Bill Goldberg wrestled his retirement match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XL.
The 58-year-old legend unsuccessfully challenged World Heavyweight Champion Gunther on the NBC television special. While he did go out on his back, the Hall of Famer went out swinging. There was a particular moment that impressed fans when Goldberg simply shrugged off Gunther’s famed chops.
Goldberg Reveals Laughing at WWE Star Gunther’s Chops Was His Honest Reaction, Issues Apology
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, following his retirement match at SNME XL, Goldberg addressed the now-famous, meme-worthy visual of him laughing off Gunther’s chops.
The move does carry a fair bit of weight in WWE, as The Ring General is often presented as an ‘unstoppable force,’ who loves to dominate, with his now famous chops being considered a lethal weapon. However, according to the Hall of Famer, it was simply a “great work punch,” but one that did not hurt him as much as he had originally thought.
I laughed when he chopped me, but I didn’t know what to expect. It’s a great work punch, but I thought it was gonna hurt more, that’s all,” Goldberg said. “It just startled me and I didn’t mean to do that. I really apologize because I didn’t mean that. That’s not a rib. I’m not trying to downplay his move, but it caught me off guard and I completely broke character.”
You can check out his comments in the video below:
In the closing moments of the show last Saturday, Goldberg’s son Gage went after Gunther, who had provoked him. Despite his father’s loss, the 18-year-old stood by the Hall of Famer along with his mother, friends, and family.
Post-show, the youngster, who has been working towards a football career, claimed that he was “standing on business,” further teasing his arrival at WWE.