When Goldberg made a surprise appearance at Bad Blood, it set the WWE world buzzing. Could this be the start of one final run for the WCW legend? If so, there’s really only one opponent fitting enough for a superstar of Goldberg’s caliber—John Cena, during his 2025 retirement tour.

At first glance, many fans might scoff at the idea of Goldberg returning to the ring. They’ll likely remember his infamous 2019 match with The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia, where the performance didn’t live up to the hype. His later matches felt increasingly less impactful as time went on, and those critics have a fair point.

But for every diehard fan who cringed through those moments, there are plenty of nostalgic viewers who remember Goldberg at his best. These are the fans who watched him tear through opponents during the Monday Night Wars, delivering devastating Spears and Jackhammers. They remember the larger-than-life presence he carried every time he stepped through the curtain, and they still feel the thrill when he locks eyes with his next victim. That aura hasn’t faded, even if the man has slowed down.

Thanks for coming to #WWEBadBlood @Goldberg. We’ll talk more very soon… pic.twitter.com/9Teo8F69fp

— Triple H (@TripleH) October 7, 2024

That’s why Goldberg makes perfect sense for a dream match against John Cena—an icon in his own right and one of the greatest WWE stars of all time.

Cena has made a career of adapting to his opponents, whether he’s brawling with Batista or Brock Lesnar, wrestling technical classics with AJ Styles or Daniel Bryan, or trading shots with The Rock at WrestleMania. Cena’s ability to tailor a match to the strengths of his opponent is an underrated skill, even at 47. His in-ring psychology, knack for reading the crowd, and experience in making any match feel special would elevate a clash with Goldberg into something memorable.

Imagine the promos alone. Cena, arguably WWE’s greatest hype man, would turn the build-up into must-see TV. Goldberg, with his signature intensity, would bring the no-nonsense, larger-than-life energy that made him a household name.

And there’s an ideal stage for this matchup: the debut episode of WWE Raw on Netflix. This new broadcast deal is a perfect opportunity to introduce WWE’s product to a broader audience, and what better way to kick things off than with a marquee matchup between two of the most iconic names in wrestling history?

It wouldn’t need to be a five-star classic. It wouldn’t be the match that fans or critics dissect for its technical precision. What it would be, though, is a nostalgic showdown between two megastars who have never faced each other—a battle of eras that fans would never forget.

Goldberg deserves a chance to go out on a high note, and Cena’s retirement tour would be even more legendary with this match on the card. WWE fans, old and new, deserve to witness this moment. It’s a fitting sendoff for both men, who have spent decades at the top of the industry.