"He won't do it" – Goldberg has allegedly refused to face former WWE Superstar several times
Bill Goldberg's menacing on-screen persona usually welcomes challenges from anyone in the wrestling business. In real life, however, the man behind the character has seemingly made his feelings clear about the prospect of going one-on-one with Duane Gill.
Gill began impersonating Goldberg in the late 1990s when he appeared as Gillberg in WWE. The copycat performer mocked the then-WCW star's entire gimmick, including his legendary entrance and move set.
On Rene Dupree's Cafe de Rene podcast, Gill disclosed that the two-time Universal Champion has repeatedly refused to face him over the years:
"I tell you one thing: Goldberg fears Gillberg. I've asked him many times to his face, 'Let's have this match?' and he won't do it. It's the only thing I can figure, he's scared of me. He knows I'll bust him up, man. Look out!" [0:28 – 0:43]
Goldberg's most recent in-ring appearance ended in defeat against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber 2022 in February. It is unclear if he will wrestle any more matches for WWE.
Gillberg has participated in short segments with the 2018 Hall of Famer on WWE television over the years. However, the interactions never led to an official match.
What does Goldberg think about Gillberg?
In 2021, the 55-year-old said on WWE Network show Ruthless Aggression that he "wanted to really kill" Gillberg when the character debuted.
WAIT A MINUTE! That's not @Goldberg...it's GILLBERG! #RAW https://t.co/fi9KfHszBO
Over the years, the WCW icon's opinion of Gill's persona has drastically changed. He explained on Chris Jericho's Talk Is Jericho podcast why he no longer holds a grudge against his long-time impersonator:
"The way I look back on it now, I'm ecstatic that they were able to give this guy a job," Goldberg said. "That's how I've broken my life down. It's the good that can come of actions that have happened in the past. The way I looked at it at the beginning, I was p****d off about it."
Gill retired from in-ring competition in 2020. The 63-year-old previously stated that he would be willing to reverse his retirement decision if the man he impersonated ever agreed to face him.
Would you like the never-before-seen match to finally take place? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Please credit Cafe de Rene and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Gillberg's quotes from this article.