This year has seen WWE start the build to its shows very last minute, with Saturday Night's Main Event, Evolution 2, and SummerSlam all good examples of that.
WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton vs. WWE Hall of Famer, a dream match for many, only had two promo segments on SmackDown to build hype. As for Goldberg's retirement match against World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, that also had just a few weeks of promotion.
Now, Goldberg has broken his silence on the match, making it clear he wasn't happy with how any of it panned out.
"I mean, the Saturday night’s Main Event and live TV in Atlanta. I mean, you always have your dreams of how you’re going to do things, and ultimately, to have a little bit more control over the time and the space would have been much more preferred," he told Ariel Helwani of wanting to have his retirement match on a PLE.
"Let’s just put it that way. I mean, I can’t say that I was too thrilled about part of that," the WCW icon continued. "Freaking 20 seconds with the microphone in my hand, for God’s sakes."
"The entire rundown, from the inception of the idea to its delivery. It was a little less than to be desired, but for the again, I’m not going to complain, because nobody, not many people, get that opportunity. I get two weeks, man, I get two weeks before I can really, you know, spill the beans and, you know, make my feelings kind of known about the entire rundown."
Goldberg added, "Let’s just say I’m pissed off at the way I went out. I put so much into it and I don’t feel as though the effort was reciprocated to put a stamp on what I’ve accomplished. I think it could have been done a little bit differently. That’s all. I’m happy with my performance. I’m happy with the setting, you know, but could it have been better? Absolutely. It can always be better."
It sounds like he's under a short-term contract and, in two weeks, plans to express further disappointment with the match. Fans have had a mixed response to Goldberg's comments, either branding him ungrateful or rightly frustrated with a pretty so-so send-off.
For what it's worth, though, he had nothing but good things to say about Gunther, someone he described as an "unbelievable guy to work with."
"The kid’s extremely talented," Goldberg shared. "And man, what I’d love to have a chop fest with him. And, you know, have 10 more of those matches, because each one you do with them is better. It was an honor to work with the kid, and I really am appreciative of him helping me out and making this old man look, you know, like he could do some stuff."
You can watch the full interview with Goldberg in the player below.