Goldberg Apologizes After Spearing WWE Ref Charles Robinson So Hard He Broke a Rib

Goldberg may have hung up his boots, but he left one last impact—literally. During his retirement match against GUNTHER on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Hall of Famer accidentally broke veteran referee Charles Robinson’s rib with a thunderous spear. And now, Goldberg is owning up to it.

Robinson, who’s 61 years old and still reffing with full intensity, shared the aftermath on Instagram, revealing bruised ribs and posting:

“Thanks Bill Goldberg. Never fear…I am ALL MAN and I can’t be kept down!”

He followed it up by confirming that he’ll return to duty on WWE SmackDown next week in San Antonio—because even a busted rib can’t keep “Lil Naitch” out of the ring.

Now, in an update from Goldberg’s July 15 appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former WWE Universal Champion opened up about the incident and revealed it wasn’t some freak accident. In fact, he personally requested Robinson for the match because of their long-standing relationship.

“Yeah, I mean, you know, here’s the deal. I asked for Charles to be in there. Charles and I have a long history, and Charles has taken that [the spear] before, and I might have broken a rib last time.”

Goldberg went on to praise Robinson for his toughness and resilience—suggesting this isn’t the first time the referee’s been on the receiving end of one of his brutal hits.

“Charles is a freakin’—he is—I don’t know, I’m not going to say Renaissance man. That dude’s indestructible. I don’t know how old he is, but he’s taken the spear a number of times. A lot of times, actually. And more power to him, man. I love him to death. But I do apologize for the rib. But you know, it’ll heal—like the other one did.”

Robinson has always had a reputation for being one of WWE’s toughest referees, and this latest moment just adds to his legacy. As for Goldberg, it’s clear he meant no harm—but when you hit like a truck, even the best-prepared refs aren’t safe.

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