Saturday's Night Main Event recap & reactions: Goldberg goes down fighting

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18 hours ago

WWE returned to NBC and Peacock with the 40th edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, highlighted by Goldberg's final match — a slugfest against Gunther for the World Title. The show also featured a heated U.S. Title bout between brothers, built toward a SummerSlam showdown, and hyped Sunday's all-women's premium live event.
Unfortunately, an injury to Seth Rollins cast a shadow over what was otherwise an excellent night, as WWE rocked the State Farm Arena in Goldberg's adopted hometown of Atlanta.
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Goldberg goes out strong
On Saturday, Gunther defeated Goldberg to retain the WWE world title, ending the 58-year-old's storied career.
Heading into the match, there were questions about what kind of performance Goldberg could deliver. Could he recapture the magic of 1998, when he overwhelmed Hollywood Hogan, or summon the power he showed against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33? Some feared a repeat of his disastrous 2019 showing against The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia.
Instead, fans saw a hard-fought farewell from the WWE Hall of Famer — one that Goldberg can proudly hang his hat on.
With about 30 minutes remaining in the show, both men made their entrances. Goldberg walked out for the final time, flanked by former WCW head of security Doug Dillinger, ex-WCW star Ernest 'The Cat' Miller, MMA fighter Josh Barnett and Goldberg's son, Gage.
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The bell rang with 18 minutes to go, forcing Goldberg to dig deep in what became a heavyweight slugfest.
Goldberg brushed off Gunther's early chops and landed a flurry of strikes, but the champion countered by targeting his opponent's knee — an injury that had visibly bothered Goldberg in the weeks leading up to the match. Still, Goldberg soldiered on, trading blows with Gunther in the center of the ring.
The final moments were gripping. After Goldberg avoided a powerbomb, he tried for a spear but struck referee Charles Robinson instead. Gunther took advantage of the downed official by attacking Goldberg's leg again and removing his brace.
From there, he beat Goldberg with the brace, battering his knee and head. He then taunted Gage, who hopped the barricade to confront Gunther, but security stopped him.
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As Gunther returned to the ring, he was flattened by Goldberg's celebrated spear.
Goldberg followed up with his signature Jackhammer, but there was no referee to count the pin. A new official finally came down, but Gunther recovered and kicked out at two.
As both men were getting up, Goldberg's leg gave out. Gunther quickly wrapped him up with a sleeper hold. Goldberg fought valiantly and almost powered out, but Gunther gripped down, and the legend passed out as the referee called for the bell.
Short of a storybook ending where the old lion prevails, the match far exceeded expectations. While Gunther deserves credit for leading the bout, Goldberg held his own and proved to be a credible challenge for a champion who has yet to face WWE's very best.
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As Goldberg rides off into the sunset, the only man left standing from the Monday Night War era may be The Rock — and it's unclear whether fans will ever see him in the ring again.
But for his time, Goldberg was a burst of excitement — a modern-day Ultimate Warrior, updated for a more reality-based generation. He had his hits and misses, but many will miss his devastating hits.
Except for Bret Hart.
Still, thank you, Bill Goldberg, for making pro wrestling a more fun, chaotic and unpredictable place.
The future looks cloudy for The Visionary
The summer of Seth Rollins — and possibly the seasons ahead — may have come to an abrupt halt. During his grudge match with LA Knight, Rollins injured his knee after landing on his feet following an attempted springboard moonsault. However, video shows Rollins may have twisted his knee just moments before.
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After conferring with the referee, Paul Heyman, and a ringside doctor, Rollins got to his feet but was hit with Knight's Blunt Force Trauma. Reports say Rollins was supposed to win the match, but an audible was called in the ring to have Knight go over.
It's unclear what the injury means for Rollins or the future of his group with Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, or how this will affect Rollins' status as the Money in the Bank holder.
Of course, much depends on the severity of the injury. If it's similar to the injury Rollins suffered in 2024 before undergoing surgery, he may only miss a limited amount of time. But his status for SummerSlam could be in doubt.
Given how early the Goldberg-Gunther match started, it remains to be seen if Rollins' injury affected scheduling or plans for a potential cash-in during or after that match.
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Let me see that Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll stood up to Logan Paul, which distracted Drew McIntyre and allowed Randy Orton to score a victory with an RKO. After the match, Paul ambushed Orton but was confronted by the country music star, who dropped Paul with one punch. As Jelly Roll checked on his friend, he was laid out with a Claymore Kick from McIntyre.
'You're gonna remember this night you screwed with Drew McIntyre!' shouted the irate Scotsman.
Backstage, Orton apologized for putting Jelly Roll in danger, but Roll wasn't having it.
'I'm not soft. I want 'em both,' said Roll.
As the saying goes, 'Ask and you shall receive,' as the team of RK-Roll will meet McIntyre and Paul at SummerSlam.
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Jacob Fatu makes the save after thrilling brother showdown
Solo Sikoa defeated his older brother Jimmy Uso in an entertaining contest to retain the United States title. The match featured several dramatic spots, including a German suplex by Uso to Sikoa on the ring apron.
Unfortunately for 'Big' Jim, the numbers game proved too much.
Despite fighting off Sikoa's attacks and landing a kick that dropped the 7-foot Tala Tonga, Uso took his eyes off the prize. Sikoa caught him with a surprise roll-up, and Tala aided from ringside by adding leverage to secure the pin.
After the match, Sikoa and his crew beat Uso down — until Jacob Fatu made the save. He tore through the MFTs and wiped out both Sikoa and Tala with a dive over the ropes, standing tall to close the segment.
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It's ladies' night, and they're ready to fight
Ahead of Evolution, several of the competitors from WWE's second all-women's premium live event were shown at ringside. Among them were Women's World Champion Iyo Sky and her challenger, Rhea Ripley. Also in attendance was Queen of the Ring winner Jade Cargill.
Oh, poor Jade.
Anyone who was on the fence about tuning in to Evolution now has a reason not to miss this show.
As Cargill greeted the crowd, she was blindsided by Naomi, and a wild brawl ensued. Officials, security and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis struggled to separate them. At one point, Naomi dove off the announcers' table, wiping out Cargill and several WWE staff.
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Once order was restored, Aldis informed them that Bianca Belair — the woman at the heart of this triangle — would serve as the special referee. If the brawl was any indication, this match will have more fireworks than the Fourth of July, with Belair possibly delivering the biggest bang of all.
Other notes
Announcer Michael Cole told viewers that nearly 12,000 fans were in attendance. According to ticket tracker WrestleTix, more than 12,000 tickets were distributed for the event.
Jesse Ventura made a brief appearance at the start of the show but did not join commentary for any of the night's four matches.
In addition to Goldberg's entourage, fellow WWE Hall of Famers and WCW legends the Steiner Brothers and Diamond Dallas Page were also in attendance.
Since its return to TV in December, this edition of Saturday Night's Main Event featured the fewest matches to date — just four. Not counting the women's brawl and setting aside Rollins' injury, WWE may have finally found the sweet spot. While there wasn't enough time to air all of Goldberg's farewell speech, the overall pacing was strong, and the action had room to breathe despite frequent commercial breaks.
If not for Rollins' injury, this might have been a near-perfect show. Even so, the 40th edition of Saturday Night's Main Event was the best of the modern era. Goldberg vs. Gunther is absolutely worth watching, as are the U.S. title match and the wild Naomi–Cargill scuffle.
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