Goldberg is once again back in WWE, and fans are divided.
Following his previous altercation with Gunther back at Bad Blood, Goldberg interrupted the 2-time World Champion on the June 16th episode of Raw. Picking things up from back in October, the Hall of Famer stated that he had not forgotten what happened in 2024 and stated that he would be facing The Ring General at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12th. With no physicality between the 2, Gunther backed away from the veteran to close out the segment.
Along with commentary adding that the match would be for the World Heavyweight Championship, at no point was it indicated that this would be the 4-time World Champion’s final match, leading to speculation that there will be more Goldberg matches to come. And this is where the problem lies…
Does Goldberg deserve a retirement match? Absolutely. The former WCW and WWE World Champion was an integral part of the Monday Night Wars, found success in both companies and left a lasting impression among the fans. Still receiving a great reception in 2025, few would deny that the Hall of Famer should be allowed to go out on his own terms, especially as according to the Hall of Famer he was denied the opportunity back in 2022 when Vince McMahon was in charge. If Goldberg was given the opportunity to face someone who could do most of the in-ring work, sell the high spots to make the veteran look good and not be affected too much by a loss, such as the likes of Chad Gable, Finn Balor or even Logan Paul, few would complain at the entertaining bout providing it was less than 10 minutes. However, the first match at least will be what some fans are dreading.
On paper, the continually strongly booked World Champion Gunther against a 58-year-old Goldberg who has been out of the ring for 3 years plus should be a squash. Gunther is in his prime and should remain dominant, especially this early into his reign. However, it is likely that the match will be competitive, will see the World Champion sneak out a win, or worse, Goldberg actually wins the World Title. While it seems farfetched that the Hall of Famer could win another World Title, he has previously defeated Kevin Owens and Bray Wyatt to become champion, both of which were widely panned by fans.
Here lies the second problem with the Goldberg WWE return, and one that has been a persistent issue since his 2016 return. The WWE Hall of Famer has predominantly been in World Title matches over the past 9 years, despite not earning the opportunity and once again to the detriment of the strong midcard who have been gaining momentum. Unless this was title vs. career, there is no viable reason for the veteran to get his title match, especially in the new era where more logical storylines take place. If the former World Champion picked up a number of victories to build to the Gunther crescendo and lost, there is at least a story involved and makes the match more viable.
The big questions here are how does the match play out and what happens next? If Goldberg is squashed, then there could be a story to tell of the Hall of Famer questioning if he still has it and building up to one final showdown with a non-champion. if the match is competitive, then no one wins as The Ring General struggling to defeat a 58-year-old with ring rust is not the best look. But then there is the worst-case scenario of Goldberg winning and becoming the champion. Regardless of a possible Seth Rollins cash-in, there is no logical reason to have the WCW legend beat one of the most dominant stars in recent history. Yes, it will pop a rating, but is this really the best way to lead into SummerSlam season? Additionally, with the horror that was Goldberg vs. Undertaker, can the veteran get Gunther up for a Jackhammer safely?
It should also be noted that there is no guarantee that the Saturday Night’s Main Event special will be the big hit the company is hoping for, even with the Goldberg match. Along with more and more fans getting frustrated at the amount of adverts on the YouTube broadcasts and the shows being mostly inconsequential, the shows have definitely lost some appeal since the December 2024 relaunch. There is also the matter of rival promotion AEW hosting its biggest show of the year, All In, at the same time. While there are some who have no interest in AEW, it is pretty much a lock that Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega will be miles better from an in-ring standpoint than Goldberg vs. Gunther and much more appealing to those forced to make a decision.
Goldberg In WWE: The Verdict
One of the most popular stars of the 90s and still getting a great reaction today, the Hall of Famer deserves an appropriate send-off, provided that it doesn’t damage someone’s momentum for an extended period.
The best case scenario for all involved would be for the Hall of Famer to just enjoy the match, bust out the big moves and give the fans something to cheer as he steamrolls through a heel akin to the Dolph Ziggler match at SummerSlam. Unfortunately, the possibility of Big E vs. Goldberg is not possible as Big E is unable to get cleared, meaning he can’t get his dream match of big meaty men slapping meat. To be honest, this would have been the best match as fans know how much this would have meant to Big E and it would have been a lot of fun for all involved.
While Goldberg has had some highs in his WWE career, there’s no denying there have also been some lows. With the Hall of Famer looking to end his career in style, here’s hoping that the last match will be one to remember for all the right reasons.
Featured image: WWE
