Eric Bischoff shared how close fellow Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg came to signing with WWE before ultimately joining WCW in 1997.
Speaking on his podcast, 83 Weeks, Bischoff revealed the tense situation that almost saw Goldberg take his talents to Vince McMahon’s promotion. After leaving the NFL to pursue a career in professional wrestling, he was on the radar of multiple companies. Bischoff admitted that during negotiations with Bill, he had unintentionally delayed finalising a deal. This led to his growing frustrated and exploring other opportunities.
“Bill got really impatient, and I remember getting a phone call from somebody—I don’t remember who it was. They said, ‘Look, if you don’t have time, that’s great, he’s going to go to WWE and take his shot there.’”
Recognising the seriousness of the situation, Bischoff acted quickly to rectify the oversight. Despite the potential loss of a future wrestling megastar, he managed to salvage the relationship and secure Bill’s commitment to WCW.
“I went, ‘Alright, let me get to this,’ because I had given my word to somebody that was setting it up that I would get to it right away. I felt bad that I let it slip however long I let it slip. I got a hold of Bill, and we patched it up really quickly, and he joined WCW.”
His arrival in WCW would prove pivotal for the company, as he became one of its biggest stars and a key figure during the Monday Night Wars.
Which WWE Hall Of Famer Believes They Should Have Beaten Goldberg’s Streak In WCW?
Diamond Dallas Page spoke about why he believes that he should have been the one to end Goldberg’s undefeated streak in WCW he said that if he had beaten him it wouldn’t have affected Bill’s reputation and would have been more believable as his finishing move, The Diamond Cutter, was a strong finisher.
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