Raven's Rules: WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Raven vs. Goldberg, WCW Monday Nitro, World Arena, Colorado Springs, CO, April 20, 1998.
Historical background: Well, there isn't one. Raven had defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the title the night before at WCW Spring Stampede 1998, and this was his lone title defense. Goldberg was 74-0 going into this match.
Raven comes out first alone, which Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay acknowledge. Goldberg is inexplicably announced from Parts Unknown, even though everyone knew he's from Atlanta. The bell rings, and Raven draws a line in the sand by placing the belt on the mat. Goldberg confronts Raven and says something that doesn't get picked up by the audio. Raven turns around then charges and pushes Goldberg back into the opposite corner. Raven hits some shouldertackles into Goldberg's midsection. Raven tries a cross-corner whip but Goldberg reverses it. Goldberg charges in but Raven gets his boots up and kicks Goldberg in the face. Raven comes out of the corner with a dropkick. Raven grabs Goldberg by the head and launches Goldberg through the ropes to the floor. Raven follows and grabs Goldberg and goes to whip Goldberg into the guardrail but Goldberg reverses it and Raven eats the steel instead. Goldberg whips Raven into the steel again. Goldberg grabs Raven and rolls him back into the ring as Schiavone acknowledges that the match is under Raven's Rules, which means anything goes. Goldberg follows Raven in and hooks a bodyscissors into a legbar. Raven makes it to the ropes for the break. Goldberg whips Raven into the ropes and hits Raven with a back kick on his way back. Raven rolls out the floor. Out on the floor, Raven gets a chair. Goldberg follows him out and Raven hits Goldberg in the midsection with the chair. Raven bashes Goldberg across the back with the chair. Raven grabs Goldberg and rolls him back into the ring and follows. Raven sets up the chair in the middle of the ring. Raven whips Goldberg off the ropes and hits the drop-toehold into the chair. Raven covers and gets 2. Raven bashes Goldberg across the back again with the chair, which is now bent. Raven locks on a chinlock to wear down Goldberg. Goldberg makes it to his feet and powers Raven into a corner. Raven does a cross-corner whip and follows in with a clothesline. Raven punches Goldberg, but Schiavone says that it seems to have woken up Goldberg. Goldberg comes out of the corner with a Spear to a big pop. Then the Flock attacks. Sick Boy comes off the top with a dropkick. Then Billy Kidman comes in and springboards off of Sick Boy's back but Goldberg catches him and tosses him backwards over the top to the floor, and clotheslines Sick Boy over the top on the opposite side. Then Horace Boulder, not named as such yet, comes in and hits Goldberg over the head with a STOP sign, which has no effect. Goldberg Spears Horace, sending Horace to the floor. Then Reese (Ron "The Yeti" Reis) comes in and grabs Goldberg by the throat for his two-handed chokebomb but Goldberg escapes. Goldberg punches Reese, a 7'3" 400 lbs.+ man, and hits him with the Jackhammer! Goldberg looks around and the camera catches Raven trying to leave through the crowd, but several audience members team up and toss Raven back over the guardrail. Goldberg exits, throws Raven back in and follows. Goldberg hits a second Spear and finishes with the Jackhammer on the STOP sign for his first title and win #75 at 4:57. ****.
Great match and a big moment for Goldberg. You can watch it here.