Ranking Goldberg's 10 Greatest WWE, WCW Moments Ahead of Retirement Match vs. Gunther

Goldberg returns to the squared circle on July 12 as part of Saturday Night's Main Event, where he will challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship in what is being billed as his retirement match.

An icon of the squared circle for a generation of fans who watched as he ascended the ranks in WCW with lightning speed and became one of the most recognizable stars the industry has ever produced, he has had several unforgettable moments throughout his Hall of Fame career.

In celebration of a career that electrified audiences across three decades, these are his 10 greatest WCW and WWE matches and moments ahead of what is likely to be one last battle for Goldberg.

10. A Slobberknocker vs. Scott Steiner (WCW Fall Brawl 2000)

While there is not much about Goldberg's final year in WCW worth noting, there is one hidden gem from the Fall Brawl pay-per-view in September 2000 that is not only one of his most underrated matches, but also a genuinely great one from the final days of the promotion.

The match against Scott Steiner was a physical battle between two heavyweights that does not try to be anything but a hard-hitting slobberknocker of a contest.

Goldberg and Steiner threw each other around the ring, delivering an unexpectedly awesome match that had a red-hot crowd in Buffalo, New York hanging on everything they did.

There was some typical WCW overbooking late involving Vince Russo, but not even the crown prince of crash TV could drag down a bout that exceeded expectations and was an awesome war that ended with Steiner bloodying Goldberg with a lead pipe and applying the Steiner Recliner for the victory via referee stoppage.

At a time when there were more than a few main event stars in WCW earning reputations for phoning it in and collecting paychecks, Goldberg and Steiner reminded that when motivated, they were capable of magic.

9. Old Rivals Revisited (WWE Bad Blood 2003)

On the heels of a subpar match with The Rock at the previous April's Backlash and Linda McMahon labeling him a “major disappointment" during a shareholders meeting, there was pressure on Goldberg to shine against Chris Jericho at Bad Blood in June 2003, whether he admits he felt it or not.

Adding to that pressure was tension between Goldberg and Y2J that had boiled over, leading to a physical confrontation shortly after the former's arrival in WWE.

Despite the issues that existed between them dating back to their days in WCW, Goldberg and Jericho proceeded to have the match of the night. It was a contest that played to the former's strength and never tried to force him into a style or in-ring narrative that did not fit what he did well.

Jericho sold like crazy to make Goldberg look good, restoring faith in the former WCW champion in the process. Not the biggest win of his career but, arguably, one of the most important, this showdown proved to fans and management that Goldberg could hold his own in a WWE ring, if and when his dance partner was willing to meet him half way.

And WWE Creative did not force him out of what he knew worked from his days in WCW.

8. World Heavyweight Champion (WWE Unforgiven 2003)

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Goldberg and Triple H in 2024.

After the horrendously bad idea to beat Goldberg inside the Elimination Chamber at SummerSlam in August 2003 so Triple H could eke out one last month as world heavyweight champion, the future Hall of Famers locked up once more.

This time, it would be in a one-on-one setting, with Goldberg being forced to retire if he lost.

He did not.

In an outcome that wasn't particularly surprising given the monumental fumble the previous month's show concluded with, Goldberg delivered a jackhammer and ended a nine-month reign atop the Raw brand for The Cerebral Assassin.

It was a historic moment for the WCW export as it marked his first world title victory under the WWE umbrella and added him to a list of all-timers who had captured gold in the two biggest promotions in professional wrestling.

7. Universal Champion (WWE Fastlane 2017)

There are countless arguments to be made that Kevin Owens never should have lost the Universal Championship on the road to WrestleMania 33 and his feud with Chris Jericho was more than deserving of that prize.

Regardless of which side one falls in that argument, Goldberg was still red-hot after a comeback the previous November, when he steamrolled Brock Lesnar in shocking fashion at Survivor Series.

With a rematch against The Beast Incarnate on tap for the biggest event of the year, the only way to elevate the significance of that was to put a title in the middle of the titans.

To do so, Goldberg ended Owens' reign amid interference from Jericho. Some loved the idea of one last resurgence from a star they watched rise to greatness during the Monday Night Wars. Others took exception to him ending the reign of an extraordinary talent like The Prizefighter.

Regardless, Goldberg's return to pro wrestling in the back half of this decade left fans buzzing, something they continue to do whenever he pops back up as part of the product.

6. Hall of Famer (WrestleMania 34 Weekend)

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On the heels of a successful return to professional wrestling after over a decade away, Goldberg took his rightful place among the immortals as an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.

It was an emotional culmination of a career that started with a bang and never looked back, with the former NFL player transitioning to the wrestling industry and skyrocketing to the top in short order.

It would have been a perfect way to wave goodbye to an industry that had been so good to him, especially on the heels of a strong rivalry with Brock Lesnar that saw them compete at Survivor Series 2016 and WrestleMania 33 as part of the veteran's return arc.

That was not the case and he stuck around, popping up for matches that were, to put it kindly, less effective with every outing.

Still, Goldberg's moment in the spotlight on wrestling's grandest stage in 2018, the headliner of a packed class, was more than warranted.

5. He's Back (WWE Raw, March 31, 2003)

One night after defeating "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIX, The Rock took to squared circle on Raw for a show-closing promo in which he took great glee in having retired The Texas Rattlesnake and threatened to leave the company, going back to Hollywood to continue his acting career.

Then came the opening frames of a familiar, pounding entrance theme.

Goldberg made his WWE debut after three years away from professional wrestling. The former world champion entered through the trademark curtain of pyro, marched to the ring and proceeded to lay The Great One out with a single Spear.

It was an electric moment that set in motion the events that would lead to a dream match between the two at Backlash a few weeks later.

The less said about that one, the better, but Goldberg's WWE debut was still an unforgettable moment that ranks among the most historically significant ones in the flagship show's three-plus decades.

4. Raven's Rules and the United States Championship (WCW Nitro 4/20/1998)

With momentum on his side and the desire of the audience to see Goldberg smash his way to championship gold, he rolled through Saturn at Spring Stampede and into WCW Nitro for a shot at Raven's United States Championship.

Not even "Raven's Rules," which essentially gave The Flock free range to interfere on behalf of their leader, could slow down the force that was Goldberg. He bowled over Billy Kidman, took down Sick Boy, speared Horace Hogan and jackhammered Ron Reis.

He treated the champion the same and secured his first title amid a thunderous ovation from fans in Colorado Springs.

It was a monumental moment in that it was the coronation of Goldberg, not as the next big thing but rather the big thing. It also served as the best match of his young career, an exercise in crowd psychology and perfectly timed spots that took the audience on an emotional roller coaster.

The new U.S. champion would have better matches in his career but one would be hard-pressed to find one that better maximized its moments, accomplished its goal of elevating the already rising star, or featured a veteran in Raven so willing to put him over as strongly as he did.

3. His Greatest Match (Halloween Havoc 1998)

Goldberg was the WCW world champion in October 1998, but despite his status, he was not the focal point of the company's creative efforts.

That honor belonged to Hulk Hogan, who tripped, stumbled and fumbled his way to one of the worst matches in modern wrestling history against the Ultimate Warrior at Halloween Havoc.

Closing out that PPV, Goldberg would defend against Diamond Dallas Page, a fellow megastar babyface.

What ensued was a dramatic battle that tested fan allegiances and Goldberg's ability to deliver between the ropes in one of the most important matches of his career.

He did, rising to the equation with a little help from Page, who laid out the match to the strengths of both men. Ultimately, Goldberg bested DDP, surviving the challenger rather than steamrolling him, as had been the case with nearly every other opponent.

It was a watershed moment that proved when Goldberg worked with someone who understood what he did well and was willing to work their stuff in around it, there was ample room for a great match.

It was the best match of Goldberg's career to that point and one he never quite eclipsed. It was a magical battle of two industry giants, in front of a red-hot crowd, that was re-aired the following night on Nitro for the most WCW reason.

2. The Streak Begins (WCW Nitro 9/22/1997)

WCW unleashed the explosive and unstoppable force that was Goldberg on its fans on the September 22, 1997 edition when it featured him in a one-on-one contest with Hugh Morrus.

The former NFL player was a complete unknown but by the time he delivered his trademark jackhammer and earned the upset victory, the crowd in Salt Lake City had no choice but to sit up and take note of the newcomer.

It was the introduction of a wrestler the company clearly hoped would develop into a star of the future but no one could have imagined just how brightly that star would burn or how quickly.

Within six months, Goldberg would be well into an unbeaten streak that would take him to championship gold, the top of professional wrestling and sports-entertainment immortality.

1. World Champion (WCW Nitro 7/6/1998)

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Goldberg and Hulk Hogan in 2004.

Goldberg was as hot as any star in professional wrestling in the summer of 1998 and with interest in the New World Order and its feuding factions wearing off, WCW officials opted to strike while the iron was hot.

On the July 6 episode of Nitro, with 41,412 fans packed into the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, hometown boy and reigning United States champion Goldberg challenged "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in the main event.

A main event that could have sold countless PPVs and draw boatloads of cash with greater forethought and planning.

Still, the fans were at a fever pitch as Goldberg went toe-to-toe with the biggest star of the decade, with top prize in the company at stake. There was nothing special or dynamic about the match, but there didn't have to be. The dynamic of the unstoppable challenge against the hated villainous champion sold itself.

Diamond Dallas Page and Karl Malone prevented interference from the NWO Black and White and Goldberg took care of the rest, delivering an earth-shaking jackhammer to Hogan to win his first WCW Championship.

An iconic moment in the Monday Night Wars and the defining one of Goldberg's Hall of Fame career.