In the aftermath of Goldberg expressing frustration at how his retirement match was handled by WWE, AEW reportedly tried at one point to sell him on a final run with the promotion.

Tony Khan reportedly wanted to bring Bill Goldberg into AEW for a "legitimate retirement run" that'd likely have played out longer than WWE 's one did. Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp claims that Khan was ready to offer Goldberg terms before the former WCW legend decided to stick with Triple H and remain on WWE's side heading into 2025's farewell.