Bill Goldberg,the legendary WWE hall of Famer,recently addressed a memorable moment from his retirement match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event. During the bout, Goldberg appeared to laugh off one of Gunther’s signature, powerful chops. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Goldberg explained that his reaction was genuine and that he instantly regretted breaking character.
An Unexpected Reaction
Goldberg stated that he had prepared himself for the impact of Gunther’s chops, having endured many throughout his career. However, the actual sensation of the chop was not what he anticipated, leading to his surprising and unprofessional response. “I just really apologize… I laughed when he chopped me, but I didn’t know what to expect,” Goldberg shared. “You know, you feel these chops throughout your career a little bit, and they’re loud, man, it looks like they hurt… I thought it was going to hurt more, that’s all, and it just startled me. and I didn’t mean to do that,and I really apologize,because I didn’t mean that.That’s not a rib. I’m not trying to, you know, downplay his move, but it’s just it caught me off guard, and I completely broke character.”
An Honorable Opponent
Despite the brief lapse in character, Goldberg expressed immense respect for his final opponent. He described Gunther as an “astonishing guy to work with” and called it “freaking awesome” to have his last match with him. Goldberg credited Gunther’s extraordinary talent for enabling him to have a strong performance at 58 years old. “The kid’s extremely talented,” Goldberg said. “And man, what I’d love to have a chop fest with him. And, you know, have 10 more of those matches, because each one you do with them is… is better… It was an honor to work with the kid, and I really am appreciative of him helping me out and making this old man look, you know, like he could do some stuff.”
Gunther ultimately defeated Goldberg in the hard-fought World Heavyweight Championship match, which headlined the Saturday Night’s Main Event premium live event in Atlanta, Georgia. Click here to read Goldberg’s comments regarding his retirement speech being cut short by NBC.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
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