Goldberg Apologizes for Causing Injury in WWE Retirement Match

Goldberg’s farewell bout at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event was always going to be physical, but few expected it to result in an injury to someone not even competing.

In the final match of his storied career, Goldberg challenged Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship in front of his hometown crowd in Atlanta. During the closing moments of the hard-hitting showdown, the WWE Hall of Famer accidentally speared veteran referee Charles Robinson.

While the moment looked intense, it wasn’t until the next morning that fans realized just how serious it was. Robinson took to social media to reveal that he had suffered a broken rib as a result of the unexpected collision with Goldberg. Though the 61-year-old has taken physical bumps before, this one left a mark.

Goldberg Reacts to Referee Charles Robinson Suffering Injury During His Retirement Match

Reacting to the news on The Ariel Helwani Show, Goldberg expressed regret over the incident. He explained he had personally requested Robinson to officiate his retirement match due to their long-standing bond dating back to their WCW days.

“Yeah, I mean… here’s the deal. I asked for Charles to be in there. Charles and I have a long history, and Charles has taken that before, and I might have broken a rib last time, and Charles is a freakin’… he is a, I don’t know, I’m not gonna say ‘Renaissance Man’… that dude’s indestructible. I don’t know how old he is, but he’s taken that Spear a number of times, a lot of times, actually, and more power to him. Man, I love him to death, but I do apologize for the rib, but it’ll heal like the other one did,” Goldberg said. [H/T ITR Wrestling]

Robinson and Goldberg’s professional connection stretches back to WCW in the late ’90s, where Robinson was often assigned to Goldberg’s biggest matches. Their shared history added a layer of emotion to what was already a significant night.