Goldberg made a surprise return during this past Monday’s episode of WWE RAW in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He confronted World Heavyweight Champion Gunther during a promo segment and issued an official challenge for the title. This championship match is scheduled for July 12, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta, Georgia. This event is slated to be Goldberg’s final match with WWE before his retirement.
His return on Monday’s RAW received a thunderous reaction from the audience. Last year, the rivalry between Goldberg and Gunther began at the Bad Blood premium live event in October 2024, held in Atlanta. During that event, Gunther disrespected Goldberg in front of his family, prompting the former Universal Champion to jump the barricade and confront the Ring General. Triple H intervened to de-escalate the situation, but Goldberg issued a warning to Gunther that he was next on his radar before departing.
Goldberg had previously confirmed in November 2024 that 2025 would mark his final year in WWE, with his last match confirmed during his return on RAW. The upcoming match will take place at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the same venue where the initial confrontation between Goldberg and Gunther occurred. This will be Goldberg’s first WWE ring appearance since February 2022, when he faced Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia.
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Goldberg has revealed that he has experienced some physical setbacks during his training for the retirement match. He is undergoing stem cell treatments for lingering injuries to his back, shoulder, and knee. Despite these challenges, Goldberg is preparing to return to in-ring competition after more than two years away from WWE matches.
WWE implemented significant creative adjustments to accommodate Goldberg’s return and the booking of his retirement match. Triple H, head of WWE creative, arranged for Gunther to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Jey Uso during the June 9 RAW taping, ensuring that Goldberg’s final match would be a title bout. This decision also aimed to maximize viewership on NBC’s free network television, as the event coincides with AEW’s All In Texas.
There is speculation that Goldberg could defeat Gunther for the title, only to subsequently lose it to Jey Uso, the King of the Ring winner, suggesting ongoing storyline developments after Goldberg’s retirement match. This proposed angle is merely speculation, and nothing has been confirmed.
Amidst this, Triple H may have indicated a potential victory for Goldberg, with the WCW legend squashing Gunther and capturing the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE released official merchandise for Goldberg immediately following his return. His new merchandise features subtle hints that could point to him winning at Saturday Night’s Main Event, including a shirt with the caption “All Gold Goldberg” and another depicting his roaring image with the classic Heavyweight Championship design. WWE typically releases this type of merchandise after a superstar secures a title. This could be interpreted as a significant leak from the Triple H-led team, suggesting that Goldberg may secure the victory at Saturday Night’s Main Event, potentially setting the stage for him to put his career and the championship on the line against Gunther at SummerSlam, culminating in a box-office conclusion to his career.
Goldberg's Last Ride! New collection out now at #WWEShop! #WWE
— WWEShop.com (@WWEShop) June 17, 2025
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