"No, I'm not" - Details on Goldberg initially refusing to participate in famous spear spot
Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) recently recalled how Bill Goldberg initially disliked one of his ideas for their famous match at WCW Halloween Havoc 1998.
Goldberg defeated DDP in the main event of the pay-per-view to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Toward the end of the match, Goldberg collided with the ring post after DDP hopped over the top rope to avoid a spear.
Speaking on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions, DDP revealed that Goldberg immediately rejected the spear spot when he was pitched the idea.
“I said, ‘Listen, Goldie, I’ve got the psychology of this match laid out and you’re gonna miss your first spear,'" DDP recalled. "‘No, I’m not.’ I said, ‘No, bro, trust me, you are.’ He’s like, ‘I don’t miss the spear, bro. That’s my spot.’ I go, ‘That’s why you’ve gotta miss the spear.’ He didn’t agree with me until right before we did it."
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Goldberg picked up the victory in 10 minutes after he hit DDP with his Jackhammer finisher. The match is widely regarded as one of the best of both wrestlers’ careers.
DDP understood why Goldberg disliked his idea
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DDP went on to explain that Goldberg was among the most competitive wrestlers in the locker room during his time in WCW. He said “everything had to be real” to the former football player, which is why he took his character so seriously.
While some may have perceived Goldberg to be difficult to work with, DDP enjoyed competing against the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
“It’s not him not wanting to play ball," DDP continued. "It’s him being one of the most competitive human beings on the planet. So when he’s coming, I’m like, ‘Oh my God!’ and I just throw myself over the rope."
Although DDP vs. Goldberg received a lot of praise, the match was also memorable for the wrong reasons. The penultimate match of the night, Hulk Hogan vs. The Warrior, lasted longer than anticipated. As a result, the pay-per-view broadcast cut out during the main event for a third of households in America.
WCW aired DDP vs. Goldberg on free-to-air television during the following night’s episode of Nitro in an attempt to make up for the pay-per-view error.
Please credit Broken Skull Sessions and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.