Every once in a while we get to see someone explode on the scene and make history while doing so, and Bill Goldberg did this when he defeated Hugh Morris in his debut on this day in wrestling history.
While this wasn’t his “real” debut as Goldberg had wrestled 6 matches dating back to June 23, 1997, and by the time he appeared on Nitro his record was unofficially 5-1 as he lost his last match to Chad Fortune in July.
But those were all dark matches or house shows, so that aren’t considered canon, which is the overall methodology for the WWE and others as well.
A combination of things
“The Professor” Mike Tenay is credited with have the original idea for the Streak, and it’s since become the cornerstone of debuting new wrestlers.
What’s really cool about this idea and Goldberg in general is it’s bee reported that the character and streak were all based off of other athletes and sports, and really shows what’s awesome about wrestling.
Goldberg’s character was based off Ken Shamrock’s no nonsense style and approach, and the Streak itself was inspired by Mike Tyson’s dominance, according to Kevin Sullivan on Taskmaster Talks Podcast.
All of that combined with Goldberg’s appearance and athleticism to capture a lightning storm in a bottle and Goldberg quickly became the talk of the wrestling world and added more spice to the Monday Night Wars.
Nothing lasts forever
Unfortunately, the first backlash of his career came from his inflated win record as fans kept track of his wins and the debate about what his actual win record is continues to this day.
By the time everything was said and done, Goldberg had a legendary career within a year as he also defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
But all good things come to an end.
While Goldberg’s streak eventually ended at the hands of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, his run has gone down as one of the most exciting times in recent memory, and it helped ignite WCW for a final push.
His streak is one of the great all time stories for fans and officially stands at 173.
As with a lot of great things, this all started with a single idea that led to combining others to create a this day in wrestling history moment that will never be forgotten.
What’s your favorite match during Goldberg’s streak? Let us know below in the comments.
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