Could WWE Legend Return At AEW’s Groundbreaking ‘All In’ PPV Event?

Ever since Bill Goldberg's WWE contract expired, we've been wondering "what's next?" rather than "who's next?" for the wrestling legend.

Goldberg indicated in April he was "leaning toward" a self-promoted retirement tour, but that hasn't gotten off the ground yet, thus leaving the door open for a WWE return or a jump to another company -- like, say, AEW.

AEW founder/president Tony Khan didn't shut down the idea back in March, after Goldberg became a free agent, and now there's renewed speculation as we approach the "All In" pay-per-view event Aug. 27.

So, could Goldberg officially become "all elite" next Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London, England?

"That's something different. I think Goldberg being there would be cool," Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently said on the "McGuire on Wrestling" podcast, as transcribed by Cultaholic Wrestling. "Goldberg-Wardlow is weird because it's kind of like -- if I was going to use Goldberg, I would showcase him. Wardlow beating him sounds great, but I don't know if that's what people want to see Goldberg do. Goldberg squashing someone for two minutes, I mean, that'd be cool. But Wardlow's not that guy. Maybe Christian Cage would probably be a good name for that spot, but he's going to be involved with the Chicago show. So, you've got two weeks. It's not out of the realm of possibility of Bill Goldberg wrestling (at 'All In'), but I haven't heard that that's happening, I'll just say that,"

This didn't add or subtract much from the theory, obviously, aside from keeping the door ajar. It's still a fascinating hypothetical, though, as AEW prepares for its biggest event in company (and wrestling?) history, with an expected attendance of more than 80,000.

Of course, AEW probably would want to announce Goldberg's return in advance, in an effort to boost ticket/PPV sales and overall interest. Then again, AEW has had no shortage of surprising returns since its launch.

Goldberg, now 56, isn't exactly a foundational piece for a company trying to assert itself as a legitimate competitor to WWE. But as a one-off attraction on a huge stage, why not?

Never say "never," right?