Following the final match of his celebrated 28-year career, WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg explained that a couple of unscripted moments during his bout against Gunther at the July 12 Saturday Night’s Main Event prompted him to issue an apology to the World Heavyweight Champion.
While appearing on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Goldberg detailed his regret over his reactions during the championship contest. He admitted to breaking character and felt it was important to apologize to his opponent afterward.
“Number one, I clipped him once with a right hand. Number two, I laughed when he chopped me,” Goldberg said. “I didn’t know what to expect because you feel these chops throughout your career a little bit and they’re loud. Looks like they hurt. You look at the skin and leaves some good marks. It’s devastating looking. It’s a great work punch. I thought it was going to hurt more, that’s all. It just startled me. I didn’t mean to do that. I really apologized. It’s not a rib. I’m not trying to downplay his move. It caught me off guard. I completely broke character.”
The match, which headlined the event from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, saw Gunther retain his World Heavyweight Championship. He defeated the challenger by making him pass out in a sleeper hold, officially closing the book on Goldberg’s in-ring career.
Despite the on-air gaffe, Goldberg expressed immense respect for Gunther and praised the experience of working with him for his farewell match.
“To be able to have my last match with him, it was freaking awesome,” Goldberg added. “The kid is extremely talented. Man, I would love to have a chop fest with him and have ten more of those matches because each one you do with him is better.”