William Scott Goldberg, born on December 27, 1966, is an American retired professional wrestler, actor, former professional football player, former mixed martial artist, and color commentator. Goldberg is best known for his time in WCW and WWE.
He is one of the most popular figures of the professional wrestling boom during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Goldberg rose to fame in WCW with a lengthy undefeated streak in singles competition from 1997 to 1998, became the highest paid WCW wrestler, and led the company as its franchise player and public face until it was sold to WWE in 2001.
Here are some facts about the iconic wrestler:
Early Life and Football Career
William Scott Goldberg was born into a Reform Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His mother, Ethel, is a classical violinist, while his father, Jed, was an obstetrician and gynecologist. Goldberg is proud of his Jewish heritage and refused to hide it in the wrestling world, including refusing to wrestle on Yom Kippur.
Before his wrestling career, Goldberg earned a scholarship to attend the University of Georgia and play college football for the Georgia Bulldogs as a defensive tackle. On February 4, 1992, Goldberg was selected by the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football (WLAF) in the seventh round, with the 68th overall pick, of the 1992 WLAF draft. The Surge finished the season with an 8-2 record and advanced to World Bowl '92, where they defeated the Orlando Thunder by a score of 21-17.
Read also: Discover the story of Casey Swiderski
Goldberg became a free agent after the 1992 WLAF season and signed with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. He made his NFL debut on December 3, 1992, wearing jersey number #71. Overall, Goldberg played in four games, starting one, for the Falcons during the 1992 season and posted two tackles. He became close with Deion Sanders during this time.
In 1995, he was selected by the new expansion team the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL expansion draft. On April 20, 1995, he was cut by the Panthers; becoming the first player ever released by the team. Goldberg's NFL career ended when he "tore his lower abdomen off his pelvis," leading him to pursue wrestling.
WCW Career
Following the end of his professional football career, Goldberg began training in powerlifting and mixed martial arts as part of his rehabilitation.
Goldberg made his televised debut on the September 22 episode of Monday Nitro, where he defeated Hugh Morrus in what would be the first of a long series of victories. Over the following months, he was booked to win matches in dominant fashion, often defeating opponents in under two minutes.
Goldberg made his first pay-per-view appearance at Halloween Havoc on October 26, assisting Alex Wright in defeating Steve McMichael. The following month, he faced McMichael in his first pay-per-view match at Starrcade on December 28, emerging victorious.
Read also: Sectional Wrestling Tournament Details
On the April 20 episode of Nitro, Goldberg defeated Raven to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. A title match between the two was announced for the July 6 episode of Nitro, held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Before facing Hogan, Goldberg was required to first defeat Hogan's nWo ally Scott Hall in an impromptu match. Goldberg won both contests, capturing the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in front of over 40,000 fans in his hometown.
His undefeated streak culminated at Starrcade on December 27, where he lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to Kevin Nash. The match ended Goldberg's reign at 175 days, and the company promoted the loss as breaking his 173-0 undefeated record.
At Spring Stampede on April 11, 1999, Goldberg defeated Kevin Nash, avenging his first career loss from the previous year. During this hiatus, Goldberg began filming his role in the action film Universal Soldier: The Return alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme.
At Starrcade on December 19, Goldberg challenged Hart for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Goldberg delivered a kick that legitimately caused Hart a concussion and a neck injury. Despite this, the match continued and ended when special guest referee Roddy Piper awarded the victory to Hart via submission, although Goldberg had not tapped out.
On the December 23 episode of Thunder, Goldberg sustained a serious injury while performing a scripted segment in which he attempted to break the windows of a limousine. During the segment, he punched through a real window with his forearm, severing an artery.
Read also: The story of Angelo Posada
Goldberg returned to WCW on the May 29, 2000, episode of Nitro, interfering in a handicap match involving Kevin Nash. At The Great American Bash on June 11, he turned heel for the first time in his career by attacking Nash during a WCW World Heavyweight Championship match and aligning with the New Blood faction. The alliance was short-lived due to another injury, after which Goldberg returned as a face once again.
In October, WCW management-represented on-screen by Russo-introduced a storyline ultimatum: Goldberg would be forced to retire if he suffered another loss before matching his previous 173-match undefeated streak. At Sin on January 14, 2001, Goldberg teamed with his trainer DeWayne Bruce in a no-disqualification tag team match against Totally Buff. In March, WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Goldberg, who was still recovering from surgery, did not join the WWF roster.
Goldberg’s most dominant moments: WWE Playlist
AJPW and WWE Career
Goldberg had suffered an arm injury during the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in April 2002. In August 2002, he returned to the ring in Japan. He initially joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), defeating Satoshi Kojima and Taiyō Kea.
After leaving Japan, Goldberg signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in March 2003. A promo video announcing his arrival aired during WrestleMania XIX.
At SummerSlam on August 24, he participated in the Elimination Chamber match, eliminating Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho before being pinned by Triple H, who used a sledgehammer provided by Ric Flair to retain the title. The feud continued, leading to a Title vs. Career match at Unforgiven on September 21, where Goldberg defeated Triple H to win the championship.
In early 2004, Goldberg entered a feud with Brock Lesnar. At the Royal Rumble event on January 25, Lesnar interfered in the Royal Rumble match, leading to Goldberg's elimination by Kurt Angle. Goldberg would then interfere in Lesnar's WWE Championship defense against Eddie Guerrero at No Way Out on February 15, costing him the title.
Goldberg made his return to professional wrestling on June 7, 2015, at the Legends of Wrestling show at Citi Field in New York. While he was not scheduled to wrestle at the event, Goldberg came to the aid of Rob Van Dam after his match with Scott Steiner.
Lesnar then appeared on the following night's episode of Raw and challenged Goldberg to one final match at WrestleMania 33. At Fastlane, Goldberg would defeat Owens for the Universal Championship. This led to a match against Lesnar at WrestleMania where Goldberg put his title on the line.
On January 15, 2018, ESPN announced that Goldberg would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Despite his Hall of Fame induction, Goldberg continued to wrestle for WWE.
After a nine-month hiatus, Goldberg faced Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2021, but was unsuccessful in winning the title.
Goldberg returned on the July 19 episode of Raw, its first episode in front of a live audience in over a year, to confront WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, teasing a potential match between the two. At SummerSlam on August 23, Goldberg lost due to not being able to continue after incurring a knee injury.
Hall of Fame and Legacy
On March 25, Paul Heyman was announced to induct Goldberg into the Hall of Fame; the event occurred on April 6. Goldberg has headlined multiple WCW and WWE pay-per-view events, including closing WCW’s premier annual event, Starrcade, on two occasions (1998 and 1999).
He is the only person to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship, and the WWE Universal Championship.
Quick Facts About Goldberg
- Born: December 27, 1966, in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
- Weight: 285 lb (129 kg)
- Trained by: DeWayne Bruce, WCW Power Plant
- Debut: June 23, 1997
Net Worth, Family, and Income
Goldberg has an estimated net worth of $16 million. He is married to Wanda Ferraton since 2005, and they have one son, Gage. Goldberg has a reported annual income of $2 million.
Wrestling Record
According to Cagematch.net, Goldberg has wrestled a total of 383 matches throughout his WCW and WWE career.
Championships and Accomplishments
Goldberg's career is highlighted by numerous championships and accomplishments:
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship: 1 time
- WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: 2 times
- WCW World Tag Team Championship: 1 time (with Bret Hart)
- WWE World Heavyweight Championship: 1 time
- WWE Universal Championship: 2 times
- WWE Hall of Fame: Class of 2018
| Championship | Times Won | Year |
|---|---|---|
| WCW World Heavyweight Championship | 1 | 1998 |
| WCW United States Heavyweight Championship | 2 | 1998, 1999 |
| WCW World Tag Team Championship | 1 | 1999 |
| WWE World Heavyweight Championship | 1 | 2003 |
| WWE Universal Championship | 2 | 2017, 2020 |