5 Possible opponents for WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg at AEW All In
Goldberg could potentially be appearing at AEW All In this summer, if reports are to be believed. Tony Khan's promotion will present its first major pay-per-view in London at Wembley Stadium.
Since the announcement, AEW has sold over 60,000 tickets and is projected to fill up the arena by the time the date rolls around. This is even before any matches have been officially announced. But with such a huge audience, there needs to be a marquee match to satisfy the fans over in England.
It is a coincidence that one of the biggest wrestling stars in the world, Goldberg, is currently a free agent. According to Fightful's Sean Sapp, he has been available since January 1 this year, but no one has signed him to a new deal yet. Despite this, there has been plenty of interest from various companies, including Tony Khan and AEW.
If the WCW legend were to sign with the promotion, who could he headline Wembley Stadium with? Here are five potential opponents for the WWE Hall of Famer.
#5. Goldberg vs. Ryback
Ryback returning to the ring just to retire after 1 match when he puts over the young Goldberg @Ryback https://t.co/4w2ZAbb7Al
Former WWE star Ryback was frequently compared to Goldberg during his initial run with the sports entertainment giant. The Big Guy departed from the company in August 2016 due to a contract dispute. He would later go on to wrestle in several independent promotions following his exit.
He has not wrestled since 2018 as he nurses a few major injuries but recently teased a possible return on his YouTube channel. Could AEW be his next destination?
Imagine a scenario when the Big Guy debuts at AEW Collision and challenges the WWE Hall of Famer to a retirement match at All In. The news would definitely generate considerable hype for the London show.
#4. Jericho Appreciation Society
Where things currently stand between Bill Goldberg and Chris Jericho nodq.com/news/where-thi⌠#WWE https://t.co/neYxwa8khn
At 56 years old, Bill is by no means a spring chicken. If he can't wrestle a singles match, he can always make do with a multi-man tag team bout to cover up his deficiencies.
Perhaps he could team up with fellow WCW legend Sting and Darby Allin to face off against former rival Chris Jericho and the Jericho Appreciation Society. Goldberg and Jericho have a history of not getting along backstage, dating back to their time in WCW.
But they have buried the hatchet in recent years, with Bill even appearing in Le Champion's Talk Is Jericho podcast last year. It would be a great marquee match with household names that could easily draw a casual audience.
#3. TNT Champion Wardlow
âI think Wardlow versus Goldberg, it doesnât get bigger than that.
It does not get bigger than Wardlow versus Goldberg. It doesnât,"
- Wardlow
(via WhatCulture) https://t.co/Hjoas2PtK5
Ever since Wardlow debuted in AEW, he has been compared to Goldberg in terms of appearance and in-ring style. The TNT Champion even listed the WWE Hall of Famer as one of his dream opponents.
During a recent interview with WhatCulture Wrestling's Simon Miller, Wardlow said:
"Yeah, if you could have Batista, Lesnar, Goldberg â you know I put those three in the same category of dream monster matches. So yeah, Goldberg is â I mean, we just heard âWard-Lowâ [and] we havenât heard that chant since âGold-Bergâ so I think Wardlow versus Goldberg? Man, it does not get bigger than that. It does not get bigger than Wardlow versus Goldberg." [From 02:13 onward]
Da Man has even been pictured with the War Daddy in a social media post, showing that the two stars have interacted in person. With rumors that the WCW Legend has been in talks with Tony Khan, perhaps this dream match has already been pitched to the legend.
#2. Goldberg vs. AEW World Champion MJF
MJF tweets and deletes tweet about Goldberg wrestlingnews.co/aew-news/mjf-t⌠#AEW https://t.co/JsVtZHGvr2
AEW World Champion MJF is in the midst of a legacy-defining title reign and has defeated every opponent that has been put in his path. The Salt of the Earth bested three other men to retain his title in the Four Pillars Match at Double or Nothing and will be looking for new challengers soon.
The charismatic star seems to have targeted the WCW legend, as he recently reacted to online rumors surrounding the WWE Hall of Famer's potential last run.
Amidst the speculation, MJF took a jibe at the veteran, threatening to beat him if he stepped foot in AEW. It would certainly be an intriguing battle, with fans hoping that the 56-year-old legend could shut the young star up.
#1. CM Punk
Eric Bischoff, says AEW should book Goldberg vs CM Punk at All In to make it a success.
"Book CM Punk and Bill Goldberg. You want to book something that's gonna sell out Wembley? Book that. Bill Goldberg's last match, against CM Punk. Dare you. Dare you. Grab your balls, TK."⌠twitter.com/i/web/status/1⌠https://t.co/W3BNnnCF8z
Former WCW executive Eric Bischoff has suggested that Tony Khan book a blockbuster match involving Goldberg and CM Punk. He reasoned that it would be the best option to sell out Wembley Stadium.
Not only will it draw huge fan interest for the event, but it would also be a fitting retirement match for Bill. With Punk rumored to return to AEW at the brand-new Collision show on June 17, the company will have enough time to build hype for a potential clash.
Bill's physicality and Punk's in-ring prowess could make for a fascinating matchup that will interest the wrestling world, regardless of whether you're an AEW or a WWE fan.