Radio host Dave LaGreca didn’t hold back following Bill Goldberg’s recent interview with Ariel Helwani, delivering a fiery tirade on Busted Open Radio that quickly turned personal. The SiriusXM host slammed the WWE Hall of Famer’s comments about his retirement match, calling them ungrateful and tone-deaf—and even blamed Goldberg for ruining his birthday.
The controversy stems from Goldberg’s sit-down with Helwani, which aired just days after his high-profile retirement bout against GUNTHER in the main event of Saturday Night’s Main Event. While the match itself received widespread acclaim and was promoted as Goldberg’s final outing, the former champion used the interview to express disappointment with his sendoff—something LaGreca found infuriating.
“He just had his retirement match three days earlier, and everybody’s praising it,” LaGreca began. “I was expecting the Helwani interview to be filled with gratitude, pats on the back. Instead, it was the exact opposite. Goldberg complained about everything—and then said, ‘I don’t mean to complain.’ Well, you just did. You can’t say that and think it cancels out the whining.”
LaGreca fiercely defended WWE’s handling of Goldberg’s exit, pointing to the match’s 14-minute runtime, the title stakes, and the Atlanta hometown setting on network television as more than generous.
“Credit to WWE—they gave him a best-case scenario. A world title main event in his hometown on NBC? That’s a hell of a way to go out,” LaGreca said. “And still, he’s unappreciative.”
As the rant escalated, so did LaGreca’s frustration—especially since the interview happened to air on his birthday.
“I was getting so angry. I’m like, I can’t let this guy ruin my birthday,” LaGreca shouted. “He’s ruined so many things for me over the past 25 years. He’s not ruining my birthday. I had dinner, I had ice cream—and I almost vomited all over the damn floor because of this asshole.”
Another sticking point for LaGreca was Goldberg’s refusal to officially close the door on his in-ring future. While Goldberg framed the GUNTHER match as “in principle” his final bout, he added, “you know, it’s wrestling,” leaving room for a potential comeback.
“Really?” LaGreca responded in disbelief. “You’re done. D-O-N-E. Done. No more Goldberg. I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to hear from him.”
Goldberg’s farewell match against GUNTHER was positioned as a major network television event, but NBC cut away before his full post-match promo aired. WWE later posted the complete speech to their social media platforms, but Goldberg’s subsequent interview has seemingly overshadowed the sendoff.
Whether the door remains open or not, one thing is clear: Dave LaGreca has had enough of Goldberg—and he’s not alone.
For more on this story and all WWE retirement fallout, stay with PWMania.com.
