Dive into Goldberg’s final WWE match vs Gunther on Saturday Night Main Event: match time, results, what happened with Gage, broadcast cut-off, TV apology, and the legend’s legacy.
🧭 Background Context: The “Last Ride” Begins
- WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg (b. 1966), famed for his streak-era dominance in WCW/WWE, embarked on his retirement tour beginning at Bad Blood 2024 and culminating with a final in-ring match against Gunther on Saturday Night’s Main Event XL in his hometown, Atlanta.
- Gunther, the Austrian powerhouse, has held the World Heavyweight Championship since SummerSlam 2024, following a controversial King of the Ring win .
📺 What Time & Where to Watch
- Live on NBC and Peacock from State Farm Arena, Atlanta, doors opened 6 p.m. ET, main card at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Official broadcast start was 8 p.m. ET.
- For international audiences, streaming was available via YouTube worldwide, with local coverage per region.
🥊 Match Night: Goldberg vs Gunther
- In a hard-hitting showdown lasting 14 minutes and 19 seconds, Gunther defeated Goldberg by technical submission with a sleeper hold, retaining the title.
- Goldberg’s final spear knocked out the referee before delivering his trademark Jackhammer. Gunther ultimately responded with ruthless efficiency, putting Goldberg to sleep with a sleeper hold .
🎙️ Retirement Speech & Broadcast Drama
- Goldberg’s 10-minute on-air speech was abruptly cut after just 20–30 seconds due to NBC commercials. That led to widespread backlash .
- WWE apologized publicly, and NBC acknowledged the “timing disruptions” from live event overruns .
- Goldberg confirmed in interviews he’d kept additional thoughts for release after his WWE contract expired in two weeks .
👨👦 Goldberg’s Final Moment with Son Gage
- Early in the match, Gunther shoved Goldberg’s son Gage from the ring steps, prompting a dramatic interlude where Gage sprinted into the ring before security intervened .
- That emotional moment underscored the match’s personal stakes and resonated deeply on social media.
📍 Aftermath & Fallout
- Gunther’s star continued its upward trajectory; his brutal sleeper hold victory bolstered his dominance .
- WWE-AEW rivalry: Goldberg’s nostalgia-driven return was also WWE’s strategy to counter AEW’s All In with a high-profile lineup—NXT Great American Bash and Evolution followed .
- Fans and analysts critiqued the abrupt speech cut-off, seen as disrespectful to a legend; WWE and NBC moved quickly to make amends .
📊 Match Ratings & Social Impact
- Reddit reactions captured the mixed sentiment:
“Gunther wins after putting Goldberg to sleep, as the Atlanta crowd chant Goldberg hoping for a comeback.”
- Commentary praised the emotional gravity:
“I was one of Goldberg’s loudest critics, but the finality of that moment made me realize: he was important to the business in his own way.”
GOLDBERG IS OUT!
GUNTHER WINS!!@nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/2uUfdFnUaE
— WWE (@WWE) July 13, 2025
🗂️ Career Retrospective & Significance
- Goldberg, a multi-time champion and WCW icon, closes a 28-year career on his terms.
- Gunther’s victory cements his dominance and adds emotional depth to his story—beating a legend in the latter’s hometown .
🧭 What This Means for WWE
- Saturday Night’s Main Event was used as WWE’s strategic anchor event, counter-programming AEW and building into Evolution .
- For collectors, it was Goldberg’s final in-ring moment; for WWE, it was a high-stakes programming decision.