Tag: Goldberg

July 14, 2025 Observer Newsletter: The second biggest U.S. wrestling weekend of the year is here

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: AEW

Dave Meltzer returns with a brand-new full edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter just in time for the second biggest wrestling weekend of the year here in the United States.

There’s AEW All In. There’s ROH Supercard of Honor. There’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event with the retirement of Bill Goldberg. There’s NXT Great American Bash. There’s WWE Evolution.

Dave previews it all and then some in this week’s issue in addition to other news from around the world.

Click here to start reading because it’s your friend.

Column: Before they retire, can Goldberg & John Cena take care of one last thing?

Posted on by Josh Nason

The following is opinion and reflects the views of the author and not the website.

Image: WWE

I don’t ask for much in this wrestling life: a few listeners when I fill in on Sunday editions of Wrestling Observer Live (all through July!), weekly TV and PPVs that generally are worth my time (also true of WOL on Sundays), and the flame of sweet nostalgia to keep burning until I eventually lose a Buried Alive match.

I do have one more, though: I want to see an in-ring confrontation between John Cena and Goldberg to close WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.

I don’t need a match, just two of the biggest personalities in the last 30+ years to exchange some less than pleasantries and physicality in less than ten minutes time. I want it and I think you do too.

**********

In all their years within the WWE family, the two have never shared the ring outside the 2004 Royal Rumble where Goldberg head-butted Cena after entering the match at number 30…and that was it. I mean, we did get the dream Goldberg vs. Jonathan Coachman no DQ match the night after, but it’s not the same.

Goldberg was gone after that year’s WrestleMania only to return more than 12 years later. Cena was still around, but a one-on-one match never happened. Creative issues? No interest by Vince McMahon or by either Cena or Goldberg? Something else? I don’t know, but the time for that moment seemed to have passed us by.

Until now.

Unless there’s a swerve coming, Goldberg is heading into what is his final match at this weekend’s SNME. He’s 58 and has gone on record about the hardships in getting physically and cosmetically ready for this one last bout. His longest match since returning in 2016 was 11:25 against Bobby Lashley and that was almost four years ago. He and Gunther aren’t going 20 minutes Saturday and that’s ok.

Cena, 10 years Goldberg’s junior, has been plugging away in his final year with 15 dates left until he hangs up the jorts at year’s end. Eight of those remaining dates are basically confirmed and one of those remaining seven should be a surprise confrontation leading to what WWE loves the most: A MOMENT.

**********

I don’t love to fantasy book, but allow me to lay out a pretty simple scenario:

Goldberg loses to Gunther on Saturday as most expect and after he gets through whatever retirement speech he wants to give, Cena’s music hits. You get the “holy shit” chants and Cena then does a very rehearsed heel promo schtick running down Goldberg, his WCW run, and the like. He’s pleased with himself but gets too cocky, turns around into a Goldberg spear, gets a jackhammer, and Goldberg leaves to a thunderous ovation. Roll credits. Done.

It seems like a missed opportunity for a big fan service moment to not have these guys cross paths at least once before their respective runs come to an end, coincidentally in the same year. It wouldn’t make sense to do it at another time because, well, why would you? Cena being an asshole and mocking Goldberg on his final big night seems all too perfect. If Cena’s final dates are going to (and should) matter, this would have more impact than a random Raw or SmackDown appearance to say the same things he has been saying.

If this is already planned, I will look like a genius. If not, I will look like a sad man who just wanted two action figures to get pulled off the shelf and put in front of each other for the first time.

In an organization built on moments, this seems like one too perfect for WWE to not have it come to life on Saturday.

Goldberg thinks only Bron Breakker should be allowed to use spear in WWE

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Hall of Famers Goldberg and The Undertaker are both on the same page — Bron Breakker is the only WWE wrestler who should be using the spear as a move after Goldberg retires from the ring.

On a recent episode of his Six Feet Under podcast, Undertaker said he thinks WWE should take the spear away from everyone else because Breakker’s version of the move is so impressive. Goldberg agrees with that and has expressed the sentiment to Breakker.

“1000 percent,” Goldberg told CBS Sports when asked if he agrees with Undertaker. “I had the conversation last night with Bron. And I told him my feelings on it, that I think, 1000 percent, he’s the only human being in the WWE that should be doing that. I know I’m going to catch a lot of hell from that, but I don’t care. Because that’s the truth. I mean, it is what it is.”

Goldberg, who played football in college and the NFL, popularized the spear as a pro wrestling signature move during his WCW career. In addition to Breakker, Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Charlotte Flair are among the current WWE wrestlers who regularly do the move.

The son of Rick Steiner, Breakker has now been a pro wrestler for four years, joining WWE after playing college football at Kennesaw State University and spending time in NFL training camp with the Baltimore Ravens. He’s aligned with Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed on WWE Raw as the members of a new faction led by Paul Heyman.

Goldberg will likely deliver the final spear of his in-ring career this weekend when he has his retirement match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta. Gunther’s World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line in the bout.

WOR: Raw report, Janel vs. Colker, updated big show lineups

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Image: WWE

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including all the big shows coming up over the next few days, changes to the Women’s Evolution show, WWE RAW report with lots of news, Janel Grant vs. Carlon Colker, your questions and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

Start: New additions to the weekend shows 

9:36: Update on Janel Grant case

12:55: NXT heading to The Met in Philadelphia just days prior to AEW’s residency at 2300 Arena, Dave Meltzer’s thoughts on Wrestler of the Year (so far)

18:57: WWE Raw recap

38:15: Q&A

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WOL: A final request for Goldberg, Kenny Omega sees the future, how Ace Romero lost 200 pounds

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

It’s Sunday and that means it’s time for another packed Wrestling Observer Live with Josh Nason (X or BlueSky), filling in for Andrew Zarian on this Fourth of July weekend in the U.S.

Josh leads off with a look back at last night’s AEW Collision and how it plays into this Saturday’s All In Texas. Josh talks about the plight of Daniel Garcia and where he could find himself after next weekend’s proceedings. (Hint: No more Mr. Nice Guy.)

He then plays a few choice clips from Friday’s Kenny Omega Wrestling Observer Radio interview including how Omega is viewing the “ADHD” future for wrestling in addition to seeing his fifth match with Kazuchika Okada as a new look as opposed to being the fifth chapter in their story.

Josh also has a plea for WWE as Goldberg’s final approach comes this Saturday: an in-ring confrontation with fellow impending retiree John Cena.

The show wraps up with how former TNA wrestler and current indie competitor Ace Romero lost 200 pounds in a year — an inspiration for anyone looking to get healthy.

All that and more awaits, so join me on the Sunday feel-good edition of Wrestling Observer Live.

Listen here (no sub needed) or for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts (search Wrestling Observer), Sports Byline (app), and other outlets

Gunther: Goldberg is ‘one of the most outstanding guys in the history of this business’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Gunther appreciates the opportunity he has in front of him at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

On July 12, Gunther will put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Goldberg in the latter’s retirement match. WWE has been building to this since the two first interacted at Bad Blood last November, but Gunther still views the matchup as being “a little bit out of the blue” since it’s not something he could have envisioned when he was coming up in pro wrestling.

“I feel like it’s a little bit out of the blue because it’s nothing I would have expected,” Gunther told The Masked Man Show. “And also, obviously, I don’t know — how I got up in wrestling, how I got brought up, I feel like Goldberg is the complete opposite of how I would have imagined a wrestler that I really look up to.”

Goldberg is more of a showman than the wrestlers Gunther looked up to when he was younger, but Gunther still respects the success Goldberg has had. He views Goldberg as one of the most outstanding guys in the history of the industry.

“I’m able to understand that business is done differently elsewhere,” Gunther said. “There’s different styles. And just over here, there’s the showmanship, the looks of a person are maybe sometimes more important than how technical finesse we are in the ring. And that’s like, I don’t want to judge that. That’s the style. And it’s very successful.

“So in that aspect, being in WWE in the position that I am now, being able to — and that’s the thing with Goldberg is like, like I said before, you can say whatever you want about him, but he’s one of the most outstanding guys in the history of this business. And seeing a lot of the guys that he had before, it’s a great opportunity for me to step into that position to be his last opponent because with all the respect, that’s what it is. I gain from that being in the ring with Bill Goldberg because when he shows up, there’s a lot of interest to that. And yeah, I’m happy about that opportunity.”

Gunther said — like when he faced Pat McAfee at Backlash — he loves being involved in unique situations like this that are different than your normal match. This will be the first time the 58-year-old Goldberg has wrestled in more than three years.

Now a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther regained the title from Jey Uso on Raw two weeks ago, adding stakes to his upcoming bout against Goldberg.

State Farm Arena in Atlanta is hosting Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12. Goldberg has a long history with the city of Atlanta dating back to his days playing football and starting his wrestling career at the WCW Power Plant.

WWE Raw live results: King & Queen of the Ring semifinals

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: June 23, 2025
Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio 

The Big Takeaway —

Cody Rhodes beat Jey Uso to advance in King of the Ring, while Jade Cargill beat Roxanne Perez to advance in Queen of the Ring. The finals will take place on Saturday at Night of Champions. Rhodes faces Randy Orton, and Cargill faces Asuka. 

As the show went on tonight, they repeatedly plugged Night of Champions (and SmackDown) as happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (It seemed like they avoided mentioning the location when the show began, but it was business as usual as the show continued.) 

Next week’s Raw in Pittsburgh starts at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT. 

**********

Show Recap — 

Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes, Roxanne Perez and Finn Bálor, Jade Cargill, Becky Lynch, and Bayley were shown arriving as Michael Cole ran down tonight’s show. 

Corey Graves is filling in for Pat McAfee once again. 

They announced that LA Knight is out indefinitely due to a bruised sternum and separated rib cartilage, thanks to Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker. 

Seth Rollins segment

Rollins entered with Reed, Breakker, and Paul Heyman. He waited as the crowd sang his song (not loudly) and did his usual spiel. He asked what the crowd wanted because he was receiving mixed messages. They chanted for CM Punk. 

Rollins said they chanted for Punk, for Roman Reigns, for him, and they barked for Breakker. They didn’t know what they wanted, so he didn’t care. They needed people like him to tell them what was good for them. 

Even the things they thought they wanted were because of him. Reigns existed because of him. Punk claimed he was back for the fans, but it was really because the company could cash in on how much he hated Punk. There was no second coming of Cody Rhodes without Rollins to put him back on the map. 

Rollins was the first world champion and NXT Champion, and he built those things in his image. He was the prime mover. He was the past, present, and future. He and Heyman knew a thing or two about revolutions. Every revolution had opposition, but he would deal with them. 

Reed dealt with LA Knight, and Breakker was about to deal with Penta. There were a lot of people who thought they could exist at the very top: John Cena, Gunther, Punk, Goldberg, Uso, Rhodes, Randy Orton. But they all failed to understand that they were running a race for second place. He was the end game and always would be. 

Rollins was finally done speaking, so Penta entered for his match. (Rollins and Reed went to the back.) 

Bron Breakker (w/ Paul Heyman) vs. Penta

The match began during a break, but Breakker left the ring to stall so the action could start once they returned. 

Graves claimed that Breakker was still effectively a rookie, which isn’t even close to being true. 

Breakker was in control until Penta hit a dive ahead of a break. Breakker regained control after dropping Penta on top of the ring post and a flying clothesline off the apron over the announce table. They messed up a spot but recovered well enough, and Penta hit a vertical suplex into a pin for two. Breakker recovered and hit a Frankensteiner for two. Penta responded with a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. 

Penta went for a springboard move, but Breakker obliterated him with a mid-air spear for the pinfall win. The crowd popped big for that. 

Match result: Bron Breakker defeated Penta (15:00) 

This wasn’t exactly a smooth wrestling match, but the last few minutes were entertaining. 

— After the match, Rollins warned Penta to stay out of his way. 

********

There was a replay of Liv Morgan’s injury. Backstage, Adam Pearce informed AJ Styles that Dominik Mysterio was also injured. Styles didn’t believe it and asked if Dom strained his mustache. Pearce said it was legitimate, so their IC title match at Night of Champions was off. Pearce said Styles will get the match as soon as Dom is ready. 

New Day and Grayson Waller entered Pearce’s office after Styles left. Pearce put New Day in a tag title match against Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh next week. New Day were pissed. As they left, Kofi Kingston yelled, “You’re so bald!” at Pearce. Waller didn’t appreciate this treatment of his new friends. 

******** 

So far, they’re advertising Night of Champions as happening on Saturday, but they’re not mentioning the location. Last week, the graphics included the event’s location, but tonight, they don’t. 

Update: A few minutes later, Cole mentioned Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the special start time.

*******

Goldberg interview 

Cole sat down earlier today with Goldberg. He asked Goldberg why he targeted Gunther. Goldberg said nobody should be surprised. Gunther embarrassed him in front of his wife, his son, his fans, and in his adopted hometown of Atlanta. Goldberg didn’t know when, but knew he would go after Gunther. 

Goldberg was already thinking about his retirement match, so it was serendipitous that Gunther put himself in this position. As long as Goldberg was breathing, he was going to make Gunther pay. 

Goldberg ended with: “Michael, I am going to beat the f—k out of Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event.” 

When they returned from break, Cole confirmed that this would be Goldberg’s final match. 

********

Judgment Day met in the back. They were not in a good mood (because of Morgan’s injury), so Bálor tried to fire everybody up. He gave them all encouraging words, but Raquel Rodriguez was still worried about the status of the tag titles. 

Bálor muttered something under his breath, which pissed off Rodriguez. Bálor was glad to see her pissed off. They wanted Rodriguez to be the enforcer, and she should make Rhea Ripley pay for what she did to her last week. Rodriguez agreed. 

Dom said he missed Morgan (so they don’t speak outside of Raw). Bálor reminded him that Perez had a match, so Dom dismissively wished her luck. 

********

Lyra Valkyria met with Bayley backstage. Valkyria was trying to be friendly, but Bayley seemed offended. Bayley realized she overreacted and settled down, explaining that she’s been focused only on Lynch and the title all week. Bayley told Valkyria she would be first in line if she won tonight. (Lynch could be seen lurking in the background.) 

Queen of the Ring semi-final match: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez 

Cargill was in control and showed off by doing push-ups. Perez managed to trap Cargill’s leg between the steel steps and the ring. Perez dropkicked the steps and worked over her leg during a break. 

Cargill tried fighting back after the break, but Perez chop-blocked her. The crowd was really quiet until Cargill effortlessly caught Perez out of mid-air as she attempted a crossbody. Cargill hit a spinebuster and chokeslam for two. Perez countered a Jaded and applied a cradle for two, followed by a double knee drop for two. 

Cargill avoided Pop Rox and hit (missed) a pump kick. Cargill hit a powerbomb and, I think, tried deadlifting her up. She couldn’t do it, so she just put Perez down before picking her back up to hit Jaded for the pinfall win. 

Match result: Jade Cargill defeated Roxanne Perez to advance in Queen of the Ring (11:47)

This wasn’t particularly good. Perez did her best, but Cargill was out of place a lot toward the end, and she didn’t come across like someone who should be winning this tournament. 

— After the match, Asuka entered to face off with Cargill on the stage. 

********

They announced that Raw in Pittsburgh next week starts at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT. 

There was a video package for Jey Uso/Cody Rhodes.

******** 

There was a clip of Goldberg’s debut on WCW Nitro (with Tony Schiavone on commentary). 

Cole reiterated that this would be Goldberg’s last match at SNME, but then added, “we’ll see” what happens if he were to win the world title. 

*******

Cole announced SmackDown’s start time in Riyadh on Friday, “the night before Night of Champions. Who knows what’s going to happen on that show?” 

Jackie Redmond tried interviewing Dom during a break, but the fans kept booing. Redmond cut him off because they ran out of time. 

******* 

Sheamus again told Natalya and Maxxine Dupri that they could be tag champs one day. (It’s like they’ve been standing backstage having this same conversation for a week.) Natalya and Dupri were upset he didn’t win last week. Sheamus said he at least put Rusev in his place for a moment. 

Rusev confronted Sheamus. He said this place was full of people like Sheamus: providing smiles to the face, and knives to the back. Sheamus called Rusev the most embarrassing and most egotistical member of the League of Nations. Sheamus was tired of talking and wanted to fight. Rusev smiled and said he would make Sheamus remember this. 

********

Gunther segment 

Gunther entered. He was pissed about Goldberg interrupting what should have been his championship celebration last week. He called Goldberg the most destructive man of his generation, but it wasn’t 1999 anymore. (Some fans cheered.) It was 2025, and Gunther was the guy. He was the best professional wrestler in the company, and the title around his waist proved it. 

Gunther heard Goldberg’s intense comments, but that wouldn’t change Gunther’s perception of him. Goldberg was a 58-year-old one-trick pony who couldn’t lace his boots. Gunther apologized to Goldberg’s wife and son for everything he’s about to do. Gunther would embarrass Goldberg at SNME. 

“It’s my personal responsibility to make sure that the legacy and the myth of Bill Goldberg forever dies.” 

This was a great promo. 

********

Redmond tried interviewing Lynch backstage, but she was flustered after having just seen Valkyria and Bayley conspiring against her. She left. 

Redmond saw Sami Zayn nearby and tried interviewing him, but they were interrupted by Karrion Kross and Scarlett. (Kross did get a good pop this week.) Kross enjoyed Zayn’s fiery speech last week, but he lost to Orton anyway. Kross said Zayn would never be champion. 

Zayn calmly stepped back before knocking him to the ground with a great-looking right hand. Zayn told Kross he already spoke to Pearce and their match was official. Zayn left. Scarlett and Kross laughed. 

********

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Bayley was in control until Lynch yanked her by the arm over the top rope. Lynch targeted the arm through the break, but Bayley mounted her comeback following the break. Lynch cut her off with a back suplex, but Bayley responded with a Bayley-to-belly for a nearfall. Bayley slammed Lynch into the corner and hit a sunset flip powerbomb into the turnbuckles for two. 

Lynch hit a superplex, and they traded counters until Bayley applied a single-leg Boston crab, but Lynch got a rope break. Bayley blocked a Man-handle Slam and hit one of her own, but Lynch rolled out of the ring. 

Bayley went after Lynch, but Lynch chucked her over the announce table. Lynch buried Bayley under a bunch of chairs in an attempt to take a count-out win, but Valkyria showed up right on time to pull the chairs off. 

Lynch hit Valkyria and invited Valkyria to hit her back (to cause a DQ), but Valkyria wouldn’t do it. Lynch tried a baseball slide on Bayley, but nailed Valkyria by mistake. 

Bayley shoved Lynch into the ring post and the barricade. Bayley went to the top, but Valkyria attacked Lynch for the DQ. 

— Bayley argued with Valkyria, who somehow tried to defend herself. Lynch smirked as she backed away up the aisle with her belt. 

Match result: Becky Lynch defeated Bayley via disqualification (13:30)

This was a good match until the finish. It never felt like this would have a conclusive winner when they announced it, but the finishing sequence with Valkyria was still very annoying. She has to be turning heel at this point, because she’s becoming increasingly unlikable. 

*******

Chad Gable told Ivy Nile that she was her favourite student (and didn’t want her to tell that to the Creed Brothers). However, she should have won MITB and QOTR. Stephanie Vaquer got in her way, but she should wipe her out completely like he did to Alpha Academy and others. 

Gable saw Penta nearby and took great pleasure in seeing him lose to Bron. Penta tried being reasonable, but Gable kept yapping and threatened to take his mask off. Penta superkicked Gable and snapped his arm. Officials chased Penta away as the Creeds checked on Gable. 

(Ludwig Kaiser was randomly watching nearby.)

********

Raquel Rodriguez and Rhea Ripley segment 

A pissed-off Rodriguez was in the ring, and she called out Ripley. Ripley stormed out, and they brawled. Ripley was about to give Rodriguez a Rip-tide through a table, but Perez ran out to make the save. Ripley got rid of Perez, but Rodriguez laid out Ripley with a Tejana Bomb through the table. Rodriguez embraced Perez. 

This was a good little segment to get some heat behind Rodriguez (and align her with Perez). 

********

There were photos of the Florida Panthers celebrating with their custom WWE title belt. 

Cathy Kelley interviewed Asuka during a break. Iyo Sky joined and was excited for Asuka, because they may finally get to meet in the ring like they talked about in Damage CTRL. Asuka said they weren’t in Damage CTRL anymore, and she would see her at SummerSlam. Sky said she would be ready. 

Ripley barged into Pearce’s office. He offered a street fight against Rodriguez, and she accepted. (It was hard to hear, but it sounded like he said it would be at Night of Champions.) 

******** 

There was a big-time video package for John Cena vs. CM Punk. They’ve added the location of Night of Champions back on the graphics, and they showed exterior shots of the city as the announcers ran down the card for Saturday. 

********

King of the Ring semi-final match: Jey Uso vs. Cody Rhodes 

They both got big reactions and faced off for about 30 seconds before shaking hands. This was a first-ever singles match, and it felt like a big deal given the stakes. 

Jey blocked a Cross Rhodes just three minutes into the match and went for a superkick, but Rhodes avoided it. Jey missed a running hip attack during a break, and Rhodes applied a figure four until Jey got a rope break. They exchanged strikes until Jey hit a Samoan drop for two. 

Jey hit a running hip attack and went for an Uso Splash. Rhodes got his knees up and caught Jey in a version of the kimura lock. Jey slipped out and applied a sleeper. Rhodes began fading but got to his feet and dumped Jey over the top rope. Jey blocked Rhodes’ suicide dive and went to the top, but Rhodes scaled the ropes and hit a superplex. This led to a second commercial break. 

Jey tossed Rhodes shoulder-first into the ring post, and followed with a flying crossbody for two. They exchanged strikes as we returned from break. Rhodes hit jabs, but Jey avoided a bionic elbow. Rhodes fired up, but Jey hit a Randy Orton-esque powerslam. 

Jey set up for Cross Rhodes, but Rhodes blocked it and hit a Cody Cutter for two. Jey ducked a Disaster Kick and hit a spear for two. Rhodes hit a super Cody Cutter for two. 

Jey countered a Cross Rhodes and hit one of his own for a nearfall. People were on their feet for that. Jey superkicked Rhodes repeatedly, pulled him to his feet, and hit a spear. 

Instead of going for a cover, Jey went up for a splash. Rhodes scaled the ropes again and hit a super cutter/RKO. Rhodes followed with Cross Rhodes for the pinfall win. Rhodes advances to the KOTR finals against Orton. 

Rhodes and Jey embraced after the match. 

Match result: Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso to advance in King of the Ring (20:05) 

This was a very enjoyable Raw main event, and it helped that there were real stakes on the line.

Bron Breakker vs. Penta, Goldberg interview added to WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Bron Breakker and Penta will square off on Raw.

Adam Pearce made the announcement in a video posted on social media. The two will face off after Penta attacked Breakker at the end of last week’s show, preventing Breakker from interfering in Bronson Reed’s King of the Ring qualifying match. Jey Uso emerged as the winner, moving on to face Cody Rhodes in the King of the Ring semifinal already announced for Monday.

Seth Rollins, the leader of the new group that features Breakker, Reed, and Paul Heyman, is also set to speak.

Pearce additionally announced that Goldberg will sit down for an interview to talk about his upcoming World Championship match against Gunther. The former WCW Champion returned on last week’s Raw and confronted Gunther, setting up what is being advertised as his last match.

WWE Raw lineup for June 23, 2025:

  • Women’s Intercontinental title: Becky Lynch defends against Bayley
  • King of the Ring semifinals: Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso
  • Queen of the Ring semifinals: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez
  • We will hear from Seth Rollins
  • Bron Breakker vs. Penta
  • Goldberg sit-down interview

WWE now promoting Gunther vs. Goldberg as Goldberg’s last match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Gunther vs. Goldberg at Saturday Night’s Main Event is now officially being promoted as Goldberg’s final match.

In an announcement regarding ticket sales today, WWE wrote that the July 12 Saturday Night’s Main Event episode will be “headlined by Goldberg’s final match versus WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.” It was already expected that this would be Goldberg’s retirement match, but — with the title being on the line — was only advertised as “Goldberg’s Last Ride” until now.

WWE announced that individual tickets for Saturday Night’s Main Event and the company’s Evolution PLE will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Eastern next Wednesday (June 25). The shows are taking place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on back-to-back days.

Atlanta is where Goldberg’s wrestling career began at the WCW Power Plant. He went to the University of Georgia in Athens when he was in college, later playing in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons.

Goldberg last wrestled in 2022 when he faced Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia. The 58-year-old’s decision to return is because he wasn’t happy ending his career with that match and is determined to go out on his terms.

No other matches have been announced for the July 12 Saturday Night’s Main Event card yet.

Wrestling Weekly: Looking at AEW Grand Slam Mexico and WWE King & Queen of the Ring

Posted on by Victor Sosa

It’s Wrestling Weekly with Les Thatcher and Vic Sosa.

AEW took their talents to the iconic Arena Mexico for a very noteworthy show and WWE has some fascinating semifinal matchups in their King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.

We’ll discuss AEW’s trip to Mexico as well as how we think those tournament matches in WWE are going to shake out.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click here to listen

Fight Game: Gunther vs. Goldberg is set, AEW Grand Slam Mexico recap

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

John LaRocca and I, Garrett Gonzales, are back to talk about the major topics in the world of wrestling on this week’s Fight Game Podcast.

We kicked off the show by giving out our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down winners and losers of the week before hitting the major AEW and WWE topics of the week.

Here are some of the things we talked about:

  • A fun AEW Grand Slam Mexico
  • Private Party and whether WWE would be interested in them
  • Goldberg vs. Gunther
  • WWE King & Queen of the Ring brackets
  • Blake Monroe

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF – Exclusive Subscriber only Podcasts

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Goldberg on WWE retirement match: ‘It’s a huge risk’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Goldberg knows he’s taking a big risk by returning to the ring for one more match.

After a three-year layoff, Goldberg will get back in the ring when he challenges World Heavyweight Champion Gunther at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta on July 12. With a title on the line, this has not officially been announced as Goldberg’s retirement match, but WWE is billing it as his final ride.

Goldberg’s most recent match prior to this was against Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia in 2022. During an appearance on The National Football Show with Dan Sileo, Goldberg explained that he wasn’t happy ending his career with that bout and now wants to go out on his own terms.

“There’s a lot of reasons why I’m doing it. If push came to shove, I wouldn’t have planned it at 58 years old, but that’s just the way things go,” he said. “Unfortunately, my last match with the WWE contractually, it was against Roman Reigns, it was in Saudi Arabia, there were a number of things that were wrong with that scenario. First and foremost, me coming off of COVID three weeks before. You know, I hadn’t trained for three months, I had COVID. So to make an extremely long story short, it just wasn’t the right way for me to go out. That’s all.”

Goldberg — already a member of the WWE Hall of Fame — understands that he’s putting his legacy at risk with this return. But he knows he has to take that risk if he wants the potential reward that comes along with it. He’s gotten the chance to properly train for this match and is determined to put in a good showing.

“I ain’t freaking going out the way I went out — period, end of story,” Goldberg said. “So at 58 years old, if I have to go in there hobbled, if I have to go in there 30 pounds lighter, I don’t give a sh*t. Because I have a point to make. And at 58 years old, can I still make that point? I don’t know, but I’m going to do my best. And my best — 50 percent of me is better than 99 percent of the pricks on the planet, I believe. So if I still give that effort and have the work ethic, though I’m not who I used to be, but [mentally] I am. I mean, we don’t lose that. So it’s a risk. It’s a huge risk. Am I risking the legacy of Goldberg in the ring? Yeah, I mean, always. Every time you step in there you risk that. But it’s risk versus reward.”

Goldberg said he isn’t just doing this match for himself. It’s an opportunity for his son Gage to see his dad wrestle one more time. Gage — who is a member of the University of Colorado football team — is expected to walk his father to the ring at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The build to Gunther vs. Goldberg began in October 2024 with an angle at WWE Bad Blood. Goldberg told The National Football Show that it’s an honor to get into the ring with Gunther and challenge for his title.

“He’s a formidable opponent. I mean, he’s the World Heavyweight Champion. I remember meeting him years ago right when he broke in. The guy had a shooting star up his ass at that point, and I knew he was going to be destined for big things,” Goldberg said about Gunther. “And, hey, it’s an honor for me to get in the ring with him. It’s an honor to step into a position to be vying for the World Heavyweight Championship at 58 years old. I mean, I don’t know of any other ones who have retired with a match like that.”

Gunther is a two-time World Heavyweight Champion. He dropped the title to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41 but won it back on the June 9 episode of Raw, becoming champion again in time to set up this Goldberg match.

Goldberg returns on WWE Raw, facing Gunther at SNME

Posted on by Ethan Renner

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg returned on Monday’s WWE Raw.

The Hall of Famer Goldberg interrupted a Gunther promo and threw down the gauntlet for a World title challenge at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta on July 12 on Monday’s WWE Raw, with WWE confirming the match moments later.

As Gunther discussed potential next opponents, the crowd began to chant for Goldberg. Gunther tried to shut the chants down, but Goldberg’s music hit and the former WCW World Champion made his way to the ring to issue the challenge for Atlanta.

The SNME bout stems from an angle last October at Bad Blood where Gunther, Goldberg, and Goldberg’s son Gage were involved in a segment at the PLE. Goldberg has stated his intention to have a retirement match this year in WWE for months, and has discussed in detail some of the injuries that he has suffered in training for the bout.

Goldberg, 58, has not wrestled since 2022. He says that former WWE chairman Vince McMahon had promised him a retirement match, but went back on his word. With Paul “Triple H” Levesque now helming WWE Creative, it became clear with the Bad Blood appearance that the retirement match was a real possibility.

During a commercial break on Monday’s show, WWE commentator Michael Cole mentioned the “rumors” of a Goldberg retirement match, but did not commit to the SNME bout in fact being billed as the final bout in the 58-year-old’s Hall of Fame career.

WWE has also unveiled a new “Goldberg’s Last Ride” merchandise collection to coincide with his return:

Our ongoing live coverage from Raw is available here.

WWE Raw live results: King & Queen of the Ring first round concludes

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: June 16, 2025
Location: Resch Center in Green Bay, WI 

The Big Takeaway —

Liv Morgan injured her shoulder just moments into her match, and the match was stopped. Hopefully, it’s not a serious injury. It’s particularly poor timing with Morgan being set up for multiple programs. 

Jey Uso and Asuka advanced in the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. On next week’s Raw, Jey Uso faces Cody Rhodes, while Jade Cargill faces Roxanne Perez. On Friday’s SmackDown, Asuka faces Alexa Bliss, while Sami Zayn faces Randy Orton. 

Next week’s Raw will also see Becky Lynch defending her Intercontinental Championship against Bayley. 

Goldberg returned as expected to set up a World Championship match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta. 

**********

Show Recap — 

Gunther (holding the world title belt and wearing a smile), Bayley, Stephanie Vaquer, and Jey Uso were shown arriving earlier today. 

Corey Graves is filling in for Pat McAfee alongside Michael Cole on commentary. Graves said he couldn’t be more excited to be on Raw.

Liv Morgan and Iyo Sky segment 

Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio entered holding their respective belts. Liv welcomed us to Monday Night Morgan and wanted to hear some noise for the most gorgeous man in WWE, Dominik Mysterio. The fans booed, but they didn’t boo over his promo like they used to. Dom said tonight wasn’t about him and turned things back over to Morgan. 

Morgan said Nikki Bella learned the hard way that this division was about her, and now Nikki was sitting hurt at home. Morgan mocked Iyo Sky’s comment that Bella paved the way for them. Morgan said nobody paved the way for her. She was a four-time tag team champion and the greatest women’s tag champion ever. Now, she demanded the rematch she never got for the world title. 

Just as Morgan was about to call her out, Sky interrupted. The crowd chanted for Iyo. She told Morgan to do everyone a favour and shut her mouth. She said Morgan disrespected her and disrespected Nikki. Sky was ready to fight her, but Morgan only wanted to do it for the title. 

Morgan accused Sky of being scared and invited her to just hand over the belt. Sky told Morgan she had to earn a shot. Morgan couldn’t just steal it the way she stole Dirty Dom. Dom said Sky should give Morgan whatever she wanted, just like he did. 

They again suggested that Sky hand over the belt, so she did, but then dropkicked Morgan out of the ring. She also kicked Dom, and he left with Morgan. 

******** 

Stephanie Vaquer entered ahead of a commercial break. Chad Gable cut a promo on Ivy Nile’s behalf during a break (while also taking a shot at the Green Bay Packers). He returned to the back for the match. 

Backstage, Morgan told Rodriguez to win her match, then they would take care of Sky and Kairi Sane. (It was difficult to hear Morgan, but the closed caption helped.)

Queen of the Ring first round fatal four-way: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Asuka vs. Ivy Nile vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Raquel Rodriguez

Asuka entered to her singles theme. She had full face paint and wore mostly black gear along with a knee brace. The crowd chanted, “Welcome back.” 

Asuka and Vaquer had a very brief exchange that was interrupted by the heels. Rodriguez powerbombed Asuka into Vaquer and Nile, which led to break 80 seconds into the match. (Nothing else has happened since the previous commercial break.) 

The crowd was quiet through the break until they returned and Vaquer did Devil’s Kiss to Nile. Rodriguez blocked a Devil’s Kiss, but Vaquer managed to do it to her on the apron. (The crowd counted along instead of yelling like Booker T.) 

Vaquer blocked an Asuka lock, and Nile kicked her in the face. Nile gave Asuka a German suplex for two. This led to the match’s second commercial break—just eight minutes into it. 

As they returned from break, Rodriguez hoisted both Nile and Vaquer on her shoulders, which was impressive, and Asuka knocked everyone down with a flying dropkick. Asuka handed out kicks, but her pinfall attempt on Nile was interrupted by Vaquer. 

Vaquer invited Asuka to her feet so they could go at it again. Asuka no-sold Vaquer’s strikes, so Vaquer responded with repeated headbutts and a vertical suplex. Vaquer hit a facebuster, but Nile broke up the cover. Nile gave Asuka a uranage, but Vaquer broke up her cover. 

Rodriguez booted Vaquer and gave her a Tejana Bomb. You could tell she was about to get yanked out of the ring because of how she made the cover. Rhea Ripley pulled Rodriguez out and gave her a Rip-tide on the floor. 

Asuka followed with a running hip attack on Rodriguez for the pinfall win. 

Asuka faces Alexa Bliss on SmackDown in the semi-finals. (Cole reminded us that Asuka and Bliss were once tag champions.) The crowd was up and down during the match, but popped big for the closing sequence. 

(I thought Vaquer might’ve won this one, but they probably don’t want to pin her in the tournament, so Asuka advances. Also, Asuka pinning Rodriguez can set up a future tag title match with Sane.) 

— After the match, Asuka told Cathy Kelley that she would become Queen of the Ring. 

Match result: Asuka defeated Raquel Rodriguez, Ivy Nile and Stephanie Vaquer to advance in Queen of the Ring (15:49)

******** 

There was a Gunther/Jey Uso video package. Gunther is up next. 

New Day cut a normal heel promo during the break.

******** 

Morgan approached Rodriguez in the Judgment Day locker room and wanted them to go somewhere. I’m not sure what she actually said, but Rodriguez wasn’t up for whatever it was because she wasn’t cleared by medical after just wrestling. Morgan left to deal with it alone. 

There was another disagreement between Dom and Finn Bálor, where Bálor brushed it off. The crowd repeatedly yelled, “What?” throughout the segment because it was hard to hear. Bálor told Rodriguez not to worry about Morgan, and he left with Roxanne Perez. 

******** 

Gunther and Goldberg segment 

Gunther entered and received a big fireworks display as he held up the World title. 

Gunther said he was man enough to admit that Jey Uso was the better man at WrestleMania. Jey was better than him—for one night. But on every other night, Gunther was untouchable. (The crowd booed as he spoke.) 

Gunther heard the rumours about what was next for him. Some fans chanted for Goldberg. Gunther said it wasn’t Goldberg, because he already cussed out Goldberg in front of his family. 

Gunther spoke about Seth Rollins. He heard Rollins say the champion would be a target, so he told Rollins he was right there. 

Goldberg entered. He wore a “Goldberg’s Last Ride” t-shirt. The fans chanted for him, and he thanked them. 

Goldberg told Gunther not to worry because tonight was his night. Goldberg congratulated him on winning the title. 

Goldberg got in his face and recalled what happened between them last time. Gunther started something with him and his family in Atlanta, so Goldberg wanted to end it in Atlanta. At Saturday Night’s Main event on July 12th, “You’re mine because you’re next!” 

Gunther was perturbed and left the ring.

(Goldberg was good enough here, but this title match isn’t the most exciting direction.) 

This title match was made official after a break. 

********

AJ Styles vs. JD McDonagh (w/ Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio) 

This match was sponsored by an app. 

Dom helped McDonagh get a rope break as Styles held a calf crusher, so Styles chased Dom around the ring. When Styles got to the timekeeper’s area, McDonagh flew over the barricade to wipe him out. It was a cool-looking spot and got a good reaction. 

Styles fought back after a break, but McDonagh cut him off with a headbutt and brainbuster for two. Styles knocked McDonagh off the ropes but was distracted by Dom, who hopped onto the apron in front of the referee. 

McDonagh tried to use the distraction, but Styles hit him with a Styles Clash anyway for the pinfall win. 

— Dom tried attacking Styles after the match, but Styles fought him off until Bálor pulled him to safety. Styles held up Dom’s IC title belt. Judgment Day tried swarming Styles, but Styles bailed with the belt. 

Match result: AJ Styles defeated JD McDonagh (10:34)

******** 

Maxxine Dupri and Natalya gave Sheamus words of encouragement backstage. They want him to take care of Rusev. Akira Tozawa fired up and told Sheamus to kick his ass. 

Bayley walked through the back. She’s up next. (Grayson Waller and Austin Theory argued as they hung out with New Day nearby.) 

Packers player Evan Williams was at ringside. 

******** 

Bayley and Becky Lynch segment 

Bayley entered. She missed the fans and was happy to be back. She waited as she heard some fans trying to sing, but it didn’t pick up. The fans instead chanted, “Let’s go, Bayley.” 

Bayley revelled in every opportunity she had to perform for the fans because it’s what she was born for. She put her heart and soul into it every single night. Two months ago, she was stripped and robbed of a WrestleMania match and an opportunity to go after the tag titles. That division was near and dear to her heart. 

She didn’t just perform for WrestleMania, though. She would do it any night and would do it on nights like this one. If Becky Lynch thought she broke her by costing her WrestleMania, she was wrong. It healed her and made her stronger. 

Bayley said Lynch was always two steps ahead of her on the ladder, and she admitted that it did eat at her. But Bayley planned on climbing the ladder, knocking Lynch down and taking everything from her. 

Lynch entered wearing Chicago Bears gear. (A rival team of the Packers, and Seth Rollins’ favourite team.) The fans chanted, “Bears still suck.” 

Lynch said she and Bayley were the same. They were never meant to be on top of the division. But Bayley accepted playing second fiddle, while Lynch didn’t. Bayley would much rather have friends over her legacy. Lynch would rather have her legacy over some fake-ass friends. 

Bayley said she’s built her own legacy and is a future Hall of Famer, that’s why she didn’t mind bringing others in the locker room along with her. Lynch said she used to fight for the people, but they stopped fighting for her, so she stopped fighting for them. 

Lynch said the fans also stopped fighting for Bayley. Nobody gave a damn about Bayley when Lynch repaced her at Mania. 

Bayley called her an insecure idiot. Lynch was so worried about how the fans would react to her return that she took out Bayley so her return could be a big surprise. She followed that by taking out Lyra Valkyria as well. (Lynch noted the fans cheered that, too.) 

Bayley wondered if Lynch forgot what it was like to fight for opportunities, or if her head was too far up her ass. Lynch smiled and said she didn’t remember what that was like. She wondered if Bayley remembered what gold felt like. 

Bayley challenged her to a match. Lynch was ok with that—but not in Green Bay and not for the title. Lynch said, “See you in Columbus.” Lynch tried a cheap shot, but Bayley avoided it and knocked Lynch down. Lynch bailed with her title. 

********

Kelley interviewed Jey Uso backstage. Jey had his eyes set on a rematch with Gunther, and he was fine going through King of the Ring to get it. Yeet. 

********

Styles returned the Intercontinental title to Nick Aldis. (Aldis was filling in for the vacationing Adam Pearce, which they did not explain.) Aldis informed Styles he was getting an IC title match against Dom at Night of Champions. 

Bayley approached Aldis next, and he put her in an IC title match against Lynch next week. Bayley was happy. (I guess Aldis has full control.) 

Valkyria approached Bayley. Bayley apologized for not returning her texts and calls over the past few months. Valkyria was annoyed but understood that Bayley was simply doing what was best for her. Valkyria said she would do what was best for her, too. 

********

Kairi Sane vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Liv Morgan 

The match was stopped due to an injury. The first spot of the match was Sane going for a takedown, and Morgan came up injured. She rolled out of the ring, and officials checked on her as she grabbed her arm/shoulder. 

They showed a bunch of replays, and it wouldn’t have looked like much if you didn’t know Morgan was hurt. She appeared to land hard on her right arm/elbow, and the reaction on her face said it all. 

During a break, they announced Morgan couldn’t continue, and Sane was declared the winner. Sane celebrated. 

Match result: Kairi Sane defeated Liv Morgan via injury stoppage 

Cole announced that Morgan suffered a dislocated shoulder.

********

There was a John Cena/CM Punk video package. They didn’t shy away from Cena’s hypocrite line. 

********

Sami Zayn did an interview backstage until he was interrupted by Karrion Kross. Kross thought Zayn was insane for doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. (That’s not the definition of insanity.) Kross said Randy Orton would beat Zayn, go on to win his 15th title, and Zayn would stay at zero. 

Zayn called Kross a coward for lurking in the shadows. Zayn wondered if Kross had the courage to back up his words. Zayn has talked a big game, lost and had the courage to pick himself up and go back out there again. Kross couldn’t say the same. 

Zayn was tired of hearing from Kross. Zayn’s focus was KOTR, but the second that was done, he would get Pearce to put them in a match. Kross said it was about time. 

********

Next week on Raw in Columbus, OH: 

  • Becky Lynch vs. Bayley for the Women’s Intercontinental title 
  • Queen of the Ring semi-final match: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez 
  • King of the Ring semi-final match: Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso  

********

King of the Ring first round fatal four-way: Jey Uso vs. Rusev vs. Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed (w/ Paul Heyman) 

They went to break 90 seconds in after Jey hit Rusev with a suicide dive. Jey’s ribs were taped, and Reed targeted his midsection during the break. Jey handed out superkicks to everyone after the break. Rusev didn’t go down, so Jey tried another, but Rusev clotheslined him. 

Reed tossed Sheamus over the barricade, but Sheamus emerged to give him ten (or twenty) beats of the Bodhrán. Jey superkicked Sheamus and went for a running hip attack on Reed, but Rusev knocked down Jey again. 

Rusev and Sheamus finally went at it in the ring. They each hit big moves before exchanging right hands until Reed squished them in the corner. Reed also gave Jey a world’s strongest slam ahead of another break. 

Jey and Sheamus went back and forth until Sheamus hit a backbreaker. The crowd cheered as Sheamus got big Bronson on his shoulders to hit a White Noise, but Rusev broke up the cover. Rusev slammed Sheamus onto Reed. 

Jey handed out superkicks again, but Rusev blocked a superkick and applied the Accolade. Sheamus flew in with a knee strike, but Reed broke up the cover with a senton. Reed followed with a Tsunami on Sheamus, but Jey broke up the cover. 

Jey speared Reed, but surprise, surprise: there was interference. Bron Breakker shoved Jey off the top rope, so Sami Zayn ran in and posted Breakker. Zayn went for a Helluva Kick, but Breakker grabbed him by the throat and tossed him over the announce table. Penta flew in and wiped out Breakker with a dive. 

Reed hit Jey with a DVD, but there was more interference. This time, LA Knight shoved Reed off the top. Jey speared Reed again and consecutive Uso splashes for the pinfall win. 

Jey Uso advances to face Cody Rhodes on Raw next week. 

— Seth Rollins marched down to go after Jey, but he stopped as Cody Rhodes’ music hit. Rhodes entered to a huge reaction to face off with Rollins. They stared each other down until Rollins left the ring. 

Rhodes and Jey faced off before shaking hands. 

Match result: Jey Uso defeated Bronson Reed, Sheamus and Rusev to advance in King of the Ring (17:24)

(This was a fun match, but with tons of interference. You’ll often wonder where the hell all the good guys are when the heel group is running roughshod, so at least we got a satisfying ending here.) 

WOR: WBD split, Gunther vs. Goldberg, Mr. Iguana origin story

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I, Garrett Gonzales, are back with our Friday edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Here were some of the other things we discussed:

  • The WBD split and how it affects AEW
  • Whether sports streaming works for HBO Max or not
  • WWE & Netflix
  • Gunther vs. Goldberg
  • CM Punk vs. John Cena
  • Mr. Iguana’s origin story

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube (video sub needed)