Former WCW Star Claims He Technically Beat Goldberg Prior To The Streak

Goldberg had one of the most iconic, most impressive undefeated streaks in wrestling history, winning 173 matches in a row before suffering defeat at the hands of Kevin Nash during a bout for the WCW Championship in December 1998. However, one fellow former WCW talent claims he was the first person to defeat Goldberg before he became one of the biggest stars of his generation. On "Wrestling Shoot Interviews," Ernest "The Cat" Miller responded to a fan comment about the first live match at a WCW house show they saw in person. The fan said they remembered seeing Miller versus a then "very unknown" Goldberg in Charleston, West Virginia in 1996 or early 1997. Miller confirmed he did wrestle Goldberg, and even beat him.

"They put me over on him. But the thing is, Goldberg at that time didn't know he was going to be Goldberg," Miller said. "He was just a working wrestler, trying to get in and we were both friends. And he can say, 'Hey, hey. I don't care who wins, I just want to get in, learn, try, and have a good match.' So if you really want to be technical about it, I was the first person to beat Goldberg, because I was his first match."

Goldberg would go on to get his win back on an episode of "WCW Thunder" on September 2, 1999. Goldberg signed with WWE in March 2003, debuting on an episode of "WWE Raw" and beginning a feud with The Rock. He returned to WWE for a run from 2016 to 2022, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. Miller kept his name and gimmick when he signed with WWE in 2002 after Vince McMahon purchased WCW. He was active on the "WWE SmackDown" brand. One of his last matches was at 58 years old, in 2022 when he lost to Joey Janela at a GCW/Black Label Pro show.