There have been lots of moves and takedowns similar to the spear before the late 1990s but the move as we know it was invented and popularised by Billy Goldberg. Fresh out of the WCW Power Plant, Goldberg exploded onto WCW television and instantly got over with his plethora of power moves. One of those moves was the spear, a charging move that was akin to an American Football tackle that he used to set up for his other finisher, the Jackhammer. Edge saw how over the move was and wanted to use it but he was hesitant to do so, as he didn't want to disrespect Goldberg. Edge's Brood buddy Gangrel convinced Edge that every move in wrestling was stolen and so the Rated-R Superstar went with it. Interestingly, Goldberg disclosed on his podcast recently that WWE had told him to stop using the move when he came to WWE in 2003 because Edge used it. Of course, Edge spent all of Goldberg's run on the bench with a major neck injury, so this was nonsense. Besides, it was Goldberg's move and an important part of the package. Roman Reigns is now using the move as a finish in his quest to become 'The Man'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmIoLi0hjVw
