Revisiting WWE's Forgotten Parody Of WCW's Goldberg
Elijah King
Published Mar 28, 2026
Quick Links
On top of creating some of the biggest moments, most memorable stories, and most popular superstars the business has ever seen, the Attitude Era in the late 90s also saw some of the pettiest cheap-shots thrown between two companies. Always looking for a way to one up the other, WWE took aim at World Championship Wrestling's biggest commodity, Goldberg.
Looking across the roster, the WWE creative team spied opportunity with a member of the J.O.B Squad, a stable of perennial enhancement talents. Within the bunch was Duane Gill, a man who'd wrestled under various names for the company, and who was about to get one more; Gillberg.
RELATED: Who Is The One WWE Wrestler Brock Lesnar Was Never Able To Overpower?
Duane Gill's Long Road To Becoming Gillberg In WWE
Duane Gill first appeared for WWE back in 1990, debuting against the World Tag Team Champions Demolition alongside Barry Hardy on an episode of Wrestling Challenge. Gill would act as an enhancement talent both in singles and in a team with Hardy, appearing consistently across all of WWE's televised offerings, eating pins to all the stars of the company. Appearing under the Gill name, sometimes as Executioner #1, and once as part of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles parody the 'The Toxic Turtles', Gill's first run with the company eventually came to an end in 1994.
Gill returned to WWE as a mystery opponent for Mankind at Survivor Series 1998's 'Deadly Game' Tournament, an easy win for the hardcore legend as part of Mr. McMahon helping him towards the world title as part of his blood feud with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. After a decisive loss to Mankind, Gill stuck around in WWE, joining the J.O.B. Squad alongside Al Snow, Bob Holly, and 2 Cold Scorpio.
As part of the J.O.B. Squad, Gill found quite a bit of success. Days after his return at Survivor Series, Gill defeated Christian for the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship on RAW, thanks to the rest of the squad running interference. Another notable win for Gill came in seeing Marc Mero out the door, the gauntlet having been laid out that Mero would retire could he not beat Gill. Then, in December, Gill's biggest change and most noteworthy chapter of his career began.
RELATED: The Troubled History Of WWE's Light Heavyweight Championship, Explained
Gillberg Parodied WCW's Biggest Star, Bill Goldberg
On the December 13th, 1998 edition of Sunday Night Heat, Matt Hardy challenged for the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship. But, instead of Duane Gill, he faced off against the newly rechristened Gillberg. Sharing only a bald head and the ability to grow facial hear with the WCW superstar he parodied, Gillberg was a blatant cheap shot at the WCW superstar, Goldberg.
Instead of the glitzy pyro that welcomed Goldberg into WCW arenas, blowing out the smoke like a dragon as he made his presence known, Gillberg's entrance was much less intimidating. Whilst Gillberg wandered out, throwing punches and kicks, yelling and sticking his tongue out, crew members with small sparklers would stand around him, and instead of a cloud of smoke, Gillberg was often sprayed with an overly cautious cloud from a fire extinguisher. Instead of asking "Who's next?" in the hunt for a new opponent to extend a vicious winning streak, Gillberg instead would ask "Who's first?", looking for the first win to end what would become a near unending losing streak.
As Gillberg, Duane Gill would collect several notable moments and accomplishments. Though not exactly a coveted stat, Gillberg held one of the shortest Royal Rumble tenures, being eliminated nearly immediately by Edge in 1999. Later in the year, Gillberg also received a shot at the WWE Championship, an easy win for Triple H on an episode of SmackDown. Eventually, Gillberg's initial run would come to an end in 2000. Used more as a prop than a defended championship during his reign, Gillberg finally lost the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship to Essa Rios as the company looked to reignite the division, but ultimately nothing much came of it the second time around. Still, Gillberg holds the impressive stat of the longest reigning holder of that now defunct title, holding it for just over 440 days.
RELATED: How The Diesel Gimmick Made Kevin Nash A Major WWE Star
Gillberg's Sporadic Appearances In WWE Even Saw Him Confronted By The Real Goldberg
Reportedly a gimmick well-loved by Vince McMahon, perfectly matching his sense of humor, Gillberg would find himself coming back to WWE for a few appearances whilst carrying on the character across the independent circuit. When Goldberg finally arrived in WWE in 2003, his first feud with The Rock saw the return of Gillberg. Hosting one of his famed 'Rock Concerts', The Rock brought Gillberg out as a means to insult his rival, only for the real Goldberg to force his way to ring and briefly get his hands on the man that parodied him for so long before The Rock got the jump on him.
Gillberg would return again, repeating the trope of diverting fan expectations of an advertised Goldberg appearance. Kevin Owens brought out the former Light Heavyweight Champion during his feud with Goldberg in 2017, only to destroy him. Then, ahead of Goldberg's clash with Drew McIntyre at the 2021 Royal Rumble event, The Miz and John Morrison hosted a Dirt Sheet segment advertised as a confrontation between the two, only for Gillberg to fill the role of Goldberg once more.
After a multi-decade career, Gillberg finally retired in early 2020, getting a win over another former WWE jobber, James Ellsworth. Though his career might not have had massive accomplishments, the name Gillberg has been chanted in arenas all around the world, providing some much-needed levity in an industry that often takes itself too seriously.
