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Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor returns with tons to talk about including four hours of AEW Fyter Fest on Wednesday night (including Thekla’s debut), law enforcement going after WWE stalkers, Goldberg’s final match, ratings notes and more.
A fun show as always so check it out~!
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By his own words, 58-year-old Bill Goldberg is feeling every part of it as he trains for his final wrestling match, taking place at some point in WWE this year for which he already knows the date.
On his CarCast podcast, the former WWE and WCW star was asked about his preparation for the yet-to-be announced bout and he revealed a list of ailments — including a left knee injury — that has made him “extremely limited” for some of the training ahead of it.
He said he is winding down his training and hopefully “the world will know soon when my retirement match is.” He also observed that “it’s uncharted water because not many people my age have done this, and I’m not just showing up to show up.”
“I need to show up and be me and I’ve tapped into me a little bit more as of late. My training, with all injuries and with my age, it makes it extremely difficult to get prepared without going overboard,” he said, adding that “I hurt myself a couple times in the past three months.”
It’s been speculated, but unconfirmed, that his final match will be part of the July 12th Saturday Night’s Main Event show from Atlanta, Georgia.
Among the injuries:
He said he had to pull back due to the mileage on his body and be cautious of blowing out a bicep or pulling a hamstring while Muay Thai training.
“There’s a huge balance and I’ve been in the ring a couple times. I’m gonna get in the ring again today and it’s just tough, man. It is tough. Me doing that right there, that was the first day that I felt really good,” he said while watching some video from his IG account.
He said he eats eight times a day in order to gain the right kind of weight, getting up to 270 pounds before having to back off due to feeling “horrible” and then having to adjust his diet.
“Man, I’m never gonna be the way that I used to be by any stretch of the imagination. But damn it, for a 58-year-old guy, I’m gonna be in some seriously freaking awesome shape and I’m gonna freak some people out, I believe. Hopefully my performance is equal to my appearance which hopefully, you know, is okay. I’m terrified to put those underwear, those trunks on again. I may even go with different kind of trunks for the only time in my life,” he said.
Bill Goldberg says his son, Gage, will walk him to the ring for his retirement match.
The 58-year-old was a guest on The Claw Pod with Ross and Marshall Von Erich recently. While he wasn’t giving much away regarding plans for his final bout, he did say:
“There is one thing that I can say about my match, is that I will be proudly led out by my son,” Goldberg said at the end of the show.
Gage Goldberg currently plays football at the University of Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders.
Earlier in the conversation, Goldberg reiterated that it had long been his dream to have the match take place in Israel.
“You guys know that I’ll do anything for my faith. Truth be told, my dream was to have my retirement match in Israel, but quite obviously because of the surroundings right now, over the past five years, it just hasn’t been the right place to do it. I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I was sorely disappointed that I couldn’t do something in Israel. But hey man, retired doesn’t mean dead by any stretch.”
Ross and Marshall Von Erich noted that they teamed with their father, Kevin Von Erich, for a match in Tel Aviv in 2017. It was Kevin’s first match in 22 years. Goldberg added that, despite being friends with a promoter in the country, having his retirement match there isn’t currently feasible.
“I would be honored to go out there, I really would,” Goldberg continued. “You never say never but like I said, we’ve been trying to do it for the past number of years and it just didn’t work out.”
Goldberg’s full appearance on the show is available below:
Without directly revealing where it will be taking place, Goldberg has given a big hint regarding the location for his retirement match.
“It’s going to be in the South,” Goldberg told MySA in a profile piece published on Friday. “This gives me the opportunity to put a stamp on my career in front of the people I care the most about.”
Given those comments, Atlanta would appear to be the most likely location for the bout. Goldberg played college football at the University of Georgia in Athens, was on the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, and was billed from Atlanta during his wrestling career.
Goldberg’s appearance at WWE Bad Blood 2024 took place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. That night, he was involved in an angle teasing a match against Gunther. It has not been confirmed if Gunther will be Goldberg’s final opponent.
The 58-year-old Goldberg told MySA that he’s spent the past four months training for the match. That training has included monthly sessions at Black Diamond Martial Arts where he lives in Boerne, Texas. A date for the retirement match has not been announced yet, but it will be happening in 2025. MySA writes that Goldberg has “been approved for some creative control of the rollout plans for the date’s announcement.”
The match will be Goldberg’s first time competing in the ring since February 2022.
Bill Goldberg believes he’ll be cleared to wrestle soon.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday, the 58-year-old said it’s still the plan for him to wrestle his retirement match in 2025, and he will likely be cleared to do so shortly after recently undergoing stem cell treatment.
“I don’t have any idea,” he said when asked about a time frame for the match. “I just know that I got stem cells five weeks and six days ago, and I’m cleared physically in a very short period of time.”
Goldberg said on his podcast in December that he planned to undergo stem cell treatment ahead of his 2025 retirement match, citing his shoulder as his biggest concern.
“I haven’t been able to do much at all preparation-wise. But I think that the positives of the stem cell treatment were such a positive that it was worth me staying out of the gym for the longest period of time I ever have in my entire life and and staying away from physical activity.”
“I’m going to jump in the ring and start sparring seven to eight days from now. I got to be smart about it. But yeah, 2025, it’s going to happen. And I don’t know who it’s going to be against. I don’t know when it’s going to be. But I guarantee you, whoever it’s against, they’re going to understand what it’s like being in there with Goldberg.”
Goldberg also addressed the possibility of facing Gunther in his retirement match after they were involved in a segment at WWE Bad Blood in Atlanta last October. During the segment, Gunther referred to the former WCW and WWE World Champion as a “one-trick pony” and said he hoped Goldberg was a better father than he was a wrestler.
“If it was Gunther and I that would be logical. There’s some heat there, obviously, that’s already been placed. And he’s the new generation. I’m the old generation. It’s kind of like a passing of the torch in a way.”
Goldberg’s full appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show can be watched below.
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While the date is not yet official for the final match of Goldberg’s career, we now have a better idea of the timeframe.
On his weekly CarCast podcast, the former WWE and WCW titleholder said, “I have a match sometime this summer.”
“I don’t know exactly when it is, but I know it’s coming up and I know at 58 years old, I got to be in my underwear in front of everybody and I hold a very high standard for myself. I need to get to work yesterday. But the long-term benefit and the benefit for me in the ring will be much more if I just calm my ass down,” he explained.
The conversation was part of a discussion about stem cell therapy injections which Goldberg recently received in Colombia, saying he feels like “a trillion bucks” compared to how he felt before getting the injections.
Last November, he said publicly he was having a retirement match in 2025 but had no date or time at that point. Based on his last WWE appearance at last September’s Bad Blood, Gunther appears to be the likely last opponent he will ever face.
He hasn’t wrestled since February 2022 at the Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including RAW this Monday with apparently maybe Goldberg, Alexa Bliss update, Chris Daniels and Hangman, AEW’s upcoming schedule, TNA and Full Sail, ratings, AEW Dynamite and NXT show reports and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Status of Goldberg & Jesse Ventura, WWE Raw lineup, Alexa Bliss update
5:27: Christopher Daniels’ status, AEW’s upcoming schedule, other AEW issues
24:45: Mistico reforms Sky Team in CMLL
29:08: Ratings
39:48: GFL Draft
42:36: AEW Dynamite recap
1:02:43: WWE NXT recap
1:11:44: TNA heading to Full Sail, more on WWE partnership
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The beginning of the end for Goldberg’s in-ring career could begin in just a few weeks time on WWE Raw.
Reported by Dave Meltzer first in a premium article Sunday and then last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Goldberg will be on the Monday, January 27th episode from Atlanta, Georgia.
The former WWE and WCW champion appeared at this past October’s Bad Blood in Atlanta for a confrontation with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. That was followed by him saying in a November interview that his final match would come in a WWE ring in 2025 and expected it to be against Gunther:
“I think we know who the subject, or the victim probably, the frontrunner right now, we know who it is. But in 2025, Goldberg makes his return in a retirement match. I got a couple of months to get ready. No date, no time.”
The 58-year-old hasn’t competed since February 2022’s Elimination Chamber when he lost to then-Universal Champion Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia.
If football doesn’t work out for him, WWE would like to see Gage Goldberg follow his father’s footsteps into professional wrestling.
Gage, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg, is currently a freshman walk-on for the University of Colorado football team. Since he was a kid, Gage has attended his father’s WWE matches. He was sitting in the front row at Bad Blood this October for the angle that happened between Bill Goldberg and Gunther.
While being interviewed by Bill Apter for Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Gage was asked about the interactions he’s had backstage with Paul “Triple H” Levesque at WWE events.
“I honestly love Triple H,” Gage said. “He’s super nice to my dad, great person, very nice to my mom. I like him, honestly. He’s awesome.”
Apter asked if Levesque has told Gage to give him a call if he’s ever interested in pursuing a career in the ring.
“Oh yeah,” Gage responded. “Yes, sir.”
Bill Goldberg will be having his retirement match for WWE in 2025. It has not been confirmed if Gunther will be his opponent.
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Welcome to another episode of The Latest with Denise Salcedo breaking down the biggest wrestling news headlines of the week so far.
TOPICS
–Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan win inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Championships
–Goldberg announces WWE retirement match for 2025
–Young Bucks update following AEW Tag Team title loss
–Montez Ford voices frustration over The Street Profits’ ‘stop-and-go’ momentum
–Trevor Lee Opens Up About Fighting For His Spot On WWE’s Main Roster, Keeping Head Held High Post-Release
I am back with another episode of Wrestling Observer Live after another busy weekend of action and news, mostly thanks to WWE Crown Jewel.
I run through all the results and happenings from Saturday’s Saudi Arabia show which included the advancement of the Bloodline drama, and the first-ever Crown Jewel champions, well, crowned.
I also look at the three surprise WWE roster changes this weekend as Baron Corbin, Tegan Knox and Indi Hartwell are no longer with the company. Did WWE drop the ball on Corbin? Let’s talk about it.
We can’t forget that AEW Collision was also Saturday. I thought the show came off kind of flat except for the continued Jon Moxley/BCC takeover and the build to his AEW World title defense with Orange Cassidy at Full Gear.
Plus, let’s look at Goldberg’s impending retirement match, Rhea Ripley’s injury, and previews of both NXT and AEW running head-to-head on Wednesday.
Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube starting at 6:05 PM Eastern
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Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the full Crown Jewel PPV report, RAW preview for Monday, Power Struggle coming up late Sunday night, Goldberg to have his retirement match in 2025, WWE cuts, the Hall of Fame, Collision results, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: WWE Crown Jewel review, WWE Raw lineup
25:30: NJPW Power Struggle lineup
31:12: Goldberg says he’ll have a WWE retirement match in 2025, Baron Corbin’s WWE contract not being renewed, Indi Hartwell & Tegan Nox released from WWE
35:42: Basil DeVito on WrestleMania 3 numbers, Harry Smith going for the AJPW Triple Crown title, Angel Garza injured, Samoa Joe update
41:42: Dave’s Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame thoughts
56:43: AEW Collision recap, lineups for Wednesday
Bill Goldberg will wrestle his final match in 2025.
He announced the news today while appearing on ESPN’s SEC Network, saying, “The news of the day is, per three executives, Nick Khan, Chris Lengentil, and Paul Levesque, in 2025, Goldberg’s having his retirement match!”
Clips of Goldberg’s appearance at WWE Bad Blood in Atlanta last month, when he was involved in an altercation with Gunther, were shown. Goldberg believes it’s likely he’ll face Gunther in his final match.
“I think we know who the subject, or the victim probably, the frontrunner right now, we know who it is,” Goldberg said. “But in 2025, Goldberg makes his return in a retirement match. I got a couple of months to get ready. No date, no time.”
🚨 BREAKING: @Goldberg just announced that his retirement match will take place NEXT YEAR! 👀
— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2024
🎥: @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/e5KtwfOGnY
Goldberg hasn’t wrestled since losing to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Shortly after his appearance at Bad Blood, Triple H left the door open for his possible return to the company, saying:
“Atlanta loves Bill Goldberg and that’s why he was here tonight,” Triple H said. “He was with his wife and his son. Always going to get a huge reaction here enjoying the show. You know, things get said. I can tell you when Bill came back he was not too happy with Gunther and we’ll see.”
On a new episode of his Carcast podcast, Goldberg addressed appearing at WWE Bad Blood.
Goldberg returned to WWE programming at the October 5 event in Atlanta. After initially being shown sitting in the front row with his wife and son, Goldberg was involved in an angle with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther later in the night. He confronted Gunther after Gunther mentioned his family, but they were kept apart by officials.
Staying mostly in character, Goldberg discussed attending Bad Blood and his storyline with Gunther.
“The elephant in the room — yes, I took Wanda and Gage to an event in Atlanta. I was in Atlanta for some business, filming a new TV show. WWE extended an invitation and we came and experienced it. I don’t know how many live events I’ve ever actually experienced in that situation. And It was cool. It was a great invite. Gage had a weekend off and we went,” he said.
“I should have known, right? I should have known somebody was going to try to mess with me. In Atlanta, no less. We were having a great time and then, yeah, Gunther. I don’t want to make anything more of it than it was. But you know me, dude. I mean, I’m not going to just sit there and let some dude talk sh*t. Period. End of story. So what started out to be an innocent attendance of a pay-per-view turned out to be being insulted by one of their current champions. I don’t care where we were, I would have done the same thing anywhere we were. But it being in Atlanta, kind of my adopted hometown — you know, I ain’t dead yet, man. Come on. As long as I’m breathing, don’t ever talk sh*t about me, and especially my family. So when he brought like Gage into it and me being a dad, that was it. It was nothing more than that. Next question.”
Goldberg’s son Gage is a member of the University of Colorado football roster, being coached by NFL legend Deion Sanders.
After Bad Blood, Paul “Triple H” Levesque teased that he would be talking to Goldberg again very soon. The 57-year-old Goldberg hasn’t wrestled in more than two years but has said that he would love to have a retirement match.
Gunther is facing Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, November 2. We’ll see if Goldberg ends up interfering in that match.
