WWE Apologizes to Goldberg After Saturday Night’s Main Event Speech Is Cut Off

Goldberg’s WWE farewell didn’t unfold as planned—and now the company is reportedly trying to make things right behind the scenes. According to Fightful Select, WWE officials have apologized to Goldberg after his post-match retirement speech was abruptly cut off during Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12. This unfortunate moment sparked speculation about WWE’s handling of Goldberg and the Hall of Famer’s future in the wrestling industry.

Goldberg lost his retirement match to World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER in Atlanta, fulfilling a long-standing tradition for wrestlers to put someone else ‘over’ in their final match. Sources confirmed WWE had a “hard out” for the NBC broadcast, which ran long due to earlier segments, hence why Goldberg’s farewell speech was cut short. Seth Rollins injury during his match with LA Knight resulted in their segment going longer than planned.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Goldberg voiced his frustration:

“Let’s just say I’m pissed off at the way I went out. I put so much into it, and I don’t feel the effort was reciprocated to put a stamp on what I accomplished.”

While the speech cut wasn’t deliberate, multiple WWE insiders reportedly felt remorseful. At least one high-level official has since issued a personal apology to Goldberg. WWE has also uploaded the full 10-minute speech to YouTube in an attempt to make amends.

Goldberg is a known legend of wrestling, which is why many, including AEW’s Jim Ross, have taken issue with his final moments as an active talent. With this dour ending, it’s unclear when, if ever, fans will see Goldberg on a WWE branded show again.