On September 22nd, 1997, Bill Goldberg made his televised in-ring debut for World Championship Wrestling. Previously, the man had appeared in various dark matches as 'Bill Gold'. That name lacked the impact of his legitimate surname however, so it's a good job WCW went with Goldberg! His debut match was against Bill 'Hugh Morrus' DeMott on an episode of Nitro. Winning the bout in short order, Bill started a winning streak that would last well over one full year. Fans were enthused by Goldberg's style, which seemed very rough around the edges, but solid. There was nothing especially flashy about the man, which stood out amidst the likes of Sting, Ric Flair and Hollywood Hogan. Instead of cutting promos, Goldberg was all business. Nitro became the man's main battle ground, and he bedded into the WCW roster very quickly. It's remarkable to think now, but Goldberg's push and winning streak happened organically. Eric Bischoff and other management viewed him as a mean-looking dude, but not necessarily as a ready-made star waiting to happen.
