Retirement runs in professional wrestling are a rarity. In fact, they aren’t that common across all forms of combat sports. More often than not, the retiring performer is sent out on their shield, not getting a chance to give a speech or have one more moment in the spotlight. Bill Goldberg has expressed frustration in how WWE handled his recent retirement, and in the grand scheme of things, his comments come off as severely lacking in the ability to read the room.
“Let’s just say I’m pissed off at the way I went out,” Goldberg said while talking to Ariel Helwani. “I put so much into it, and I don’t feel as though the effort was reciprocated to put a stamp on what I’ve accomplished.”
Goldberg is speaking about his career that ended at the end of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event where he was defeated by GUNTHER in the main event. After the match ended, Goldberg's retirement speech was cut off as the show ended. Many pointed to timing issues, specifically with the Seth Rollins’ injury pause moments earlier that led to the issue with time. Goldberg mentioned that as an issue but pointed out there were other areas that upset him as well.
“I’m not going to say that I’m not ecstatic about the opportunity that I got. I think it could have been done a bit differently,” Goldberg said. “I’m happy with my performance, but could it have been better? Absolutely, it always could have been better. They cut me off thirty seconds into my speech, bro. I mean, you don’t do that.”
Bill Goldberg’s comments do not come off positively for the former champion
Many opinions have popped up about Goldberg’s comments. Many of which point to him coming off as ungrateful for the moment. Goldberg returned to the main event scene a few weeks ago, specifically for this spot to get his retirement moment in front of a hometown crowd in Atlanta, Georgia. A lot of top names have retired over the years, and few get the chance to stand tall at the end of a major show.
All Elite Wrestling treated Sting like the icon he is as his retirement neared. He went out on top at AEW Revolution 2024 with his family and friends in the ring as the crowd cheered his name. It is understandable why stars from that same era as Goldberg would want that same moment. Few of them get the opportunity to experience it. Oftentimes, they are pushed out without anything more than a press release.
Take Ron Killings' recent release and re-signing with WWE. The company was completely prepared to allow his contract to expire without a word, but the fan backlash made the company change their ways. Killings is far past his prime, but closer to retirement than not. Will he get the type of run that Goldberg had during his last few stints with WWE? Absolutely not. What he will get is the continued adulation from fans and his peers, which in reality seems like what Goldberg actually wanted to experience during his retirement tour.
It is hard for professional athletes and performers to walk away from the craft they spent numerous years building. Golberg dedicated almost three decades to professional wrestling. It is understandable for him to be frustrated if his retirement didn’t go as planned. But it is also important to be able to look around at an industry that all too frequently drains performers of all they have to discard them, and recognize that he was treated better than some of the top names on their way out.