Goldberg
Book Review
His star fell as quickly as it had risen.
He headlined WCW, held an unheard of winning streak of 173 matches and now Bill
Goldberg is not even wrestling. The
Jewish kid who grew up in Tulsa, Okla., and went on to be a star defensive tackle
for the University of Georgia became
an overnight sensation and an instant household name in World Championship Wrestling.
He is a two-move wonder (spear and jackhammer) and might be a one-hit wonder,
unless those Internet rumors of him signing
with the WWF are true. Goldberg's book "I'm Next" candidly chronicles
his youth, his partying good times at UGA and his
quick ascent through the ranks of WCW.
No newcomer ever received so much hype in such a short time. It took most guys
years to get to main-event status, and this
former Bulldog had made it to the top in record time.
And he stayed there. For 15 months Goldberg was "The Man" in WCW.
The streak started with his debut on Monday Nitro when he beat Hugh Morrus on
Sept. 22, 1997, in Salt Lake City. He rode high until Dec. 27, 1998, when he
sustained his first loss to Kevin Nash (with some help from Scott Hall and a
stun gun).
The 35-year-old tells of his roller-coaster ride and the transition to pro wrestling,
crediting Lex Luger and Sting with helping train him. He also spent time at
the Power Plant under the tutelage of The Sarge, Dewayne Bruce, after his NFL
career with the Atlanta Falcons ended.
"I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for Sarge. The guy has been
there for me since day one, teaching me not only
about the wrestling part of the business, but the backstage part as well."
He also admits: "I don't think that I have the ability to put together
a logical match. My knowledge of wrestling is quite limited and my knowledge
of putting together a match is even more limited."
That explains why most of his matches were
less than five minutes. He relied on brute strength and a powerful ring presence
at 285 pounds.
That strength became a bit misguided after a backstage argument with Scott Hall.
The result was that he took his anger out on a limousine window and severed
tendons in his right forearm.
He talks about the guys he doesn't like -- mainly Hall -- and those he does
-- Sting, Ric Flair and Rick Steiner. And he tells what it's like being an instant
celebrity.
The truth is at a time when WCW was beginning to crumble, fans still were tuning
in to see Goldberg and The Streak. That
drove its ratings for more than a year and allowed the fledgling company to
compete with the superior product the WWF
was putting on the air.
Without Goldberg, the inevitable demise of WCW probably would have happened
sooner. He talks about the problems the company had, but also credits it with
his stardom. He takes a shot at the business near the end.
"No matter how hard you work and sacrifice your body, you can get hurt
and get dropped -- just like that."
If there's a downside to the book, it's the overabundance of UGA stories and
family moments. But with less than four years
of actual ring time, it's hard to fill an entire book with mat memories. There's
plenty of background and a nice centerspread
of previously unpublished Goldberg photos.
His family, his girlfriend, his buddies and his dogs keep him grounded. He insists
the fame and fortune hasn't gone to his
head as he ponders "What's next?"
The book is subtitled "The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero,"
and he writes as though he remains surprised and amused by it all.