Goldberg, once WCW's most popular performer, appears poised to return to professional wrestling by announcing he will appear on WWE's flagship program of Monday Night Raw next week.

Last week, Wrestling Observer reported that Goldberg is poised to return to the ring to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series on Nov. 20, and while no announcement has been made to that end, it does appear the wheels are in motion from a storyline standpoint.

As WWE has done with Ultimate Warrior and Sting over the last few years, it has made Goldberg a playable character in pre-order editions for its new WWE 2K17 video game. Warrior was later inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Sting received his induction and also participated in a couple WWE matches.

While out promoting the video game last week, Goldberg appeared on ESPN and admitted that he was considering a return to the ring.

"I have a 10-year-old boy. I got a wife who has never seen me wrestle. And I got a generation of kids who don't know who the hell I am except for looking online," he said. "The biggest thing about being a wrestler -- and being Goldberg gave me -- was the ability to be a superhero for kids. I want the ability to be that guy again, but there's a compromise here. To be that guy at 49 years old, do you risk losing your legacy? Is it something that I am going to regret?"

When asked who he would potentially wrestle should he return, Goldberg immediately pointed to Lensar, a part-time performer in his own right who has only had five televised matches in 2016 and none since Aug. 21.

"I would be remiss in saying I don't owe Brock Lesnar a rematch," explained Goldberg while referring to his victory over Lesnar in his final match at WrestleMania XX. "I was able to prosper and have my hand raised at the first meeting, and I think, if I ever gcame back, that'd be the match. I would have to work my ass off to get ready for him, but you never say never. I've said it for 12 years. Brock's a different human being. Matter of fact, he's probably not even a human being. He's like a superhero alien guy -- big, strong, fast and mean. But I don't know, man. I beat him once."

On Monday's Raw, Lesnar's "advocate," Paul Heyman, addressed Goldberg's comments and officially issued a challenge on Lesnar's behalf for a match anytime and anywhere.

Goldberg replied almost immediately on Twitter. "Booking my flight to answer that big mouth [Paul Heyman]'s challenge next week in person on #MondayNightRaw #WhosNext?" he wrote.

So there you have it. Twelve years after last stepping in a WWE ring at the end of a year-long stint with the company, Goldberg will be back in WWE at least as a performer and at most as a one-off wrestler.

During his time in WCW, Goldberg was booked as an unstoppable monster, beginning his career undefeated with a 173-match winning streak. He only won the WCW world heavyweight title once, though he later recaptured it during his short stint in WWE. He was known for his two devastating finishing maneuver (Spear, Jackhammer) for captivating audiences to such a degree that he entered the arena each night to thousands of fans chanting "Gold-berg, Gold-berg."

Prior to becoming a wrestler, Goldberg played college football for Georgia and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played three years in the NFL (1990 with the Rams, 1993-94 with the Atlanta Falcons) and also saw stints in the CFL and World League of American Football.