Who Was Goldberg Originally Meant To Face In Retirement Match?

Goldberg’s career was supposed to end against a top WWE star.

Back in November, Goldberg announced his intention to return to the ring for a retirement match in 2025.

The announcement came just a month after he got into a heated confrontation with Gunther at Bad Blood. During the exchange, Gunther mocked the veteran, quipping that he hoped he was a better father than he was a wrestler.

This sparked speculation that Gunther would be Goldberg’s opponent when he hung up his boots. In recent weeks these rumours have quietened down, but it seems they weren’t incorrect.

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that the original plan was a match with Gunther. Meltzer surmised that the likely retirement match will likely take place at SummerSlam, although an opponent hasn’t been confirmed.

The original plan was for his last match to be against Gunther, likely after Gunther drops the title.

Goldberg Open To Passing The Torch

During a recent interview, Goldberg said he would be open to passing the torch to Gunther if that match was on the table. The former WCW star said he’s from an older generation, and Gunther is the star of the modern generation, so a match would make sense.

In reference to their earlier confrontation, he said no one gets away with disrespecting his family.

The WWE Hall of Famer hasn’t wrestled since losing out to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber in February 2022. He’s since revealed that he struggled to prepare for the match as he dealt with the lasting impact of COVID-19.

In the same interview, he reiterated that during this period he was promised a retirement match by Vince McMahon, but the ex-WWE boss went back on the agreement.