To steal a phrase from the former WWE Universal Champion, "Who's Next" for the WWE Hall of Fame? Goldberg!
The news was first broken by ESPN yesterday evening before being officially announced by WWE themselves on Monday Night RAW last night, that the former WCW phenomenon would be the first inductee into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame during Wrestlemania 34 weekend in New Orleans.
BREAKING: As first reported by @espn, @Goldberg will be inducted into the #WWEHOF Class of 2018! https://t.co/49UdXs99oR
— WWE (@WWE) January 15, 2018
Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative said about their latest Hall of Famer:
Goldberg’s unique athleticism, persona and intensity captured the imagination of sports entertainment fans around the world throughout his illustrious career, We are honored to have Goldberg take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Goldberg had previously ostracised himself from the wrestling business after his initial run in WWE ended after the infamously disastrous Wrestlemania 20 match with Brock Lesnar which saw the New York City fans turn their backs on both men with the news having leaked that it would be both men's last match with the company, at the time.
The former Atlanta Falcon had an emotional return to WWE back in October of 2017, with Goldberg having a change of heart about wrestling after realising his young son, Gage never saw his Dad perform in the ring and what a positive impact that could have on the child's life.
To be able to go back in time and kind of in a time warp take my son back to a time where he wasn't even here and I was one of the top guys...it's really a powerful feeling to be that guy…I want him to experience that coolness, and I want him to be proud of his daddy.
He was welcomed back with showers of "GOLDBERG" chants from the WWE Universe, a stark contrast from the "na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" chants that soundtracked his exit from the promotion back in 2004, proving that absence does, in fact, make the heart grow fonder.
Bill Goldberg burst onto the sports entertainment scene back 1997 as a relative unknown, having transitioned to professional wrestling after a career in the NFL, that didn't exactly set the world alight, and which ended when he "tore his lower abdomen off his pelvis".
His hard hitting, no nonsense style coupled with a legendary (and incredibly over inflated) 173-0 winning "streak", saw him become WCW's biggest home grown success story.
Congratulations to @Goldberg, the first inductee into the @WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018! #RAW #WWEHOF pic.twitter.com/WsHdenBkCP
— WWE (@WWE) January 16, 2018
Bill Goldberg, owner of a wild 173-0 win streak, is headed to the WWE Hall of Fame. https://t.co/ktZaiY2inh
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 15, 2018
Congrats to my fellow Okie & 2018 @WWE Hall of Fame inductee..@Goldberg !
So proud of my friend. 🙏🤠 pic.twitter.com/kSxxH2qArw— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) January 15, 2018
Congratulations to @Goldberg on being announced as the first inductee to the #WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018! pic.twitter.com/338MgPt6qt
— What Happened When (@WHWMonday) January 16, 2018
Congrats to my friend Bill Goldberg, for his 2018 WWE HOF Induction. Well deserved!! #WWEHOF2018… https://t.co/dW7pZk0cxN
— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) January 15, 2018
Congratulations to my #WCW brother @Goldberg on his @WWE HOF induction #YourNEXT my friend 💥💎 DDP pic.twitter.com/gOrc7mmaaa
— Diamond Dallas Page (@RealDDP) January 15, 2018
The 2018 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in New Orleans on Friday the 6th of April. Other names rumoured for this year's class include The Dudley Boyz, Bam Bam Bigelow and even Kid Rock as this year's celebrity inductee.
