Beloved WWE star to make in-ring return after 972 days & retire Goldberg at WrestleMania 41? Potential comeback explored

It was recently announced that WWE Hall of Famer and former Universal Champion Goldberg with have his final match in 2025. The Atlanta native is looking to end his career on his terms.

Over the years, the WCW and WWE icon has faced some top names from Hulk Hogan, The Rock, The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar. While there is not a date set in stone for his final match, many fans would like to see him compete at WrestleMania 41 next April in Las Vegas. With that in mind, one star who would very much be keen to wrestle Goldberg in his last match would be his idol and former WWE Champion Big E.

The New Day powerhouse has been out of action since March 2022 after he suffered an unfortunate neck injury on SmackDown. Now reportedly on the mend, many fans are hoping he can be back in time for Mania in 6 months.

Speaking to Complex in 2017 Big E spoke about why he gravitated towards Goldberg in the late 90s when he was watching as a fan:

"Goldberg was my guy. I was a WCW guy growing up and Goldberg was the one who really captured my imagination. Nobody could touch him. And when you're a kid, that's what you want. You want someone who is unbeatable, someone who can't be stopped. That's what Goldberg was to me."

With both stars possessing a huge amount of respect for each other as well as having similar movesets, a showdown between Big E and Goldberg would be a great welcome back for the former and a perfect goodbye for the latter.

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When can Big E make his in-ring WWE return?

In 2021, Big E reached the mountaintop as he finally became WWE Champion after he cashed in the Money In The Bank contract. Fast forward only a few months later, his world came crashing down after he sustained a neck injury in March 2022.

Having not wrestled for over 2 years many fans of his are fearful that they may never see Big E physically perform in the ring again. During a recent interview with SportsTalk Philly, the New Day member gave an insight into how his recovery is going:

"I get scans again in another three-to-six months, and if they look great and the doctors say it's healthy for me to go back, then that's something where we'll sit down and talk about it. I try not to spend too much time worrying about things I can't control. It's nice to know that if I get the opportunity to get back in the ring, and I can do it healthily, then let's do that. Let's attack it fully. But if not, I know exactly what I want to do, and I'm excited about that path, too."

With this interview taking place in September 2024, and with his scan taking place in 3 to 6 months; time there is certainly a chance that WWE fans may see Big E back performing in the ring sooner rather than later.