Goldberg To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame
The first member of the class of 2018 has been revealed.
Jan 15, 2018
The first member of the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2018 has been revealed - and it's Goldberg.
ESPN
have broken the news that the WCW icon will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at this year's ceremony. He is the first name to be announced, and must be considered a favourite to headline the class.
Other rumoured headliners included Batista - who features in
Avengers: Infinity War
, which come out shortly after WrestleMania season. Undertaker was also a name mentioned, although rumours of his return for a match at 'Mania would make an induction far less likely.
Goldberg is, of course, best remembered for his period of dominance in WCW - including a now-legendary undefeated streak, and the defeat of Hulk Hogan on Monday Nitro.
His first WWE run ended badly, with a very poorly-received match at WrestleMania XX against Brock Lesnar. However, he redeemed himself in 2016, returning to defeat Lesnar at Survivor Series in a shockingly short match - one of the biggest surprise results in recent WWE history.
A short Universal Championship reign followed, as Goldberg defeated Kevin Owens, before losing a rematch with Lesnar at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando.
Speaking to ESPN, Goldberg revealed his thoughts on the induction, stating:
'To get that type of accolade is really, really cool, and I'm honoured and privileged to again set an example for my son -- it makes me very happy.'
Triple H also weighed in with his thoughts:
'Goldberg's unique athleticism, persona and intensity captured the imagination of sports entertainment fans around the world throughout his illustrious career. We are honoured to have Goldberg take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame."
One would imagine that Goldberg's induction means that other big-name potential inductees like Batista and Undertaker will be brought in another year. No other names have been announced so far.