Gunther defeated Goldberg in his retirement match. (Credit: Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event was not just Gunther’s first title defense of his second World Heavyweight Championship reign. It was billed as Goldberg’s official retirement match, and indeed it was.
Wrestling his first match since 2022 and the last of a nearly 30-year career, Goldberg fittingly chose his adopted hometown of Atlanta as the site of his final bout. In the weeks ahead of WWE SNME, Goldberg addressed the toll that training to wrestle at 58 years old put on his body, but inside the State Farm Arena, he finally got his chance to go out on own terms.
At the 40th edition of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Goldberg challenged Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship, hoping for one more championship win before hanging up his boots for good.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2025 Results for Gunther vs. Goldberg
At WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Goldberg faced one of the toughest tests of his career in World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, and as it turns out, he didn’t have enough gas left in the tank.
After a better-than-expected bout with the Atlanta crowd firmly behind the WCW icon, Gunther forced Goldberg to pass out in a chokehold submission to retain the World Heavyweight Championship he just won back a few weeks ago. Gunther’s win over Jey Uso was reportedly part of WWE’s long-term plan to build up to Gunther vs. Goldberg for the title in Atlanta in Gunther’s swan song.
A counter-programming move done to oppose AEW All In, Gunther vs. Goldberg was exactly what you would expect out of a match from Goldberg at this stage of his career. Never known as an elite in-ring technician, Goldberg pulled off some quick-hitting moves, like his spear and jackhammer, and actually looked to be in sold form, but it wasn’t enough to put away one of WWE’s most protected stars.
Gunther has suffered only a few losses in his main roster WWE career, and roughly a month after winning back his belt on Raw, he wasn’t going to lose the title to a past-his-prime Goldberg.
No, at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Gunther decimated Goldberg and choked him out, sending Goldberg into retirement. For good.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2025: What’s Next for Gunther and Goldberg?
In a recent interview, Goldberg’s son Gage, a college football standout, admitted that he believes his father will want to wrestle even after WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
But very few pro wrestling stars get to go out on their own terms, and Goldberg essentially got the perfect sendoff Saturday in Atlanta. A staple of pro wrestling in the city, which has close ties to WCW where Goldberg first became a household name, Atlanta welcomed Goldberg with open arms for what legitimately appeared to be the final time.
At nearly 60 years old, Goldberg got the retirement he wanted, putting over Gunther on his way out. That’s the best way to do it, and there’s no need for Goldberg to lace up the boots again. This Saturday Night’s Main Event match was actually as much about Gunther as it was about Goldberg.
After losing to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40 and Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41, Gunther needed to rebound with a signature win, and that’s exactly what he did on Saturday. Now, with Goldberg behind him for good, Gunther should have no shortage of challengers lining up to face him.
In recent weeks, WWE has teased some huge feuds for Gunther, including one with Seth Rollins, who was injured on Saturday, that seems unlikely given Rollins’ other rivalries and the fact that both stars are heels. Another likely opponent for Gunther is CM Punk, who seems to be the best and most logical foe for Gunther at the first-ever two-night SummerSlam.
Punk is the biggest babyface on Raw, and if he isn’t involved with Rollins at SummerSlam, then Gunther’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event win should set up Gunther vs. Punk as one of SummerSlam’s top matches.
