Goldberg Recalls When He First Saw Gillberg In WWE

Forged in Fire: Knife or Death host Bill Goldberg made a name for himself as a wrestler in WCW during the '90s. During what is now known as the "Monday Night Wars," Goldberg had an undefeated streak longer than any one else in sports entertainment for the time. However, when you're on the top of the mountain, people are going to try and find a way to knock you down.

While Goldberg was the top guy on WCW's Monday Nitro, WWE--WWF at the time--mocked his character with its repackaged wrestler, Gillberg. In early-1999, Light Heavyweight Champion Duane Gill was transformed into "Gillberg," and his entrance, appearance, music, and moves all mocked WCW's undefeatable monster.

Obviously, when Goldberg first saw the Gillberg gimmick, he wasn't too happy. "I wanted to cut his head off, and then I wanted to cut everyone's head off that came up with the idea," Goldberg explained to GameSpot. "You can take it a number of ways. I took it violently in the beginning."

And yes, WWE was trying to delegitimize Goldberg as a competitor with this act, but the former WCW Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer speaks a bit more fondly of the act now. "I should have been honored that they would think enough of me to copy, in a negative way, and try to poke fun at me," Goldberg continued. "Because if I didn't evoke a feeling in them, then they wouldn't have done that. So, there was a reason for it, and I hold nothing against the guy, and I'm greatly appreciative that one more person in the professional wrestling business got a job because I don't know what he was doing prior to that. Hey man, good for him."

Both Gillberg and Goldberg crossed paths--one time only--in 2003, when Goldberg signed with WWE, which resulted in Gillberg attacking Goldberg, and Goldberg returning the favor, destroying Gillberg. All was right with the world, once again.

You can catch Goldberg on TV, every week, as the host of History Channel's Forged in Fire: Knife or Death which airs on Wednesdays at 10 PM. GameSpot also spoke to the host about what happens to all the sliced up raw meat on the show.