In a recent interview with the Boston Herald’s Justin Barrasso, WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg opened up about his retirement match against GUNTHER. He spoke about how WWE executive Triple H played a key role in making the match happen and shared why he wasn’t fully satisfied with his performance. Goldberg also touched on other topics related to his career and farewell to the ring.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On retirement: “When you’re in the wrestling business, I don’t think you’re retired until you’re dead, but I’m completely content with what I’ve been able to accomplish. I’m not dead but, yes, I’m retired.”
On his thoughts on wrestling GUNTHER: “Wrestling GUNTHER was an honor and a privilege. Don’t let my displeasure in any way, shape, or form reflect upon my opponent. I wish I could do it again. That’s how much fun it was. I always say that I never bask in the moment – but that’s exactly what happened when I laughed after GUNTHER chopped me. It wasn’t because I wanted to step on his offense – it’s just that I was having fun. It was just a reactionary thing. I normally don’t have that much fun.”
On the positive reaction to his final match and why he wasn’t satisfied with his performance: “I’m greatly appreciative that so many people were happy with what they saw. It was a long road leading up to it and a lot of sacrifices were made. In some ways it was a success, in other ways it was a failure. My job is to be better than I was the time before, and you should never be satisfied with your performance. If I didn’t always think that things could be better, then I wouldn’t be who I am. That’s my take, and I’m sticking to it.”
On the importance of Triple H helping make the match happen: “I couldn’t have done any of that on Saturday night without him. That’s the truth, one thousand percent.”
During a recent appearance on “The Nikki & Brie Show,” Alexa Bliss reflected on her decade-long journey in WWE and how her character has evolved over the years. Bliss is set to team with Charlotte Flair in a bid for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles at SummerSlam 2025, taking place in just two weeks. She said,
“I’ve been signed to WWE for over 13 years, on the main roster almost 10. Time flies so quick, it’s so crazy. I look back, and I’ve been so many different versions of this character, but each one kinda served its purpose for that time period. For me, it was always evolving, it’s hard as a woman in the company to evolve your character and to keep getting booked in spots for matches. I think, for me, if I can keep recreating myself, then there’s more opportunity to have storylines with more people on the roster, especially now with so many women coming up, we have literally every type of woman on the roster now, and it’s awesome.”
Following his loss to GUNTHER in his retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Goldberg was joined in the ring by family and friends for an emotional farewell. However, only a brief portion of his speech aired live on NBC and Peacock. WWE later shared the full version across their digital platforms.
Still frustrated, Goldberg appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Show” to voice his displeasure with how the match and broadcast were handled — particularly the live feed cutting out during his farewell speech.
WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi weighed in on Goldberg’s comments during his “Off The Top” podcast, offering a blunt take on the situation. He said,
“My speech wouldn’t even be that long. I’d just say, ‘Thank you for coming out. I’ll see you next time,’ and then pull out the check — two, three million dollars. That’s it. That’s what social media’s for. You can go on Stories Live, Facebook Live, Twitter Live. Talk all you want there. Come on now, smarten up.”
Goldberg has stated that he plans to speak further on the topic in the coming weeks.
