Bill Goldberg to Make WWE Return at Raw, Will Address Brock Lesnar Challenge

After more than 12 years away, Bill Goldberg will make his long-awaited return to WWE programming on the Oct. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw.

Goldberg confirmed the news on Oct. 10 on his Twitter account:

The XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, announced Goldberg would make his return to the ring on Oct. 31. 

His tweet came on the heels of a segment during Monday's episode of Raw in which Brock Lesnar's manager, Paul Heyman, issued a challenge to Goldberg:

The 49-year-old former WCW and WWE world heavyweight champion last competed in a match at WrestleMania XX in March 2004. That bout against Lesnar was roundly criticized, and it looked as though Goldberg's wrestling career had ended on a sour note:

Speculation regarding Goldberg's potential return has run rampant in recent years, but it wasn't until his involvement with WWE 2K17 that it became a legitimate possibility.

After years without having much of a relationship with WWE, Goldberg was included as an exclusive downloadable character in the video game, which prompted rumors that there could be more to his deal.

Sting was a downloadable character in WWE 2K15, which led to his first-ever match in WWE against Triple H at WrestleMania 31 in March 2015.

Fittingly, Lesnar was the cover athlete for WWE 2K17, and the game was used as a vehicle to advance the rivalry between The Beast Incarnate and Goldberg.

Commercials for the video game featured Easter eggs hinting at a potential rematch, while Lesnar and Heyman called out Goldberg with the following promo:

Ever the competitor, Goldberg refused to stand idly by while The Conqueror and his advocate ran him down:

Goldberg was questioned about a potential rematch while doing media for WWE 2K17 prior to SummerSlam in August, and while he didn't confirm anything, he didn't back down, either:

That led to plenty of talk suggesting Goldberg might interfere in Lesnar's match against Randy Orton, and although that didn't come to fruition, the groundwork for Goldberg's eventual return was there.

Prior to an appearance by Goldberg on ESPN to promote WWE 2K17 and discuss his role within WWE, Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross revealed on Twitter a source indicated a match between Goldberg and Lesnar was "a done deal" and likely to take place at Survivor Series on Nov. 20.

Goldberg was never known for putting on five-star classics, but he became one of the most popular Superstars of his generation because of his aura.

Many wrestling fans still want to see him mix it up in the ring nearly two decades after his famous undefeated streak ended in WCW, and now that he will be back on WWE programming, another Goldberg match is seemingly closer to reality than ever before.

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