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.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
