Bill Goldberg was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the youngest of four children. He has two brothers, Mike, who lives in Miami where he races sailboats and restores aeroplanes and Steve who runs a restaurant in San Diego. His sister, Barbara, is married to ESPN sports caster Larry Burnett. Their parents Dr. and Mrs. J. E. Goldberg still live in Tulsa, where Dr. Goldberg is an obstetrician/gynaecologist.

From a very young age, Bill Goldberg was a very talented athlete. It was his football skills that made scouts flock to Tulsa to watch him play. He eventually got a football scholarship, but, it wasn't to Texas A&M or the University of Oklahoma as his family would have preferred, it was to the University of Georgia.

It was during his years at UGA that he made the biggest impact, next to his wrestling explosion. While at UGA he found the intensity that would later help him become one of the most physical wrestlers in the business. It was this intensity that earned him all-star honours as a junior.

However college wasn't all positive for Bill. Two nights before Vince Dooley's final game as head coach for UGA, Bill experimented with marijuana. The next day the team performed a random drug test and Goldberg failed. By his own admission this was the worst experience of his life. He was banned from playing in the Gator Bowl against Michigan. He returned home to Tulsa in disgrace. He would, however, return to play his final season the next year.

In 1990 Bill was drafted to the Los Angeles Rams, where he roomed with Kevin Greene. Goldberg failed the final pre-season cut, but he was invited back the following season only to be cut again. He would instead have to settle for the Atlanta Falcons, where he played from 1992 to 1994.

Life with the Falcons wasn't great. Bill battled against constant nagging injuries before finally calling it quits.

Whilst drinking at a nightclub in Atlanta, Bill met Diamond Dallas Page. It was Page who suggested that Bill give professional wrestling a try. Goldberg shrugged it off at the time but would later take Page up on the offer.

Goldberg will be the first to tell you that he was not a big wrestling fan. It was that chance meeting with DDP that led to his decision to become a wrestler.

Goldberg trained in the WCW Power Plant for four months before his dark match debut; he then fought in dark matches for eight months, billed as Bill Gold.

His TV debut came on Nitro, September 22 1997, in front of the cameras as Bill Goldberg for his match against Hugh Morrus. Bill totally squashed Morrus in a matter of minutes and that got people up from their chairs.

The King of Squash Matches continued his assault against WCW's bottom rung wrestlers, including Barbarian, Roadblock, Scotty Riggs, Wrath, and Mike Anthony. None of these had a chance against Goldberg. On October 26, at Halloween Havoc, Goldberg made an impact on the mid-card of WCW, during a match between former football player Steve "Mongo" McMichael and Alex Wright, Goldberg strolled to the ring and floored McMichael and laid Wright on top of him to score the pin. McMichael's wife Debra, whose future with WCW was saved due to Wright's victory, gave Mongo's Super Bowl Ring to Goldberg.

Luckily for Goldberg, he didn't align himself with Debra, but the feud with McMichael heated up. The two were scheduled to clash at World War 3, but due to Goldberg having a groin injury, the WCW covered it up with McMichael knocking Goldberg down with a lead pipe shortly before the match. But the two hadn't seen the last of each other.

When Goldberg had recovered from his injury, he was ready to take on McMichael at Starrcade. The match wasn't Goldberg's best, but like the other matches he squashed his opponent in a matter of minutes with the Jackhammer. The feud with Mongo ended at Thunder, January 8, when Goldberg squashed him again.

Goldberg continued his winning streak including some good matches against Glacier and Brad Armstrong. At the start of 1998, Goldberg was only referred to by his surname. Perry Saturn from Raven's Flock was Goldberg's next feud, after Goldberg had squashed the rest of the Flock, Saturn wanted to attack Goldberg, but was held back.

It was announced that Goldberg would face the winner of the DDP/Raven Spring Stampede US Title match on Nitro after Spring Stampede. At Spring Stampede, Goldberg and Saturn clashed in a fine encounter, ending with Big Bad Bill turning the Rings of Saturn into a Jackhammer.

Nitro, April 20 1998, Goldberg V’s Raven for the latter's WCW US Title. In one of the most heated and gripping matches of Goldberg's career and despite huge interference from the Flock, Goldberg finished Raven off with a Jackhammer to win the match and the WCW US Title.

The feud with Saturn continued at Slamboree, where the two put on another good match, but Saturn couldn't stop Goldberg. Curt Hennig, the next contender for the US title was injured, so Konnan took his place at the Great American Bash. K-Dogg was absolutely destroyed.

Goldberg continued his dominance over his opponents and his popularity grew by the day. It was announced that Goldberg would face Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Title on the July 6 Nitro. At Nitro Hogan had a mystery opponent, whom Goldberg had to defeat to get his shot at the belt.

The mystery opponent was Scott Hall, who tested Goldberg, but lost. DDP and Karl Malone helped out Bill by stopping Hall's pals from interfering. The main event was what everyone had come to see, over 40,000 people packed the Georgia Dome. The match wasn't too bad, Hogan dominated, using his weightlifting belt and a chair, he hit the Legdrop of Doom twice, but Goldberg kicked out, speared Hollywood and hit the Jackhammer. WCW had a New World Champion; Goldberg vacated the US Title.

Curt Hennig got his long awaited shot at Goldberg at Bash at the Beach. Hennig was beaten twice, at the Bash and also the following night on Nitro, a Spear and a Jackhammer in less than a minute; Unlucky Curt.

Goldberg battled through the nWo flunkies to try and get at the Giant. At Road Wild 98, Goldberg got that shot, in the nWo battle royal. Goldberg used it, he dominated the Battle Royal and eliminated Scott Hall, Konnan, Curt Hennig, Scott Norton, Sting, and Lex Luger before he stood nose to nose with the Giant. Goldberg was on the receiving end of a chokeslam, but bounced back and hit the Spear and the Jackhammer for the pin and the victory.

Goldberg continued his streak, defending against many nWo members and lots of worthless jobbers in squash matches. On Nitro, September 14, Goldberg defeated Sting after interference from Hogan. After beating Raven's flock again and again, Goldberg notched victory number 150 on October 12, beating the Giant by count out. Tensions grew between Bill and his friend DDP.

At Halloween Havoc, Goldberg faced off against Dallas. Page was fired up and threw everything he had at the champion, including the Diamond Cutter, but Goldberg muscled DDP into the Jackhammer for the win. After the match the two embraced. Bam Bam Bigelow made his WCW debut and started screaming for Goldberg, who answered the challenge but security officers made sure that they wouldn't touch each other. Later that night Goldberg ordered Bischoff to get Bigelow in a match, to which Bischoff could only oblige. The match never got underway, the two combatants brawled in the aisle.

At World War III, Goldberg made sure that Bam Bam Bigelow didn't have an impact on the battle royal, which was won by Kevin Nash, who was now the No.1 contender for Bill's World Title. The next night on Nitro, The Giant challenged Goldberg to a match, which took place later. Goldberg won the match, but faced attacks from Bam Bam Bigelow and Kevin Nash. The problems with Bam Bam Bigelow continued.

On Nitro, Goldberg demanded a match against Bam Bam Bigelow, and got it, but before the match got underway, Kevin Nash and a ton of security guards got involved. The following week, they faced in a three-way dance, but Scott Hall caused the non-finish. Goldberg took on Hall on December 21 Nitro, Kevin Nash distracted Goldberg, but he still finished off Hall. As Nash dragged Hall from the ring, Bam Bam Bigelow entered and attacked Goldberg.

At Starrcade 1998, Goldberg clashed with Kevin Nash in a no DQ match for the WCW World Title. The no-DQ rules were really in Nash's favour as both Disco Inferno and Bam Bam Bigelow interfered. Goldberg fended them off, but succumbed to Scott Hall's tazer stun gun shot. Nash then hit the Jack-knife Powerbomb and pinned Goldberg, ending the two year winning streak and his World title reign.

The next night on Nitro, Goldberg, having being promised a World title rematch, was arrested but later released. It was all part of an nWo ruse as Hogan, Hall, Nash, Scott Steiner and Lex Luger gathered in the ring to beat up Bill. Scott Hall then used the tazer on Goldberg again, and spray painted "nWo" across him.

At Souled Out 99, January 17, Goldberg took on Scott Hall in a Ladder Match, with the tazer suspended above the ring. Despite interference from Disco Inferno, Goldberg speared, jackhammered and tazered Hall for the win. After the match Bam Bam attacked Goldberg, Hall then stunned Goldberg and Bam Bam.

The events at Souled Out lead to a Three Way Dance at Nitro between Goldberg, Hall and Bam Bam. As Goldberg was about to hit Hall with the Jackhammer, the nWo Wolfpac interfered and attacked Goldberg. The 4 Horsemen made the save.

Goldberg appeared on the Tonight Show on February 19, where he stated that he issued a challenge to Steve Austin. Austin refused the offer on the Howard Stern show a few days later.

At SuperBrawl Goldberg took on Bam Bam Bigelow in a Grudge Match. The two delivered a strong match with Goldberg winning. Next PPV, Spring Stampede, Goldberg defeated Kevin Nash in the return match from Starrcade.

Goldberg took some time off after disputes with management and filming Universal soldier 2. At Road Wild, Goldberg beat Rick Steiner in an intense match and he defeated DDP at Fall Brawl. Goldberg scored two PPV victories over Sid Viscious during a strong feud, which contained some decent action. At Starrcade 99, in the match billed as "the battle to end the millennium", Goldberg was defeated by WCW Champion Bret Hart.

In an angle on Nitro, Goldberg put his hand through a car window, wrongly. The injury kept Bill out for months. He eventually returned, early summer, and in a huge shock, not, he turned heel. The turn may of had some impact had Vince Russo not announced it as something that would 'change the landscape of wrestling' or 'something that Vince McMahon can do nothing to stop'. The move never had a chance of living up to that expectation.

Bill Goldberg's heel run was not a success. Turning your top face when you have no one for him to feud with is not a good move. The fans never took to it and Bill's reasons (money) were pretty lame. After Bill defeated Kevin Nash at the BATB for Scott Hall's contract, he was turned back again. After engaging in a shoot style storyline with Russo that went down like a lead balloon, Bill finally has a story again. Russo has declared that Bill will never get a title shot until he beats his previous winning streak. It is a move that has reigned some interest in Da' Man but it will take a while for Goldberg to regain the respect he has lost during the turbulent booking reigns of Vince Russo and Kevin Sullivan.