Goldberg Gives Live Retirement Speech After WWE Raw Goes Off Air

Although he wasn't anywhere to be found during the actual broadcast, Bill Goldberg made a surprise appearance in the ring when WWE Raw went off air the night after WrestleMania. As the opening segment of Raw Talk, the now former Universal champion took to the ring to cut what sounded suspiciously like a retirement promo.

The veteran superstar spoke of hard work and family, and got a little testy with fans who didn't want to remain quiet and afford him the opportunity to speak freely "off the script":

"Ladies and gentlemen, this ain't part of the show. Here are the facts: the facts are in October I was approached to make a return after 13 years. There was a hell of a lot I had to think about. Physical limitations, age, desire; by the way, this ain't no damn script. I'm speaking straight from my heart so I would appreciate it if you would listen. Sure, you may have wanted that invincible sum bitch you saw 13 years ago but the fact is things change just a little bit. I am still that guy but I'm a guy whose focus has moved directly to his family. As human beings, for the right reason, we can accomplish great things.

I like to think that doing it for my family, and the WWE Universe, is the right reason. You guys gave me the opportunity after 13 years to share a part of my life that you never saw. The past number of months have been an unbelievable ride. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be given an opportunity to come back and to show you a little piece of what I used to do. You can boo me, or you can cheer me, but the fact is that little boy right there is the reason why my heart still beats, is the reason why I wake up every damn morning and go to the weight room and drive my ass into the ground to try to become something that he can be proud of. I think over the past number of months we've accomplished what we set out to do. And I hope you appreciate the opportunity from these fans and all the people in the back that we've been given because it's once in a lifetime."

As he called his son to the ring, the little guy took a spill climbing over the barricade and Goldberg made a joke about his kid already taking more bumps than he had in his entire career prior to his 'Mania 33 match with Lesnar:

"You guys can be a tough crowd and things have changed over 13 years. You like to be part of the show, you like to boo, you like to make us stumble on our words. But as I said earlier, I am speaking to you straight from my heart and this ain't part of the show. I was able to take that Universal championship title to my son's school. The pride that I felt standing in front of those kids and his teacher and my son was immeasurable.

There is nothing that anyone on the planet can do to take that away from he and I. As I said, you can boo me or you can cheer me but at the end of the day it means you care one way or another and it means that I've done something. Now this could possibly be the last time you ever see me in a ring. And some of you people may appreciate that. But as I said, I'm here for my family. And as long as they appreciate it, I will fight and I will push and I will train and I will do whatever the hell it takes to be me."Thirteen years removed from the debacle of WrestleMania 20, I think we did pretty damn good last night, Brock and I. Now, as I said, I still had a little glimmer of that Goldberg and having that glimmer gave me hope that I could succeed. And since I still believe that I am one of the biggest, baddest sum bitches on this planet, you never know what or who's next. And...never say never."

Will we see Bill Golberg in a WWE ring again? Reports are that both sides are willing to negotiate for more dates, so the door is open for a return in the future. As for now it sounds like he's content to put his jackhammer back in the toolshed for a while.