Few wrestlers in history burst onto the scene like Bill Goldberg did in WCW. After an injury ended his seven-year NFL career, the former defensive tackle shifted his athletic focus to professional wrestling. The rigorous training circuit at WCW’s Power Plant and a handful of dark matches led to Goldberg’s televised debut on September 22, 1997, against Hugh Morris, and he never looked back.
Goldberg became a worldwide sensation as the stoic and intense monster who amassed win after win with his signature maneuvers, the Spear and Jackhammer, morphing into the infamous undefeated streak of 173 victories. Nearly ten months into his career, Goldberg captured the World Heavyweight Championship. He became WCW’s top star during the industry’s peak of popularity.
Following WWE’s acquisition of WCW in 2001, Goldberg signed a one-year deal with WWE in 2003, where his run left a lot to be desired. A shocking return twelve years later led to a run that made up for the sins of his initial outing with the company, until it didn’t for a few years. Goldberg rebounded with some fun matches and closed out his career on the July 12, 2025, edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event in a losing effort to Gunther.
Goldberg faced some criticism for a lack of wrestling skills. His style was never about technical expertise. Instead, it was about fierce brutality in the ring. Goldberg looked like and wrestled like someone who could take on the world. That’s exactly what fans wanted to see, and his impact was undeniable.
Let’s take a look at the best matches of Bill Goldberg’s career.
10. Vs. The Giant – WCW Monday Nitro 11/23/98 – Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan:
The height of Goldberg’s popularity was an unprecedented phenomenon in professional wrestling. His sheer intensity made you believe he could beat anyone. People tuned in by the millions to watch Goldberg steamroll his opponents. No match captures Goldberg’s incredible dominance better than his one-and-a-half-minute destruction of The Giant with the most unforgettable Jackhammer ever.
9. Vs. Brock Lesnar – Survivor Series 2016: Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
Goldberg’s swift destruction of Brock Lesnar was reminiscent of a prime Mike Tyson fight. Each moment was more surprising than the next. The match was a return to form for Goldberg. WWE finally booked him like the monster that ran roughshod in WCW. It was nostalgic bliss for old-school fans, while modern fans finally caught on to the aura of Goldberg. The expedited affair accomplished more than a standard back-and-forth match ever could.
8. Vs. Sting – WCW Monday Nitro 9/14/98 – BI-LO Center in Greenville, South Carolina:
One week shy of his first year as a professional wrestler, Goldberg defended the WCW Championship against Sting. This was the first time Goldberg wrestled a babyface. It was against the man who, for a long time, was considered the franchise of WCW. That role now belonged to Goldberg.
It was a dream match of the past and present. The red-clad Sting of the nWo Wolfpack set out to prove he was still the man in WCW. The crowd reaction was incredible. Sting trapped Goldberg in the Scorpion Deathlock and squeezed as if his life depended on it. Unfortunately, Hulk Hogan’s interference detracts from what is otherwise a good time on a Monday night.
7. Elimination Chamber Match – Vs. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Nash vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton – SummerSlam 2003 – America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona:
Goldberg didn’t quite hit the ground running when he debuted in WWE. Unfortunately, he was booked in 50/50 matches instead of showcasing the unstoppable force that made him a household name. Simply put, fans booed him. The initiated didn’t get the Goldberg they knew from WCW, leaving the uninitiated unimpressed.
SummerSlam changed fan perception of Goldberg. Nash was gone by the time Goldberg entered the chamber. He eliminated Orton, Michaels, and Jericho in dominant succession, looking like a superhero vanquishing a rogue’s gallery.
However, he lost to an injured Triple H thanks to a sledgehammer assist. While the wrong guy won, the match rehabbed Goldberg’s image by highlighting him as an intense human wrecking machine.
6. Vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan – WCW Monday Nitro 7/6/98 – Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia:
Goldberg’s defining moment against Hogan is one of the most-watched wrestling matches in the history of cable television, drawing 11.1 million viewers. 41,000 fans piled into the Georgia Dome to witness a changing of the guard in WCW.
Goldberg was already the U.S. Champion. However, Hogan felt Goldberg didn’t deserve a title shot. He stacked the deck by making Goldberg wrestle a hand-picked “nWo-ite” first. Scott Hall drew the assignment, and Goldberg beat him in six minutes.
Nine months and sixteen days into his professional career, Goldberg beat Hollywood Hulk Hogan to become the World Heavyweight Champion. A match of this magnitude would usually headline a pay-per-view. Instead, it aired on free TV and with only four days’ notice.
Fans were eager to see Hogan finally unable to weasel his way through another title defense. Hulk put up a fight, but couldn’t avoid the fate that befell 111 people before him.
5. Vs. Kevin Nash – Spring Stampede 1999 – Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington:
Kevin Nash infamously ended Goldberg’s undefeated streak at Starrcade 1998, thanks to a taser gun assist from Scott Hall. The rematch allowed Goldberg to avenge his sole defeat. Nash dominated the first half of the match, which was surreal to see unfold. No one had that type of success against Goldberg.
Eventually, Goldberg came back with a vengeance and thwarted outside interference from Miss Elizabeth and Lex Luger. Another impressive sight was Nash leapfrogging a Goldberg Spear in an unexpected referee bump. Goldberg got his win back from Nash in one of the best matches of their respective careers.
4. Vs. Scott Steiner – Fall Brawl 2000 – Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York:
This no-disqualification hoss battle was one of the few bright spots in 2000 for WCW. Two monstrous titans who usually smashed the competition threw everything at each other but the kitchen sink. It was Godzilla versus King Ghidorah, trading power moves and stiff shots. Goldberg and Steiner exuded an intense desire to destroy the other.
Fall Brawl was one of the rare times Goldberg faced someone who could throw him around, as Steiner was in full suplex machine mode. Not to be outdone, Goldberg impressively gorilla pressed Big Poppa Pump over his head several times. Needless interference from Vince Russo and Midajah took some steam out of the match. Still, the encounter lived up to the baddassery of their respective characters.
3. Vs. Perry Saturn – Spring Stampede 1998 – Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colorado:
Match number seventy-four of Goldberg’s undefeated streak happened on the night before his United States Championship match against Raven. While Raven was the champion and the puppet master of The Flock, Saturn was the group’s enforcer. With some help from The Flock, Saturn aimed to weaken Goldberg for Raven and pushed him to the limit.
Saturn mixed up his attack between the ground game and a high-flying assault to avoid going toe-to-toe with Goldberg. Impressively, Goldberg powered out of the Rings of Saturn, a popular submission hold at the time, and hoisted him up for the Jackhammer. Goldberg’s style complemented Saturn’s hybrid repertoire, making his first hard-fought pay-per-view battle an underrated gem.
2. Vs. Brock Lesnar – WrestleMania 33 – Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida:
Thirteen years earlier, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar had the worst high-profile match in WrestleMania history. Now, with the Universal Championship on the line, a fierce four minutes and forty-five seconds in Orlando delivered a redemption performance. It was Hulk vs. Doomsday, ruthlessly trading powerful moves from their arsenal. Their fight was an energetic sprint from start to finish, exactly what it needed to be.
Honorable Mention – Vs. Lord Steven Regal – WCW Monday Nitro 2/9/98 – Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas:
No, your eyes do not deceive you. The legendary Goldberg/Regal match is one of the top highlights of Goldberg’s career… Let me explain.
Regal was booked to be Goldberg’s most formidable challenge. It was a six-minute match instead of the ninety-second squash matches Goldberg usually worked. The bell rang, and Goldberg was lost. Depending on who you ask, either Regal purposely exploited Goldberg’s inexperience, or Goldberg’s lack of response in the ring forced Regal’s hand.
Here is where it becomes a tale of two matches.
If you were an internet wrestling fan who knows the minutia of it all, the match was a slopfest of blown spots and held as an indictment of Goldberg’s lack of skill. However, if you were a fan who solely followed wrestling on TV, it was the best match of Goldberg’s young career.
In a different era of WCW, Steven (William) Regal was a dastardly villain who ruled the television title scene. Therefore, it made sense that he gave Goldberg a run for his money, as he had the credentials to do so.
Fans wanted to see how Goldberg would fare against an opponent who would finally give him some competition. Although there were some hiccups during the match, it still effectively demonstrated Goldberg’s ability to handle adversity.
1. Vs. Diamond Dallas Page – Halloween Havoc 1998 – MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada:
Goldberg appeared to be on the verge of another victory until he accidentally collided his shoulder with the steel post. In an unfamiliar sight, Goldberg was hurt, and it changed the tone of the match. DDP took full advantage of the moment. A one-armed Goldberg tried to lift DDP for the Jackhammer, only to catch a perfectly executed Diamond Cutter.
Excitement filled the MGM Grand Arena as the streak was in jeopardy. DDP was too tired to immediately follow up with a pinfall attempt. DDP eventually made the slow crawl for a two-count. DDP tried to follow up with a vertical suplex, but Goldberg used the momentum to counter with a Jackhammer for the win.
DDP gets a lot of credit for being the maestro in the ring that night, but Goldberg deserves his flowers, too. It takes two to tango, and matches with two babyfaces wrestling each other are hard to pull off. Goldberg needed to show he can be more than a one-man wrecking unit, which he did by allowing himself to be vulnerable to the point of concern.
Goldberg’s first comeback victory was a compelling story, and DDP was the perfect opponent.
RingsideLogic.com 