Goldberg set to appear on WWE SmackDown tonight 

WWE has announced that former Universal Champion Goldberg will appear on tonight's episode of SmackDown.

The WWE Hall of Famer made his return to the company last week on the blue brand. He challenged Roman Reigns to a Universal Title match at Elimination Chamber, which is set to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This will be the first time ever that the two stars will face each other.

WWE made the announcement about Goldberg's appearance on SmackDown on its official website, WWE.com, just a few hours prior to the show.

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Goldberg says he has some respect for Roman Reigns despite their animosity

The former world champion was originally supposed to collide with Roman Reigns at at WrestleMania 36, but Reigns was pulled out of the bout due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, the Head of the Table is widely expected to retain the title at Elimination Chamber, as he's set to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38.

During his appearance on WWE's The Bump, The Icon mentioned that although he isn't a fan of Reigns, he respects the latter for representing the brand and carrying the company.

"I mean, as much as I have as much disdain I have for Roman and his position right now, I do ultimately respect him because he followed in the footsteps of guys like myself and Ron Simmons,'' said Goldberg. ''Now, granted, he probably will be much more successful than myself. But at the end of the day, it's not only the physical attributes, but it's the mental aspect of the game."

Other segments and matches announced for this week's episode of SmackDown are Charlotte Flair vs. Naomi for the SmackDown Women's Championship, Natalya vs. Aliyah and Sami Zayn's In-Zayn featuring Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs.

Who do you think will come out of Elimination Chamber as Universal Champion? Sound off below!