Corey Graves hopes WWE gives new deal to superstar who recently competed in his last match

Corey Graves hopes Bill Goldberg will return to in-ring competition following his match against Roman Reigns at WWE Elimination Chamber.

Goldberg unsuccessfully challenged for Reigns' Universal Championship in a six-minute contest at the event in Saudi Arabia last week. The Hall of Famer no longer has any matches left on his WWE contract, meaning he may have competed in his final in-ring encounter.

Speaking on his After The Bell podcast, Graves said he wants to see his friend lace up his boots again for WWE:

“Goldberg competed in his last contracted match with WWE. If Goldberg comes back, man, I hope personally he does, being a fan, but if nothing else it’s one of the coolest takeaways from my professional career to see somebody who I’ve looked up to and was such a fan of and become friends with… I can’t let that get lost.”

At the age of 55, Goldberg was WWE’s oldest active in-ring competitor heading into Elimination Chamber. The veteran superstar told Graves on last week’s episode that he will “never be ready to be done,” and he does not plan to retire.

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Corey Graves explains Goldberg’s WWE mindset

Goldberg has competed in 12 matches after returning to WWE as a part-time performer in 2016. Before that, he had not appeared on WWE television since leaving the company in 2004.

Corey Graves added that the WCW icon uses the support he receives from fans as motivation every time he returns:

“That’s genuinely what keeps Goldberg going [fans’ appreciation]. It’s not a cliché, it’s not a wrestler [saying], ‘Oh, I got you guys behind me, I can’t be stopped.’ Goldberg lives for the adulation and the respect of these people, and that’s why he busts his a** the way he does. Hopefully it’s ‘see you down the road,’ not ‘goodbye.’”

Goldberg also said on Graves’ podcast last week that he was grateful for the commentator’s response to his Crown Jewel 2021 win over Bobby Lashley. Graves told the two-time Universal Champion that the Falls Count Anywhere victory was the best match of his career.

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