In September 1997, Bill Goldberg made his WCW debut by tearing through veteran competitor Hugh Morris and immediately establishing himself as a dominant force in the wrestling world. That he spoke no words when prompted by "Mean" Gene Okerlund created a mystique for the character that helped get it over with the audience at large. With every passing week, Goldberg gained momentum by destroying a new opponent, looking into the camera and asking, "Who's next?" Goldberg would enter arenas across the country by walking through a wall of pyrotechnics and blowing smoke. It was an awe-inspiring visual that helped tremendously with the overall presentation of the character. Fans migrated to the bald-headed ass-kicker and rabidly cheered him on as he grew his undefeated streak from 1-0 to 100-0 and, finally, 173-0. While the NWO was growing stale and bookers proved unwilling to push any bright young stars to the top spots in the company, Goldberg kept interest in World Championship Wrestling alive. Through all of the disorganization and power struggles, Goldberg was the one invaluable piece of the overall puzzle for the Turner-owned company. Even as WCW was on its deathbed, Goldberg remained its biggest draw.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
