WWE’s iconic and legendary wrestler Bill Goldberg has officially announced his retirement after an illustrious 27-year career. His final match took place on July 12 in his hometown of Atlanta during the “Saturday Night Main Event,” where he faced World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.
Goldberg made his way to the ring for the last time, accompanied by close friends, while many others, including family, watched from the audience. During the match, the 58-year-old legend delivered a fierce performance using his signature moves — the Spear and Jackhammer. However, he ultimately succumbed to Gunther’s sleeper submission hold in what was a hard-fought, emotional 14-minute contest.
Following the match, Goldberg’s family and friends entered the ring for an emotional farewell. Though his retirement speech wasn’t aired live on television, WWE later released the video on its official social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter).
Goldberg began his wrestling journey on September 22, 1997, with WCW (World Championship Wrestling), where he famously remained undefeated in his first 173 matches, capturing the WCW Championship along the way. His first loss came on December 27, 1998, against Kevin Nash. After WCW, he spent a brief period wrestling in Japan under “All Japan Pro Wrestling” before joining WWE in 2003. There, he cemented his legacy by winning the World Heavyweight Championship.
After initially stepping away from wrestling in 2004, Goldberg made a comeback in 2015 through “The Legends of Wrestling” show. His sensational WWE return in 2016 shocked fans as he defeated Brock Lesnar in just 1 minute and 26 seconds. In 2017’s Fastlane event, he claimed the WWE Universal Championship, though he lost it back to Lesnar a month later.
Throughout his career, Goldberg made several comebacks to WWE, even reclaiming the Universal Championship once more. His retirement marks the end of a golden era in professional wrestling. Fans will remember him as an unmatched fighter, a powerhouse, and an enduring wrestling icon.
