This Saturday night, WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg will step into the ring one final time in the main event of Saturday Night’s Main Event, live on NBC and Peacock. In a candid new interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, the legendary powerhouse detailed how the match came together, the physical and emotional toll of preparing at 58 years old, and his drive to close out his storied career on his own terms.
Goldberg revealed that the call to return came from none other than Paul “Triple H” Levesque—but he almost didn’t answer it.
“I get a phone call from New York, and it’s an unknown number… and I didn’t pick up,” Goldberg recalled. “Then I picked up the second time, and lo and behold, it was Mr. Levesque.”
The unexpected offer gave him the closure he had been seeking after his controversial final appearance at Elimination Chamber 2022, where he lost to Roman Reigns in a match he took while still recovering from COVID.
Goldberg made it clear that this match is about taking control of his own narrative. He previously expected a proper retirement send-off from WWE after his Reigns bout, but backstage changes, including Vince McMahon’s departure, shifted those plans.
“I thought that part of the payback for that [match]… obviously, hey, we’re going to give them a retirement match. Well, that never transpired,” he admitted.
“I’m appreciative of the opportunity, and also appreciative that they gave me more than three weeks to prepare.”
Goldberg’s final opponent? None other than the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. The match has sparked heated debate across the industry, with fans and pundits split on whether Goldberg should retire as champion or pass the torch cleanly to the “Ring General.”
Regardless of outcome, Goldberg is clear about one thing: he’s going out on his own terms.
