Goldberg Beats Hollywood Hogan For The WCW World Heavyweight Championship

A former member of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Goldberg turned to professional wrestling in 1997. What followed was the single most impressive rookie campaign in WCW history. With no prior wrestling experience, Goldberg used his immense size to rack up an improbable 173-0 record. With each passing victory, the newcomer confidently questioned, “Who’s next?”

Goldberg’s early WCW days saw him pick up impressive wins over seasoned veterans such as Raven and Perry Saturn. It wasn’t long before his impressive spear and Jackhammer started shooting him up the rankings. By the end of his first year, the undefeated Goldberg had captured the United States Championship.

It was on this day 20 years ago when Goldberg put his unbelievable streak on the line against Hollywood Hogan on WCW Monday Nitro. The dream continued for Goldberg that night as he defeated the iconic grappler for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in front of more than 40,000 fans in the Georgia Dome.

At Starrcade on December 27, 1998, Goldberg’s title reign and undefeated streak run came to an end at the hands of Kevin Nash — and a stun gun wielded by Scott Hall — but the competitor was not deterred for long. Throughout the remainder of his WCW career, he dominated a who’s who of heavyweights, including Bam Bam Bigelow, Sid Vicious, Lex Luger, Scott Steiner, and Nash.