WWE’s Misfire: Goldberg’s Return on Raw and the Ill-Fated Gunther Match at Saturday Night’s Main Event

The wrestling world buzzed on June 16, 2025, when WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg made a surprise return on Monday Night Raw in Green Bay, Wisconsin, confronting World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and setting the stage for a title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12 in Atlanta, Georgia. This moment, hyped as a blockbuster, reignites WWE’s struggle to book Gunther effectively outside the championship spotlight and raises questions about the logic of pitting him against Goldberg in yet another title match. Here’s a breakdown of Goldberg’s return, the upcoming match, and why this booking feels like a misstep.

Goldberg’s Return on Monday Night Raw

On the June 16 episode of Raw, Gunther took to the ring to address his recent victory over Jey Uso, reclaiming the World Heavyweight Championship. He acknowledged Uso’s win at WrestleMania 41 but asserted his dominance on “every other night,” calling out Money in the Bank briefcase holder Seth Rollins as a potential challenger. The crowd, however, had other ideas, chanting “GOLD-BERG” as speculation about the WCW legend’s return reached a fever pitch.

Cue Goldberg’s iconic entrance music. The 57-year-old stormed to the ring to a massive ovation, referencing a heated confrontation with Gunther at Bad Blood 2024, where the Ring General took personal shots at Goldberg and his family, prompting Goldberg to attempt to jump the barricade. On Raw, Goldberg wasted no time, congratulating Gunther on his success but quickly pivoting to their unresolved tension. In classic Goldberg fashion, he declared, “You’re next!” and challenged Gunther to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta, his hometown. WWE confirmed the match post-segment, setting the stage for what’s billed as Goldberg’s final in-ring bout.

The return was a crowd-pleaser, capitalizing on Goldberg’s star power and the Atlanta connection, given his WCW roots and time with the Atlanta Falcons. However, it also underscored WWE’s reliance on nostalgia over building fresh narratives, especially for a talent like Gunther.

The Upcoming Match at Saturday Night’s Main Event

The Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12, 2025, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta will mark Goldberg’s first WWE match since February 2022, when he lost to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber. Billed as his retirement match, the clash with Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship is a high-stakes affair, but one that feels fundamentally flawed.

Gunther, fresh off reclaiming the title, is at his best in long, technical, hard-hitting matches that showcase his physical dominance and in-ring mastery. Goldberg, limited by age and a reliance on short, explosive bouts built around spears and jackhammers, is a stylistic mismatch. Reports suggest the match will likely be kept short to play to Goldberg’s strengths, but this compromises Gunther’s ability to deliver the kind of classic that defines his reigns. The decision to make this a title match—rather than a non-title grudge match—further muddies the waters, risking the championship’s prestige for a one-off spectacle.

The storyline stems from their Bad Blood encounter, where Gunther’s personal jabs at Goldberg’s family set up a revenge narrative. While this gives the match some emotional weight, it feels like a retread of WWE’s playbook: lean on a part-timer to pop a crowd rather than build a feud with a full-time star who could benefit from facing Gunther. The Atlanta setting adds sentimental value for Goldberg, but it does little to advance Gunther’s character or establish him as a long-term main-event force.

Why This Booking Misses the Mark

WWE’s struggle to book Gunther without a title is evident here. As discussed previously, Gunther’s aura thrives on dominance, but without a championship, WWE often leaves him in aimless feuds that don’t match his intensity. Now, as champion, he’s thrust into a title defense against Goldberg, a move that feels like a repeat of the ill-conceived Crown Jewel 2024 match (which, based on your prompt, was his last title match against Goldberg). That bout was criticized for its brevity and failure to showcase Gunther’s strengths, and this upcoming match risks the same pitfalls.

Making this a title match is particularly “stupid” because it prioritizes short-term nostalgia over long-term storytelling. Gunther’s reign should be about establishing him as an untouchable force, with defenses against credible opponents like Drew McIntyre or Ilja Dragunov who can match his style. Goldberg, with no long-term stake in WWE’s future, doesn’t need the title to make this match meaningful—a non-title retirement bout could have served the same purpose without cheapening the championship. Moreover, the match feels like a ratings grab to counter AEW’s All Texas event on the same night, rather than a story that organically benefits Gunther or the Raw roster.

What Could Be Done Differently?

WWE could salvage this by focusing on the personal stakes rather than the title. A non-title match could let Goldberg go out on his shield while allowing Gunther to look dominant without risking the belt. Alternatively, WWE could use this feud to elevate a younger star, perhaps by having Gunther dispatch Goldberg quickly and move into a program with someone like Bron Breakker or Sami Zayn. Expanding Imperium’s role—perhaps with Ludwig Kaiser interfering to cost Goldberg the match—could also add layers to Gunther’s story without relying on nostalgia.

Final Thoughts

Goldberg’s Raw return on June 16, 2025, was a nostalgic high, but the decision to book him against Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12 feels like a creative misstep. It highlights WWE’s ongoing struggle to book Gunther effectively outside the title picture and their overreliance on part-timers like Goldberg to draw eyes. While the Atlanta crowd will likely erupt for Goldberg’s final match, the booking risks diminishing Gunther’s reign and the title’s prestige. WWE needs to trust in Gunther’s ability to carry compelling stories, with or without gold, and move beyond nostalgia-driven matches that don’t serve the future of the company.