Combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani has broken his silence on the now-viral interview with Bill Goldberg, admitting he was caught off guard by the WWE Hall of Famer’s negative tone just days after his highly publicized retirement match.
Appearing on Busted Open Radio with Dave LaGreca and Tommy Dreamer, Helwani shared his behind-the-scenes thoughts on the conversation that has sparked a wave of fan and media reaction.
“I will be 1,000% honest with you—I was not expecting that,” Helwani said. “I had a sense he might be a little perturbed about the post-match interview getting cut off… but I didn’t think it would cloud the entire thing.”
Helwani said he expected more of a celebratory tone in the sit-down, especially given the production value of Goldberg’s farewell, which included appearances by Doug Dellinger, Josh Barnett, and other figures from his past.
“The presentation was incredible,” Helwani added. “The walkout with those names was an amazing touch. It really felt like a moment.”
Despite the backlash to Goldberg’s perceived ingratitude, Helwani defended the former Universal Champion’s right to feel disappointed—drawing a personal comparison to his own struggles working at ESPN.
“I sort of get it,” Helwani explained. “People will say, ‘You got the sendoff, now be quiet.’ But he had different expectations. I’ve had that too—being at your dream job and having an awful experience. I have a hard time telling someone how they should feel.”
Helwani also acknowledged that Goldberg may have been coping with personal loss, as the WWE legend revealed his father-in-law had passed away just a week prior to the interview.
“Maybe he’s still dealing with that,” Helwani said. “He’s going through some stuff, and I have a hard time faulting him for expressing that.”
Toward the end of the discussion, Helwani floated a theory familiar to wrestling fans: what if Goldberg’s bitterness is part of a bigger storyline?
“I will say, at one point I wondered—‘Is he working me right now?’” Helwani admitted. “Maybe he pops up in AEW in two weeks and says, ‘These guys screwed me.’ You never know. In wrestling, where workers work, I’m not putting that past anyone.”
Goldberg’s retirement match against GUNTHER headlined Saturday Night’s Main Event and aired on NBC, though the post-match promo was cut short on the live broadcast. WWE later released the full speech online, but Goldberg’s subsequent remarks in Helwani’s interview have dominated the conversation ever since.
Helwani, a respected voice in combat sports, currently hosts The MMA Hour and recently launched Uncrowned, a new media venture in partnership with Yahoo Sports. He’s also made multiple appearances on WWE programming over the years.
Listen to the full Busted Open episode for more insight from Helwani, LaGreca, and Dreamer.
For continued coverage on this developing story, keep it locked to PWMania.com.
