Steve Carrier on July 16, 2025
Goldberg didn’t just show up for one last match—he dragged a wrecked body through hell to do it.
During his July 15 appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the WWE Hall of Famer opened up about just how broken down he was heading into his retirement bout against GUNTHER at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta… and how stem cell treatment saved the day.
When asked by Ariel Helwani how his body held up after wrestling for over 14 minutes and crashing through the barricade, Goldberg didn’t hold back. He said he wouldn’t have even made it to the ring without medical intervention.
“There’s no way in hell I could have done that, Ariel, without going to get the stem cells. Absolutely no way. The body that I’ve lived with prior to that couldn’t have accomplished it.”
That match wasn’t just about showmanship—it was the result of months of pain management, medical treatments, and a level of commitment Goldberg had never experienced before.
“So yeah, man… I woke up and my hand was swollen. I don’t know what happened. I think I might have gone through the—who knows, who cares. To be able to get out of that match, because of my knees—I got a bad knee and everybody complains about, ‘Oh, he’s limping.’ I should be limping. I earned a limp.”
“And if I gotta go in with shoulder pads and a helmet and a knee brace on, I’m going in. But I’m going out like a warrior, right? So yeah, my knee’s bad, my shoulder’s bad, but the stem cells allowed me—my neck’s bad—stem cells allowed me to go in there and give it my best at whatever age that I am.”
“And I could not have done it—there was no way I could have done it without them. So I am an absolute firm believer, and wow, what a difference. Just unbelievable.”
Goldberg also revealed the intense five-month prep that included a completely overhauled diet, modified training, and some painful setbacks just weeks before the big match.
“I did, I mean, completely changed my diet for five months. I’ve never done that before—never done that. And I did everything to set the stage for the stem cells to do their thing.”
“I posted a bunch of stuff. The reality is every time I went in there [Muay Thai gym], I had to pull back, because I knew I was going to hurt myself… I got 100 CCs of fluid taken out of my knee a month ago… just the day before we were going to train, something happened to it. That wasn’t in the playbook at all.”
Despite the pain, Goldberg delivered the final performance he wanted—on his terms.
Whether or not fans ever see Goldberg lace up the boots again, this chapter closed with him walking out like a warrior. The stem cells might’ve held his body together, but his mindset and grit carried the moment.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Would you go through all that for one final match? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
July 16, 2025 9:01 am
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