At Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta, Georgia over the weekend, WWE fans got to say goodbye to Goldberg, as the 58-year-old had his retirement match against World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. The match was as good as it could be for someone so limited in the ring, and while both Goldberg and fans have every right to be upset that his speech afterward was cut off, it’s not just that the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion is upset about. He didn’t like anything about his last match, and he complained about it over and over during an interview with Ariel Helwani. Goldberg came off as bitter and ungrateful when there was no reason to be. He got the exact send-off he deserved.
Related
5 Goldberg Matches That Cemented His Legacy (& 5 That Hurt It)
Bill Goldberg became a star in WCW and still occasionally wrestles for WWE. While some matches got Goldberg over, others have hurt his legacy.
Goldberg Had Wanted One More Match For Years
He Should Have Retired From Wrestling A Long Time Ago
- Goldberg became the biggest name in wrestling during his undefeated streak in WCW.
- His first WWE run had a title reign but was disappointing.
- Goldberg’s second return to WWE went very well and should have ended there.
Goldberg came out of nowhere to become one of the biggest wrestling stars of all-time. When he debuted in WCW as a rookie in 1997, no one knew who he was, but his brute strength and undefeated streak made him the rare new star WCW built. By the next year, he was the most loved wrestler in the world, right there with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. When WCW ended in 2001, Goldberg didn’t jump to WWE immediately. Instead, he waited two years, debuting in 2003 to take on The Rock. Goldberg had one World Heavyweight Championship reign, but a year later, he left, his comeback having been a disappointment.
It was actually when Goldberg returned over a decade later that he finally got the run fans wanted to see. He smashed Brock Lesnar and had another title reign. He could have ridden off into the sunset after that, but like many wrestlers, he couldn’t let go. He returned again, but this time it didn’t go as well. Fans were angry when he squashed The Fiend and won the WWE Title. He damn near killed The Undertaker after getting concussed in one match. And his last match versus Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia was a dud. With the last one, you could at least understand the failure, as Goldberg was doing a favor for Vince McMahon, coming in on a short three-week notice while also recovering from COVID. He wanted one more match after that, but Vince never gave it to him. In July 2025, Triple H and TKO finally made it happen.
Related
Why The Undertaker Vs Goldberg Match Is One Of The Biggest Disasters In WWE History
When The Undertaker met Goldberg in 2019, it was a dream match come true, but their advanced age and inactivity led to one of the worst matches ever.
Goldberg Complained About His Retirement Match To Ariel Helwani
He Used Most Of His Interview To Be Bitter And Ungrateful
- WWE teased Goldberg vs. Gunther for months after a Bad Blood segment.
- Goldberg had the likes of DDP and Doug Dillinger by his side for his last match.
- He didn’t care to have a World Heavyweight Championship match.
The build for Goldberg vs. Gunther started months ago during Bad Blood in Atlanta when the Ring General insulted the legend and his family, causing Goldberg to jump out of his seat and try to rush the ring. It was a great moment that got fans excited to see him compete one more time. Goldberg’s last match was heavily promoted for Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta, the city he is most synonymous with. He got to have the last match of the show, with friends like Doug Dillinger and DDP by his side, and although he lost, it was to the World Heavyweight Champion, and arguably the best wrestler in the business. Cutting off his speech afterward was disgusting, but with a hard out because of it airing on NBC, there was little WWE could do.
When Bill Goldberg appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show days later, it seemed like it was going to be a fun thank you for his career, but instead, Goldberg spent most of his interview repeatedly complaining about his last match.
“Let’s just say I’m pissed off at the way I went out. I put so much into it, and I don’t feel as though the effort was reciprocated to put a stamp on what I’ve accomplished.”
Goldberg wasn’t even thankful that his last match was for a championship, saying:
“To be honest, I’m gonna catch hell for this… I don’t care. I’ve had World Heavyweight matches all the time, that doesn’t do anything for me. It just felt a little ‘eh’ to me.”
Related
Who’s Next: Why Gunther Should Be Goldberg’s Final Opponent
Goldberg says he has one last match in, but there’s only one wrestler in WWE who can retire the Hall of Famer.
Goldberg Had One Of The Best Wrestler Send-Offs
Few Wrestlers Get To Say Goodbye On A Major PLE
- Goldberg wanted his last match to be on a PLE, not Saturday Night’s Main Event.
- The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and Hulk Hogan didn’t get perfect send-offs.
- John Cena’s last match could be at an NBC show in Boston.
Goldberg kept saying he was just answering the question, but what he was doing was venting. He also revealed that he wished his last match could have been on a PLE and not Saturday Night’s Main Event. Bill, you got to main even in Atlanta on primetime NBC and Peacock! You can’t do much better than that. With his age and limited presence in WWE, he wasn’t facing anyone like Gunther at WrestleMania. He could have been given a huge payday for another Saudi match at Night of Champions, but that would have been lackluster. Instead, WWE built an entire show around him.
In complaining about his speech being cut off, Goldberg said:
“They wouldn’t do that to Taker, right? They’re not gonna do that to Cena. Cena’s gone around the world doing his retirement thing.”
Yeah, his heartfelt promo was cut. That sucked. But it wasn’t done on purpose because he’s not respected. And if he wants to compare himself to other legends like the Undertaker and John Cena, he should look at how other legends went out. The Undertaker’s last match happened in front of zero fans. Kurt Angle got a WrestleMania match, but against Baron Corbin for some reason. Hulk Hogan ended his career in TNA. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels both got huge last matches at WrestleMania, but neither one could stay down afterward. And there is talk that Cena’s last match will be at a Saturday Night’s Main Event in Boston.
Most wrestlers go out on their backs, and even those that don’t can’t often say that their last match was on the biggest stage possible. Bill Goldberg is a legend, and WWE gave him the biggest send-off they could. If he’s not happy with that, it says something more about his own regrets than anything WWE did. Somewhere, Bret Hart is shaking his head at Goldberg’s interview and thinking, see, I told you so.
