Hulk Hogan says that it was his idea for Goldberg to defeat Hogan for the WCW World Title on Nitro.
Appearing on the latest episode of Bischoff on Wrestling, hosted by Hogan's longtime friend Eric Bischoff, Hogan said it was his suggestion for Goldberg to win the title on the July 6, 1998, episode of Nitro... and not on pay-per-view at Bash for the Beach a week later.
“I remember it was my hair brained idea,” Hogan said. “Everybody always says, ‘Oh, well, it should have been a PPV. It should have been this. It should have been that.’ It was a situation where I was caught in the ‘Good Hulk’ on one shoulder and the ‘Evil Hulk’ on the other shoulder.”Good Hulk was saying, ‘Oh my God, all the Goldberg chants are starting to mount up. Just let him get on his feet and then be a bigger heel than ever.’ I was doing the Bobby Heenan holding my ears and running around. Then on the other shoulder I was thinking, ‘Let’s get this belt on him right away.’ I had just been dragging this belt around. We needed to get it on a babyface and this guy is so over. I thought, ‘Oh my God, let’s build ourselves a superhero and get this on a babyface right away so I can start chasing it and draw some serious money.'”
“That was a not thought through decision at all," Hogan said. "I just called you in panic and thought I had this great idea. We should have thought it through. Everybody says we should have built it up more. We shouldn’t have had it happen at the Georgia Dome. Who knows? I was just twisted up because I was panicking because I heard all the Goldberg chants and I realized how easy it was to run around with the belt and act like the chants are driving me crazy. I was also worried that this was the time to make the pivot. The transition. I was panicking because I was afraid we’d miss that moment, you know? I knew the Georgia Dome would be his home. It would be electric."
Goldberg makes his return to wrestling this Sunday in what is being billed as the final match of his career when he faces Brock Lesnar in the main event of Survivor Series, the latest WWE pay-per-view from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marks the first match for Goldberg in more than 12 1/2 years.
