WWE Hall-Of-Famer Confirms He's Coming Back For A Retirement Match
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 19: WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque speaks during WrestleMania 41 ... More at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by)
Goldberg is definitely returning to the WWE for a retirement match.
The wrestling legend took to X on Monday after Raw and posted a video of the last time he made a return to WWE. He captioned the post with "About time to replicate this!" In the video, which is from October 2016, Goldberg met WWE announcer Michael Cole in the ring and took his comeback to the next level.
There's been speculation for months about whether Goldberg would step back into the ring one more time. That speculation became confirmation the moment he posted the video. While there was no official match announcement, this is clearly the first move in what looks to be his final storyline arc in WWE.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Bill Goldberg attends WWE 20th Anniversary Celebration Marking ... More Premiere of WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX at Staples Center on October 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by)
The timing makes sense–especially during this era when Triple H is masterfully guiding content and redefining what we've come to expect from the brand. WWE's in a transition period post-WrestleMania 41, and as the company continues leaning into legacy talent for major moments, a Goldberg farewell bout checks a lot of business boxes.
The post had the energy of a man who knows how to build anticipation, even with just a few words. "About time to replicate this!" feels like a tease aimed at fans, but also possibly at the locker room.
Goldberg was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and his last match happened in 2022 against Roman Reigns in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Goldberg's return will generate a pop initially, but WWE must be very careful how they book the legend. After all, while he remains a physical specimen, he is still a 58-year-old specimen.
To protect him from some of the embarrassing moments he had in the ring during his last return, the scripting must be smart and heavy on presentation and light on physical rigor.
WWE fans–and Goldberg and Undertaker remember this.
If the rumored opponent is Gunther, there's already a seed planted.
The two had a verbal exchange at the Bad Blood premium live event in Atlanta back in 2024. Gunther isn't the kind of wrestler who tones it down for opponents, even legends. His style is hard-hitting, and that's part of what makes a match between him and Goldberg a wild card.
It could be compelling, or it could push past Goldberg's current capabilities. Gunther is known for his physical matches. That might be what intrigues Goldberg, but I don't know if anyone wants to see him eat a chop from Gunther.
I wonder if Goldberg—especially at 58—can hoist Gunther up for his signature jackhammer. We might be about to find out.
If WWE goes this route, the match will need smart planning and solid stagecraft. A confrontation or promo segment on Raw could be the next step. We could see Goldberg make an appearance on an upcoming episode of Raw.
Expect WWE to promote the buildup heavily across multiple shows.
A Raw face-off could lead into a summer pay-per-view or even set the tone for Survivor Series. One way or another, this story just started—and people will watch.
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SmackDown recap & reactions: Polish the Peacemaker
The main event segment of this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown from Knoxville was all about WWE Champion John Cena making his return and Cody Rhodes following him up. These two finally met again at Saturday Night's Main Event this past weekend, and it set the stage for a tag team match at Money in the Bank. Advertisement So how would they build to that? Rhodes was out first to talk about how he felt in the wake of losing the championship at WrestleMania. He retreated within for a time, maybe had a drink or two, and confided in a friend about it. He asked 'was I a good champion?' He was told he faced some really difficult challenges and responded to them well. Yes, he was a good champion. Rhodes thought about the year he had, AJ Styles getting the drop on him, his friend sucker punching him, his boss pushing him, The Final Boss asking for his soul and how sincere he was with all of it. And he also thought about none other than John Cena. Advertisement He did exactly what he said he was going to do, forcing Cody to make a choice, and 'I hesitated.' If Cena ruins wrestling like he says he's going to, Rhodes says he's partially to blame for that. 'If you are listening, champ, I need you to know that I will never hesitate with you again.' Character growth? He got back to chatting with the fans and said he's finally back and came with a surprise. They already knew what it was — YEET! They worked the gimmick — including doing the encore — but before Jey could speak, Cena made his way out. He called the two of them 'John Cena wannabes' and it makes him sick. Rhodes wants his fame and Jey wants his money but they're too desperate and too lazy to get either. Advertisement There's only one other human being in WWE who embodies hustle, loyalty, and respect with the fortune, fame, and followers to back that up. Cena introduced that man, his partner at Money in the Bank. Friggin' Logan Paul, man. The boos were tremendous. Cena got some cheers mixed in, because that's just how it's always going to be. Paul rightfully pointed out he could walk on water and the fans who just say it's only because he can't swim. He ran down Jey and Cody, calling them 'nepo babies born on third thinking they hit a triple' while he and Cena are self made men. Paul also put over Cena as the Last Real Champion and called himself the future of this company. It was actually a damn good promo, especially considering who he was cutting it in front of. Advertisement Jey told them they could run it right now. John tried to leave when Logan tapped him and told him they should tussle. A brief argument ended when Rhodes made a joke about Logan polishing the Peacemaker. The ensuing physical confrontation saw the babyfaces get the best of it, and Rhodes celebrate by holding up the title he lost. I never thought I would see the day that Logan Paul is carrying some of the weight for John Cena but here we are. And it kind of rules. I'm ready for this one, folks. WWE was in Knoxville for this show, and despite the fact that she's still injured, Bianca Belair made her return. They treated it like a big homecoming, threw on Rocky Top, and let everyone sing and have a good time. Fun was had. Advertisement Belair called it not just home but her 'safe space.' She's been through so much, she just wanted to come back home to heal up. She promised to continue doing everything she can to get back to the ring fully healthy and the fans all cheered. It was a decent little feel good moment for all involved. And then Naomi showed up. They booed her like she was Dirty Dominik Mysterio in literally any city in America. Naomi claimed she wanted to talk to Belair about everything that happened between them, and then outright begged for forgiveness. Then it got weird. Real weird. Naomi admitted to going by Belair's parent's house, and even letting herself in when they weren't home. 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This was absolutely the right call and for my money they should push as hard as they can with this character. She's fantastic. Advertisement They gave her a confrontation with current Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton backstage a bit later. They also had Alexa Bliss show up to remind us she, too, is in the Money in the Bank ladder match. She's great too but I'm all the way behind Naomi at this point. All the rest R-Truth met JC Mateo and called him 'husky' before asking Solo Sikoa to take him to the ring and teach him a lesson. They're big boned, Truth said. Sikoa just wanted to have fun but Jacob Fatu left them to their own devices for all that because he had other business to attend to. Meanwhile, you'll never guess what happened when Truth met Mateo in the ring. Oh, you think it was a glorified squash match? Then yeah, you totally could guess. Jimmy Uso made the save after the match and commentary reminded us Solo wants to woo him back to the group. 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He came up short here, however, as Los Garza took care of business thanks to Page interfering. This was all pretty well done, and a solid showing for everyone involved. The Miz claimed he gave up his chance to be in the Money in the Bank qualifying match so that Carmelo Hayes could be in it. Miz promised to lead him to greatness if he wins too. Hayes rebuked all of this, claimed he's here on his own talent, and drove a wedge right between them. It sure looks like these two will be done sooner rather than later. Damian Priest got some time on the mic to say that he put Drew McIntyre in the past with that Con-Chair-To at Saturday Night's Main Event. He still can't stand McIntyre but the guy who went into the cage with him was the old Drew, the warrior, and he appreciated that. As for what's next, he said there's a champion he considers the most badass right now and it's someone he has unfinished business with — Jacob Fatu. He respects him and he's proud of him but he doesn't respect the crew he follows around. He promised to come for him sooner rather than later. That match could be fun. As he was heading to the back, Fatu came out for his qualifier. They shared a brief staredown and a nod of the head. Sure. That qualifier happened right after all this, and it was a damn fun match. At the end, Sikoa and Mateo hit the ring to get involved but Jimmy Uso showed up again to throw Mateo out of the way. Fatu was distracted by it all, and ended up getting knocked into Sikoa and taken out of the ring by Hayes. Andrade took advantage of the confusion and punched his ticket by taking down Hayes. Immediately, Fatu was arguing with his crew ringside while Andrade celebrated on his way to the back. This was probably the right call here but it feels wrong seeing Fatu lose matches like this, even when he doesn't have to take the pin. They ended on Fatu angrily storming off from Sikoa backstage. 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WWE SmackDown takeaways: Bianca Belair returns; Andrade, Naomi qualify for MITB
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After Belair talked about her recovery and eventual return, Naomi joined her in the ring. Naomi begged for Belair's forgiveness for her betrayal. She said she even went to Belair's parents' house and let herself in when nobody was home. Belair said if she ever came around her family again that putting Jade through the roof of a car would pale in comparison to what she would do to her. Naomi dropped the forgiving vibe and then let through a sinister laugh as she said she'd hate for Bianca to join her mother in a wheelchair (Belair's mother was sitting front row in a wheelchair). Jade Cargill's music hit, and she quickly cleared Naomi from the ring. Cargill and Belair stared at each other, but their friendship remains unclear. This was an intense promo between Belair and Naomi. Bringing in the real-life family just adds a whole different layer to the story. It's unfortunate that Belair is injured, which has paused the story's progression, but this was a great way to keep it fresh. Naomi qualifies for Money in the Bank The first match of the show was a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifier. Two of the competitors were already near the ring, Naomi and Jade Cargill. The third woman was Nia Jax. The big spots in this match kept the crowd invested, most of which were from Jax. We saw a second-rope leg drop, a double cross body, and a second-rope Samoan drop from the former champ. Cargill had her displays of power throughout the match as well. But the finishing sequence was another big moment from Jax - a superplex powerbomb followed by an Annihilator to Cargill. Jax had them both stacked initially, but Naomi moved at the last moment, and secured a three count by rolling up Jax. A win here was big for Naomi, as her heel persona continues to look very strong. The match was solid and Jax's big moments looked legitimately damaging. But what does this mean for Cargill and Jax? Will they find their way into the MITB match? Je'Von Evans, Rey Fenix shine in tag match vs. Los Garza The bouncy one from NXT, Je'Von Evans made his SmackDown debut in a tag match alongside Rey Fenix against Berto and Angel, as Santos Escobar and Ethan Page watched from ringside. Seeing Evans and Fenix on the same team felt like something straight out of WWE 2K as they flew around the ring, inside and out, wowing the Tennessee audience. Unfortunately for the high-flying team, Page got involved, attacking Fenix and Evans from behind while the referee was distracted. Los Garza hit their double-team finisher to score the pin. Page, the NXT North American Champion, will put his title on the line at Worlds Collide next weekend against Evans, Fenix and Laredo Kid. This match was obviously a primer for that match, while also getting Los Garza a much needed win. Everyone looked great here, and it was a fun match that the crowd enjoyed. Zelina Vega disrespected, defends title against Alba Fyre Zelina Vega continues to be the most disrespected current titleholder. For her match against Alba Fyre, Vega's entrance wasn't televised. No, instead, it was "Sign of the Night" time, and then we return to the ring to see Vega holding her Women's United States Championship high while sitting on the ropes. Meanwhile, Fyre, along with Chelsea Green and Piper Niven got a full entrance. Maybe that was payback for Vega breaking Green's nose at Saturday Night's Main Event. Green covered her injury with a colorful, bedazzled facemask, which we first saw in a backstage segment earlier when she demanded Vega be stripped for causing the injury, which led to the match between Vega and Fyre. The match was moving along nicely, until Green decided to get involved when things spilled to the outside. Green removed the facemask, revealing her severely bruised face. She attempted to hit Vega with the mask as Niven held her up, but the champ ducked. A moment later, Vega hit a Code Red to pin Fyre. When was the last time a champion didn't get an entrance on television? I can't recall. WWE seems to treat Vega as if she's a jobber even while holding gold, and this was just the latest example. Yes, the accident at SNME sucked, but those things can happen to anyone at anytime. Her reign might not be long since Giulia has set her sights on belt, but until that happens, do right by Vega, WWE. Andrade qualifies for MITB The second MITB qualifier was between United States Champion Jacob Fatu, Carmelo Hayes and Andrade. Unsurprisingly, Fatu dominated early, and even took out The Miz after he tried to prevent him from attacking Hayes. But as the match wore on, Hayes and Andrade had their moments, which was fun to watch because they always work so well together. "This is awesome" chants poured in after Andrade hit his top-rope moonsault into a backflip on Fatu. "Holy sh*t" chants soon followed when Fatu attempted to send both opponents through the barrier, but they moved at the last moment. The match continued to cook until Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo arrived ringside to cause distractions. Fatu was putting the finishing touches on the match. He hit his signature top-rope moonsault, but before he could go for the pin, Sikoa hopped on the apron telling him to do it again. Mateo hopped up too, demanding a second. Jimmy Uso appeared to attack Mateo. Meanwhile, Andrade and Hayes went at it in a wild back-and-forth sequence. Andrade hit his finisher to get the three count. Fatu was rightfully ticked off. On paper, this was one of the best qualifiers for MITB, and it certainly delivered. Andrade winning was somewhat of a surprise. Between him and Hayes, two wrestlers who deserve much more, one of them had to eat the pin here. Fatu didn't need the MITB, but Andrade and Hayes can greatly benefit from the briefcase. We'll see what happens with Andrade advancing to the big match. Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso get their hands on John Cena, Logan Paul The final segment of the show featured Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, John Cena and Logan Paul. Rhodes entered first and delivered a short promo before welcoming Uso to the ring. Cena came in next. After Cena called Rhodes and Uso "John Cena wannabes," Paul joined the group in the ring. With Paul and Cena set to tag against Rhodes and Uso, the hard sell was on for the heel team. Cena put over Paul, while Paul focused on belittling the crowd. He then likened the matchup to two "nepo babies" against two self-made men. Uso challenged Cena and Paul to throw down right now instead of at MITB. Cena wanted to leave, Paul wanted to fight. Rhodes delivered a sharp one liner, and the brawl was on until the show concluded. Paul did well on the mic here, but there was no back and forth, which left more to be desired. In fact, Rhodes and Uso only delivered one line each after Paul was done talking. The melee was expected, but it did show that Rhodes and Uso know how to work together, foreshadowing what could happen at MITB. Considering Cena showed up, the segment gets points on that alone, but it could have been better with more banter on the mic.
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Alf Clausen, Emmy-Winning Composer for ‘The Simpsons,' Dies at 84
Alf Clausen, the veteran composer with two Emmy wins and 30 nominations whose whimsical scores brightened such television series as The Simpsons, Moonlighting and, purely coincidentally, ALF, has died. He was 84. Clausen died Thursday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Kaarin Clausen, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy about eight years ago, she said. More from The Hollywood Reporter Loretta Swit, Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on 'M*A*S*H,' Dies at 87 Mike Sumler, Kool & the Gang Hype Man, Dies at 71 Ena Hartman, 'Dan August' and 'Terminal Island' Actress, Dies at 93 From The Simpsons' second season in 1990 until its 28th in 2017, Clausen crafted many of the spirited melodies that contributed to the cutting-edge lunacy of the Fox animated show. From 23 Emmy nominations, he — along with lyricist Ken Keeler — won in 1997 and '98 for the songs 'We Put the Spring in Springfield' and 'You're Checkin' In (A Musical Tribute to the Betty Ford Center).' His harmonious relationship with the show would not last, however, with Clausen filing a lawsuit against Disney and Fox in August 2019 after he was dismissed from The Simpsons. Clausen's breakthrough as a TV composer came in 1985 on the ABC series Moonlighting. Back then, he had spent years doing a little bit of everything, from music directing and orchestrating to creating additional music for film and television projects. Lee Holdridge, who wrote the music for the Moonlighting theme song performed by Al Jarreau, asked series creator Glenn Gordon Caron to employ Clausen. Caron did so, but to hedge his bets, he hired another composer to alternate episodes with Clausen. By the fourth show, the other composer was let go and Clausen ended up scoring the series throughout its five-season run. Moonlighting's innovative structure provided a range of challenges for Clausen. The 1985 episode 'The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice' offered film noir flashbacks (filmed in black and white) set in a 1940s nightclub, with Cybill Shepherd, backed by a big band, singing a sultry torch song as co-star Bruce Willis played trumpet. The next year's 'Atomic Shakespeare' served up a music-filled parody of The Taming of the Shrew in medieval times. Clausen received Emmy noms for those episodes, then landed two more in 1988 and '89. Meanwhile, Clausen also took on composing duties for ALF. He provided the theme song and scored the 100-plus episodes of the quirky 1986-90 NBC sitcom about a joke-cracking, alien life form (ALF) portrayed as a shaggy puppet. (Asked if ALF was named after him, Clausen's standard reply was, 'No, but I granted them the rights to use my face as a likeness!) Clausen originally resisted The Simpsons' gig when it was first offered in 1990. The show, which had just concluded its first season (its opening theme was written by Danny Elfman), seemed too light-heartedly compared to what he had done the past five years. 'I was posed the question, 'Would you like to score an animated show?' and I said, 'No,'' Clausen recalled during a 2015 conversation for the Television Academy Foundation website The Interviews. 'I said, 'I just got off of four years of Moonlighting, and I really want to be a drama composer. I'm more interested in doing longform feature films.'' But series creator Matt Groening convinced Clausen that The Simpsons was just what he was looking for. 'We look on our show as being, not a cartoon, we look upon it as a drama where the characters are drawn,' Groening told Clausen. 'And we would like it scored that way. Could you do that?' And I said, 'Yeah, I could do that.'' Groening wanted the music to always reflect the emotion of the characters, not the action on the screen. 'He said he didn't want it scored like a typical Warner Bros. cartoon. He didn't want it scored like a typical Disney cartoon,' Clausen said. 'He wanted something different.' Clausen's first assignment was the 1990 episode 'Treehouse of Horror.' He said he was delighted that it presented the opportunity for 42 musical cues and that the producers didn't flinch when he requested a double recording session to generate them. He kept The Simpsons humming for 550-plus episodes and scored using a live, full orchestra. Among the many memorable ditties he wrote along the way were 'Vote for a Winner,' 'See My Vest,' 'Always My Dad,' 'Ode to Branson' and 'Union Strike Folk Song (Parts 1 and 2).' 'The Garbage Man,' a parody of 'The Candy Man' that he wrote for a 1998 episode, was performed by none other than U2. In a 2012 interview, Clausen remembered that with all the legal, production and publicity people from the show, the studio and the band, there must have been about 50 folks in the booth during the recording session. 'We did the first take of the song and Bono did a really good job of it, but there were a couple things I knew could be better,' Clausen said. 'He and I got along really well, we bonded from the moment we met. So when he finished the first take, I got on the talkback to him out in the studio and said, 'Boy, that was really good. But, you know, I think you can do a better one.' 'And I hear 50 people behind me collectively gasp! They couldn't believe I was telling Bono that he could record a better take. But he and I were used to being in the recording studio and accustomed to the process involved in doing recordings. We understood we were there to get the best take, and he was fine with it.' Alf Heiberg Clausen was born in Minneapolis on March 28, 1941. His mother, Magdalene, was on a weekend break from her master's studies at Iowa State University and shopping in a department store when she went into labor. He lived in Ames, Iowa, until his mom earned her degree, at which point the family relocated to Jamestown, North Dakota. His dad, also named Alf, was an occupational therapist for the city's mental hospital. His mom worked for Stutsman County helping residents deal with laws governing homeownership. Clausen grew up loving toy trains, cars and music. He took piano lessons at an early age, and two of his favorite activities were listening to his parents' orchestral record collection on their Victrola and watching American Bandstand on the family's new TV set. In the seventh grade, he was assigned the French horn, which became his instrument of choice through high school. At North Dakota State University, Clausen pursued a mechanical engineering degree but changed his major to music after he spent a summer with a musician cousin in New York and experienced My Fair Lady, West Side Story and The Music Man on Broadway and concerts featuring the likes of Miles Davis. While working toward his master's at the University of Wisconsin, Clausen enrolled in a correspondence course at Boston's Berklee College of Music to study arranging and composition. He found he enjoyed creating music more than playing it and moved to Boston to study full-time at Berklee. Eventually, he also taught there. Clausen headed to Los Angeles in 1967, played professionally around town and supplemented his income as a music copyist on Planet of the Apes (1968), M*A*S*H (1970), The Carol Burnett Show and The Partridge Family. In 1976, a colleague helped him get his foot in the door as an arranger for ABC's Donny & Marie, and he was promoted to musical director for the show's third season. He then became the musical director for another variety show, 1979's The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. As his reputation grew, Clausen spent the next several years orchestrating and composing for features including Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Splash (1984), Weird Science (1985), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) and Dragnet (1987) and scored episodes of Fame, Wizards and Warriors and Partners in Crime. Clausen's long association with The Simpsons ended on a sour note when it was announced in 2017 that he was being let go. Bleeding Fingers Music, a composer collective co-owned by Hans Zimmer, replaced him; the move cut the show's music budget by 40 percent as live orchestrations were supplanted by synthesized music. The five-time Annie Award winner sued Disney and its Fox divisions, claiming age discrimination while attacking Zimmer's company for creating Simpsons music 'inferior in quality, depth, range and sound, yet stylistically similar in substance.' He amended his suit in April 2020 to assert he also was fired because of a perceived disability, PSP. Fox and Simpsons executives countered, saying they were disappointed with Clausen's work on a 2017 hip-hop-themed episode, 'The Great Phatsby,' citing his unfamiliarity with newer forms of music and a concern that the show could lose its relevance. A judge dismissed the age discrimination claim but allowed Clausen to pursue other portions of the suit, including wrongful discharge, retaliation and unfair business practices. However, he settled in February 2022. In addition to his daughter, survivors also include his wife, Sally, whom he married in 1993; former wife Judy; two sons, Kyle and Scott; stepchildren Joshua and Emily; his sister, Faye; 11 grandchildren; and a niece and nephew. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
