WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg has opened up about an unexpected moment from what may have been his final professional wrestling match, a bout where he challenged GUNTHER for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12, 2025. During an appearance on the Real Talk with Mike Burke podcast, Goldberg reflected on the experience.
However, one of the most memorable moments for him was his own uncontrollable reaction to taking one of GUNTHER’s notoriously stiff chops. Goldberg explained that he was bracing for the impact of the chop, but instead of selling the pain, he found himself laughing in the middle of the ring.
“When he hit me with it, I started laughing. I just couldn’t control myself. No, I swear to God, I didn’t do it to demean him or the move. It just instantly…I caught myself going, ‘Man, that wasn’t s**t.’”
Despite his candid reaction to the move, Goldberg made it clear that he had no disrespect for “The Ring General” and went out of his way to praise his opponent for the match, which was the second-longest of Goldberg’s entire career.
“He was a great kid. One of the nicest kids you’re ever going to meet—in or out of the ring. He took great care of me. It was the second longest match I think I ever had.”
The match, which took place in Goldberg’s adopted hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, was the end of a long-standing goal for the Hall of Famer to have a proper retirement match, a request that was finally granted by WWE.