
- ^ Crevar, Alex "Goldberg Rules the Ring Archived August 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine", University of Georgia
- ^ a b "Eye to Eye With Goldberg". IGN. March 16, 1999. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ "Longtime obstetrician Jed Goldberg dies". Tulsa World.
- ^ Scheiber, Dave. "The garden's obsession". St. Petersburg Times. April 22, 2000.
- ^ Oksenhorn, Stewart. "Rock Startup: Michael Goldberg Bellies up to the Music Business". Aspen Times. Archived from the original on April 28, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2005.
- ^ a b Handler, Judd. "The Hebrew Hulk". San Diego Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009.
- ^ Reilly, Rick "Wrestling with Their Son's Career", Sports Illustrated
- ^ Bill Goldberg, Steve Goldberg (2000) I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero, (Crown Publishers) Page 160–161
- ^ Pope, Kristian (2005). Tuff Stuff Professional Wrestling Field Guide: Legend and Lore. Krause Publicati. p. 180. ISBN 0896892670.
- ^ "WCW 1997". Thehistoryofwwe.com. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ "WCW Nitro: March 16th 1998: Goldberg vs. Lodi". YouTube. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ "Goldberg's first United States Championship reign". WWE. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ "WCW Thunder – Wednesday, 04/22/98". DDT Digest. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ Davies, Ross (2002). Bill Goldberg (1st ed.). New York: Rosen Publishing Group. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-8239-3495-9.
- ^ "Goldberg Reveals Favorite Match in His Career, Why He Was Never Able To Replicate That Match, More". WrestlingInc.com. December 20, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Conner, Floyd (2000). "Gridiron Grapplers". Football's Most Wanted (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books. ISBN 978-1-57488-309-1. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^ Scherer, Dave (October 27, 2015). "Is WWE dissing Undertaker, pushing Dean, Goldberg's streak and more". PWInsider. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- ^ a b Alvarez, Bryan; Reynolds, R.D. (2004). The Death Of WCW. Toronto: ECW Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-55022-661-4.
- ^ Martin, Fin (February 26, 2016). "The Mail". Power Slam. Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on February 26, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ a b Schwartz, Nick (October 17, 2016). "How long was Goldberg's undefeated streak?". Fox Sports. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Jericho, Chris; Peter Thomas Fornatale (2008). A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex. London: Orion Books. p. 369. ISBN 978-0-7528-8446-2.
- ^ "Who's Next?". The Monday Night War: WWE vs. WCW. Season 1. Episode 10. October 21, 2014. 24 minutes in. WWE Network. WWE.
- ^ "Road Wild 1999 results". Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "Goldberg's second United States Championship reign". WWE. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ a b c "Bill Goldberg's OWOW Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on March 20, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ a b "WCW World Tag Team Championship history". Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "WCW Monday Nitro – December 20, 1999". DDT Digest. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "WCW Talent Contract Database". Pt.scribd.com. May 23, 2000. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Moore, Wesley. "WWE Raw (March 31, 2003) Results". WrestleView. Retrieved March 9, 2008.
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- ^ Guttman, James (May 12, 2003). "5/12 Raw review: Guttman's "alt perspective" review". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
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- ^ "Triple H vs. Goldberg vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Nash vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho in the Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "Triple H vs. Goldberg for the World Heavyweight Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "Goldberg's first World Heavyweight Championship reign". WWE. Archived from the original on April 7, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "World Heavyweight Championship Match: Goldberg def. Triple H to retain". WWE. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "Goldberg vs. Triple H vs. Kane in a No Disqualification Triple Threat for the World Heavyweight Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ a b Powell, John (March 15, 2004). "WrestleMania XX bombs". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
- ^ "The WrestleMania Disaster - Brock Lesnar vs Bill Goldberg". cageseats.com. October 15, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Faivish, Avi (June 8, 2015). "6/7 Legends of Wrestling at Citi Field in New York: Additional perspective on crowd size & event". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
- ^ "VIDEO: Goldberg Spears Scott Steiner at Legends of Wrestling". wrestlezone.com. June 8, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Artus, Matthew (May 31, 2016). "2K announces Goldberg as WWE 2K17 pre-order exclusive". WWE. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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- ^ a b Tedesco, Mike (October 10, 2016). "WWE RAW Results – 10/10/16 (Live from Oakland, Paul Heyman advertised to appear, Hell in a Cell hype)". WrestleView. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ "WWE News: Goldberg to promote WWE 2K17 during Summerslam weekend, possible return plans". sportskeeda.com. August 16, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Martin, Adam (March 14, 2004). "Full WWE WrestleMania XX PPV Results - 3/14/04 from Madison Square Garden". WrestleView. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- ^ Tedesco, Mike (October 17, 2016). "WWE RAW Results – 10/17/16 (Live from Denver, Bill Goldberg returns to WWE answering Heyman's challenge)". WrestleView. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ^ Adkins, Greg. "Goldberg def. Brock Lesnar". WWE. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ Powell, Jason (November 20, 2016). "Powell's WWE Survivor Series 2016 live review: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, three Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown elimination matches, IC and WWE Cruiserweight Title matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ Benigno, Anthony; Taylor, Scott. "Randy Orton won the 30-Superstar Royal Rumble Match". wwe.com. WWE. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ "Full 2017 Royal Rumble Match statistics: entrants, eliminations, times and more". WWE. January 30, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Powell, Jason (January 29, 2017). "1/29 Powell's WWE Royal Rumble 2017 live review: AJ Styles vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship, Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns in a No DQ match for the WWE Universal Championship with Chris Jericho in a shark cage". Pro Wreslting Dot Net. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Keller, Wade. "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 1/30: Ongoing coverage of Royal Rumble fallout including Owens celebration cut short by ominous Strowman news". pwtorch.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Keller, Wade. "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 2/6: Samoa Joe signs his Raw contract, Seth Rollins update, Bayley vs. Jax, Goldberg, more". pwtorch.com. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Benigno, Anthony. "Goldberg def. Kevin Owens to win the Universal Championship". WWE. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ Powell, Jason. "3/5 Powell's WWE Fastlane Live Review: Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg for the WWE Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman, Bayley vs. Charlotte for the Raw Women's Championship, Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn". Pro Wreslting Dot Net. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ Benigno, Anthony. "Brock Lesnar def. Goldberg to become new Universal Champion". WWE. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ Powell, Jason (April 2, 2017). "Powell's WrestleMania 33 live review: Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns, Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship, AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon, Seth Rollins vs. Triple H in an unsanctioned match". Pro Wreslting Dot Net. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ Elbe, Craig (April 4, 2017). "4/3 Raw Talk Review: Goldberg addresses family and fans after Raw goes off the air, plus Hardys, Bayley". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ a b Melok, Bobby. "Goldberg to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018". WWE. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ "Paul Heyman to induct Goldberg into WWE Hall of Fame". WWE. March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Undertaker, Goldberg to clash for first time ever at WWE Super ShowDown". WWE. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/footage-surfaces-goldberg-collapsing-after-his-match-undertaker-wwe-super-showdown
- ^ Powell, Jason. "WWE Super ShowDown results: Powell's live review of Undertaker vs. Goldberg, Seth Rollins vs. Baron for the WWE Universal Championship, Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship, Triple H vs. Randy Orton, Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ Powell, Jason. "WWE SummerSlam results: Powell's live review of Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship, Kofi Kingston vs. Samoa Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon, Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ Powell, Jason (February 7, 2020). "2/7 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Goldberg's return, Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi vs. Carmella vs. Dana Brooke in a four-way for a future championship match, Bray Wyatt's Firefly Funhouse, The Dirt Sheet with The Miz and John Morrison". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ Benigno, Anthony (February 27, 2020). "Goldberg def. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt to become the new Universal Champion". WWE. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ Barnett, Jake (February 28, 2020). "2/28 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Barnett's review of John Cena's return, Goldberg's first appearance since winning the WWE Universal Championship at WWE Super ShowDown". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Strowman to battle Goldberg for Universal Championship at WrestleMania". WWE. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (April 4, 2020). "Braun Strowman def. Goldberg to become the new Universal Champion". WWE. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Powell, Jason (April 4, 2020). "WrestleMania 36 results: Powell's live review of night one featuring Goldberg vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship, Undertaker vs. AJ Styles in a Boneyard match, Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler for the Raw Women's Championship, Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens". Pro Wreslting Dot Net. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (October 26, 2018). "Bill Goldberg On His Reaction To Seeing Gillberg On WWE | Fightful Wrestling". www.fightful.com. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
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- ^ Gould, Grant (June 7, 2012). "WWE Raw Reax #3: More frustration with state of WWE TV, was there a hidden message behind Cena embarrassing Cole?". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- ^ "Bill Goldberg Twitter update". Twitter. October 22, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ Roberts, Sam (December 4, 2014). "Sam Roberts & Ryback on Wrestlemania, Vince McMahon, Goldberg chants, & more (12:40 and 15:14)". Sam Roberts's YouTube channel. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ Sonnen, Chael. "You're Welcome! With Chael Sonnen". Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- ^ "ROH/New Japan live coverage from Toronto". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. May 10, 2014. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
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- ^ Gee Schoon Tong, Chris (February 9, 2014). "Show results - 2/8 ROH in San Antonio, Tex.: Briscoe retains his version of the ROH Title, new #1 contender, tag champs lose, Bennett uses Punk's finisher, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ^ "Bret Hart: "Las habilidades de Goldberg en el ring eran de 0 sobre 10"". Superluchas. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ Bill Goldberg, Steve Goldberg (2000) I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero, (Crown Publishers)
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- ^ ""Celebrity Apprentice:" Goldberg Eliminated". CBS News. April 19, 2010.
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- ^ a b "August 2002 News Archive". Ichiban Puroresu. August 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ As stated in that movie's audio commentary.
- ^ "IGN Interview: Bullrun's Bill Goldberg". IGN. March 13, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
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- ^ I'm Next: The Goldberg Autobiography
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- ^ "Celebrities tee it up at Pinehurst for V Foundation - USATODAY.com". usatoday.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
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- ^ Adam's The Man Show (May 31, 2016). "Man Show - Hanukkah With Goldberg". Retrieved October 30, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ Leatherman, Benjamin (July 18, 2014). "Wrestling Legend Bill Goldberg on What It Takes to Be a Real Man These Days". phoenixnewtimes.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Johnson, Davey G. "Goldberg Gets Gangsta: History Channel's New Automaniac to Profile Famous Rides of the Past". jalopnik.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ "Goldberg on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader"". wwe.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
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- ^ a b c "PWI Awards". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Kappa Publishing Group. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
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- ^ "WWE United States Championship". Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 26, 2011). "Biggest issue of the year: The 2011 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, CA: 1–40. ISSN 1083-9593.
References
- Goldberg, Bill and Goldberg, Steve (2000) I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero, ISBN 0-609-60780-4.
External links
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