Huge concerns emerge ahead of Goldberg’s retirement match.
Last week, on the June 16th episode of Raw, Goldberg made his long-awaited return. Confronting Gunther after their Bad Blood 2024 encounter, the Hall of Famer challenged him to a World title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on 12th July, 2025.
However, ECW legend Tommy Dreamer recently openly criticized Goldberg’s June 23rd Raw promo and raised several concerns regarding his character ahead of his retirement match in Atlanta, Georgia.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Busted Open After Dark podcast. Dreamer said,
“When I was listening to it… Goldberg came across more as the aggressor. We talk about tone and inflection. I thought it should have been more of a humble Bill Goldberg, then ‘I’m gonna kick your ass.’ All that stuff could come across as arrogant.”
The veteran believed that the recent promo labelled the former Universal Champion as “arrogant,” and stated that it could lead to the fans cheering for The Ring general instead. Dreamer further continued,
“And then I heard Gunther’s promo, and I knew I was right. The fans are cheering for Gunther. Hopefully the fans don’t boo Bill Goldberg on his last match, because they were certainly cheering for Gunther.
If he would have said, ‘You know what? Like, I’m a 58 year old man. But sometimes when I hear my music, I become 28 and then, you know, after the matches, sometimes I feel like I’m 78. But if you’re going to insult me and insult me in front of my fans and my family, I have to stick up’ and then build to that rage, as opposed to just this level at all times.
He came more as the aggressor and less likable. And I like Bill Goldberg. I like Bill Goldberg a lot. I love Bill Goldberg, the character, and Bill Goldberg the person, is very likable, but don’t know if it came across in that sit down.”
H/t wrestlingnews.co
Goldberg Has A Stern Warning For Gunther
“The disrespect Gunther showed me in Bad Blood, in front of my wife, my son, my fans, my house in Atlanta. I couldn’t let it go. I didn’t know when to let it go. Even if I have one foot in the grave, nobody’s going to talk to me like that and get away with it. So yeah, he embarrassed me infront of my family. And, so, as I am vying for my retirement match and wondering who’s my opponent gonna be? I thought it was quite serendipitous that he stepped up.
Pretty much put himself in that spot, I think it was a logical choice, cause he ain’t going away with it. As long as I am breathing, as long as I can step foot into that ring, I am going to make him pay. Michael, I will beat the f**k out of Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event.”
In other news: Chad Gable has been ruled out with an injury.