How different Goldberg's retirement run in AEW could've been?

Overview

• Goldberg's retirement run against Gunther in WWE turned out to be a mixed bag, as it wasn't as exciting, and his speech was cut off
• It is reported that the AEW Boss, Tony Khan, had offered Goldberg a legitimate retirement run
• In April 2024, Goldberg confirmed having had a conversation with Tony in a radio interview with 93.7 The Ticket.

Goldberg's retirement run in WWE was a mixed bag, as it did not meet the expectations it had. It all started at the WWE Bad Blood when Gunther took a dig at Goldberg and his family. Months later, Goldberg showed up on WWE Raw and challenged the Ring General for the World Heavyweight Championship in what would be his retirement match.

The buildup to the feud was not exciting, and neither was the eventual match. However, the biggest disappointment was the fact that Goldberg's retirement speech was cut off. Goldberg expressed his disappointment and frustration over it and felt his retirement could have been better.

Also Read: 'They wouldn't do that to Taker or Cena' - Goldberg expresses frustration over his retirement speech being cut off

It is being reported that Tony Khan had offered Goldberg a legitimate retirement run, as per Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp. The former WCW star confirmed to have had a conversation with Tony in a radio interview with 93.7 The Ticket in April 2024. Back then, Goldberg had claimed AEW to be a bit too cheesy.

Could AEW have booked Goldberg's retirement run better than WWE?

Tony, however, claimed to have pushed Goldberg for talks for a run in AEW, which couldn't materialize. Had Goldberg accepted the offer, the entire AEW creative could have been changed. Since WWE offered Goldberg a shot at Gunther's world title, the veteran might have demanded the same or even more in AEW.

Also Check: Why Bret Hart hates Bill Goldberg?

That would mean the entire Death Riders angle potentially getting scrapped. If Tony somehow managed to negotiate with Goldberg just for a small period in his retirement for the world title run, it would have still been better than what he got in WWE. Hence, it might not be a surprise if Goldberg pushes for a small AEW contract to retire better.