Recalling Goldberg's Top WWE, WCW Career Moments and Ugly Departure

Goldberg wasn't just a wrestling star; he was a force of nature, a hurricane that whipped through WCW and briefly through WWE before leaving the latter abruptly.

The former Georgia Bulldog took hold of the WCW audience from his first match. Goldberg's presence and power made WCW Nitro must-watch TV. An electricity crackled around him that rose through the ranks, one spear at a time.

Fans who missed his WCW run and perhaps only saw his underwhelming WWE tenure won't realize how special Goldberg was at his peak in the late '90s.

WWE is banking, though, that the audience still wants to see the powerhouse deliver his signature smashmouth offense. Thanks to a challenge from Paul Heyman and his involvement with the WWE 2K17 video game, Goldberg is on his way back to WWE.

A bout with Brock Lesnar is on the horizon, bringing back memories of their clunker at WrestleMania XX.

Before Goldberg ventures back into the WWE world after a 12-year absence, let's travel back in time to when he was the hottest thing WCW had going, when it seemed as if no one would ever topple Da Man.

Goldberg Debuts (Nitro—Sept. 22, 1997)

Goldberg entered his TV debut against Hugh Morris with just a handful of matches under his belt. 
The newcomer was raw and limited, but something magical was born in that moment.

His win over Morris was a one-sided, two-minute affair. The quiet crowd started to buzz after Goldberg backflipped and then pummeled the veteran with high-impact moves.

The announcers presented the victory as a surprising, eye-catching result. Tony Schiavone said, "Bill Goldberg, out of obscurity, comes to Nitro and pulls a major upset."

This was the start of his famed 173-0 undefeated streak. This was the genesis of the Goldberg phenomenon. No one could have predicted just how big he would get following this, but one could feel the storm start to gather momentum that night. 

Kevin Sullivan said of Goldberg's introduction, "When he was working, I said, 'Oh my God, we found a diamond.'"

Goldberg Captures the United States Championship (Nitro—April 20, 1998)

Even when Raven called on The Flock, he couldn't slow down Goldberg. The crafty heel became the latest answer to the running question during Goldberg's streak: Who's next? 

The powerhouse's run needed a high point. Goldberg had flattened no-name wrestlers, veterans, big men and brawlers. But he had to charge toward something.

In April of 1998, the WCW United States Championship was that something. 

The title became a symbol for Goldberg's rise. It was a tangible prize for a gladiator on a historic role. And the audience exploded upon seeing him capture it that night.

As Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats noted, "The crowd was absolutely bonkers for the entire match."

Goldberg not only beat Raven for the belt, but he rolled over the champ's faction, too. In spearing goon after goon, Goldberg looked like a superhero in the squared circle. 

Goldberg Dethrones Hulk Hogan (Nitro—July 1998)

In the heart of the Monday Night War between WWE and WCW, the latter chose to air a big-money match on free TV. The bout pitting a rolling Goldberg against the iconic Hulk Hogan was a pay-per-view main event in the making.

WCW instead chose to aggressively seek out a ratings win. Goldberg challenged Hogan for the WCW heavyweight title on Nitro.

Still undefeated, Goldberg looked untouchable going into the bout. Hogan, the leader of the hugely popular New World Order faction, was the tallest mountain the rising star could climb. Combining those elements created one of the most thrilling moments in WCW history.

The crowd was rabid as Goldberg took down Hogan and lifted his newly won crown into the air.

The victory served as the peak of Goldberg's streak and arguably his career. He was, in that moment, the hottest thing the company had going, a megastar standing on center stage.

Goldberg Jackhammers a Giant (Nitro—Nov. 23, 1998)

Goldberg's power was easy to take for granted. He spent every Monday blasting smaller men and slamming them with little effort onto the canvas.

When Goldberg manhandled The Giant, the massive man now known as Big Show, one's jaw had to drop.

In a 1998 match, Goldberg held up WCW's oversized titan with a delayed vertical suplex. Goldberg's growing pile of wins made it hard to get psyched about victories alone. It took a superhuman feat like this one to keep folks talking.

WWE Debut (Raw—March 31, 2003)

By 2003, WWE had welcomed most of the top stars from WCW after it folded. But not Goldberg.

At the close of the Monday Night War and following the end of WCW, the bruiser instead competed in Japan.

When The Rock gloated on Raw the night after his WrestleMania XIX win over Steve Austin, no one expected Goldberg to interrupt him. No one expected WCW's top homegrown talent to cross over between worlds.

The surprise factor was huge, as was WWE's presentation of the former WCW world champ.

Pyrotechnics shot from the entrance ramp. Goldberg stalked the backstage area before making his way to the ring. His first target was none other than The Rock, who he speared off the mat that night.

Say what you want about how poor booking hurt the rest of Goldberg's WWE story, but the company got the opening line right.

Goldberg Wreaks Havoc Inside the Elimination Chamber (SummerSlam—Aug. 24, 2003)

Goldberg thrived in the confines of the Elimination Chamber match. The visual of the beast prowling and attacking inside that cage made for a spectacular sight.

The powerhouse pursued Triple H and the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE did well to let Goldberg run loose and look like an unstoppable predator. He ousted Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho from the bout.

The most memorable move he delivered at SummerSlam remains one of the best things we have seen inside the Elimination Chamber: Goldberg speared Jericho through a Plexiglas pod.

This was the kind of monster WWE should have let Goldberg be more often. Few highlights followed the ones he crafted inside Satan's Prison.  

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XX—March 14, 2004)

The audience didn't salute Goldberg on his way out; it essentially gave him the finger.

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar should have been a marquee match, a must-watch meeting of two of WWE's most powerful men. Instead, it was a certified failure.

Both rivals had one foot out the door by the time WrestleMania XX rolled around.

Lesnar had his eyes on an NFL career. Meanwhile, word emerged that Goldberg was not re-signing his deal. His WWE run had largely been a disappointment, and the company had underutilized him, so it wasn't surprising.

But it did lead to an awkward, uncomfortable swan song for both men.

Fans booed much of the action. Goldberg and Lesnar seemed uninterested and uninspired.

John Powell described the match for SLAM! Wrestling as "an unmitigated catastrophe which sparked 'Boooring!' catcalls throughout Madison Square Garden as fans berated the muscle-bound grapplers for engaging in a five-minute staredown."

Guest referee Steve Austin laid out both men after the contest. That earned the best reaction of the entire showdown.

Goldberg only briefly flirted with the world of pro wrestling afterward. Following a handful of appearances at independent shows, he is now set to return to the spotlight. 

A second chance in the WWE realm awaits. He will be hard-pressed to recapture what he had at the height of his WCW run, but he has to be looking to wash out the taste his last WWE go-round left.