Goldberg to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

KARACHI: Professional wrestler Bill Goldberg is set to be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in April. He will headline the class of WWE Hall of Fame 2018, which is rumored to include other wrestlers, such as The Dudley Boyz.

The news was first reported by ESPN and then announced on Monday Night Raw.

PHOTO: FILE

The former WCW Champion also shared the news on Instagram, saying that after being down with the flu all weekend, the announcement was “not a bad way to kick off the new week!” He wrote. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has ever been a fan. This accomplishment could not have been made without you all. I’m very honoured and humbled to be inducted!”

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He ended the post with his catchphrase “Who’s next?’ Looks like ‘I’m next.” Many fellow wrestlers and former colleagues including Eric Bischoff, Kurt Angle, and others tweeted out congratulating the superstar.

PHOTO: WWE

Triple H tweeted, “Goldberg brings passion and intensity to everything he does... on the field, in the ring, and especially with his family. His intensity and character made him one of the biggest stars in our industry.”

Goldberg rose to fame in the 1990s when he went on a 173-match undefeated streak in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). With that, one of the most popular wrestlers of the era was born. He also appeared in WWE in early 2000s, feuding with Triple H mainly over World Heavyweight Championship

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After being gone from WWE, he made his return recently after 12 years in 2016. During his short tenure, he defeated Brock Lesnar in record time (one minute and 25 seconds) and even won the Universal Championship from Kevin Owens. His last match was at WrestleMania in 2017 where he lost to Lesnar.

PHOTO: FILE

In an interview with ESPN, Goldberg spoke about his legacy and wanting to make it to the top of the business. “At the end of the day, any business, any venture that you embark upon, you want some type of acknowledgement,” he said. “You always try to make it to a top. There’s no reason to do anything unless you want to be the best.”

Since his first WWE run in the 2000s, Goldberg and WWE weren’t on good terms. However, the last couple of years changed everything for the superstar, who wanted to return to wrestling just so that his wife and children could watch him perform.

PHOTO: WWE

On whether he deserves the honour of being a WWE Hall of Famer, he said that he was as self-deprecating as the next 10 people combined, but that “it’s nice to sit back and stop the teardown of yourself, open up your arms and your heart and say, ‘Hey man, maybe I do deserve something like this’."

He added, "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.”

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