The fallout from Goldberg’s retirement match continues, with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray now publicly questioning the former champion’s recent critical remarks about WWE. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Ray expressed confusion over why Goldberg has come across as “bitter” and “pissed off” with the handling of his farewell.
Goldberg’s frustration stems largely from his final appearance at the Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12. Following a loss to Gunther in his hometown of Atlanta, Goldberg’s farewell speech to the audience was cut short after only 20 to 30 seconds on the live broadcast. In a July 15 interview on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Goldberg labeled the moment “unacceptable” and “disrespectful,” questioning if it was a deliberate slight from the company.
On his radio show, Bully Ray analyzed the situation, finding Goldberg’s harsh stance difficult to understand.
“It doesn’t make sense to me other than if this guy is completely out of touch and it’s all ego that he was handed all of this stuff on a silver platter,” Ray said. “Yes, something did go wrong that nobody could control, and he sounds disgruntled about it.”
Ray also speculated on other potential motives behind Goldberg’s public complaints, including whether there was another, unknown issue or if this was a strategic move to create interest from other promotions.
“My other side of the conversation is it almost seems like if the perception is there’s a lot of people out there that probably are saying, yeah, ‘You’re right, Bill, the WWE treated you the wrong way.’ So I’m saying maybe it’s an opportunity for AEW to welcome him with open arms,” Ray continued. “I don’t understand why the guy would be so pissed off. He just came off as bitter. Why he would be so bitter if they did all of these things for him? Or did something go wrong that we don’t know about? Or is it that final 30 seconds?”
Ray’s comments echo sentiments from others in the industry, like Nic Nemeth and Peter Rosenberg, who have also suggested Goldberg seems ungrateful. Despite his issues with the booking, Goldberg praised his final opponent, Gunther, and noted he had fun during the 14-minute contest. However, his continued public dissatisfaction has fueled speculation that his in-ring career may not be over, especially after reports that AEW had previously offered him a retirement run.