On the latest episode of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, Booker T discussed Rhea Ripley’s shoulder injury and relinquishment of the WWE Women’s World Title, a potential WWE return for the Hardy Boyz, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Rhea Ripley going down with an injury and relinquishing the Women’s World Title: “I’m gonna say right now, I can imagine it’s the same way for Rhea who, over last year, she’s — I mean, it’s been a monster. It’s been a machine for Rhea. Of course, on the outside looking in, it looks great. But when you are in that cycle, bro. I mean, you get thrown all over the place, you know? Like a frickin’ thunderstorm going on. And so for me, I’m sure Rhea was perhaps ready to slow it down a little bit. Perhaps not this way but you definitely — for me, like I said, I didn’t care. End of my run, I was so tired. I was working… I might be in the middle of the show, and then I was the main event on the show. And then I was the dark match after the show goes off the air. And then I might have to get up the next morning, go do whole sell somewhere for three hours. I might have to get on the phone and do a radio tour or whatever. You know what I mean? That’s a monster and when you’re in that position, be careful what you wish for. It’s the best position in the business. Best position that you ever could imagine. A dream of having, being the World Heavyweight Champion. But it’s a hell of a job at the same time.”
On wanting to see Matt and Jeff back in WWE: “I would love to see him back in WWE. I’d love to see Jeff back in WWE. I want to see both those guys go into the WWE Hall of Fame. They deserve it, they really do. The body of work those guys put in, the legendary matches those guys had with teams like The Dudleys. Yeah man, I want to see those guys take their rightful place one day. So maybe this is the beginning. Maybe this is the spark.
“I haven’t seen Jeff on AEW doing anything in quite some time, so he may be a free agent too for all I know… For Matt and Jeff, I think it’s hard to hang the boots up just yet. They’re still like, ‘We got something left in the tank. We’re not ready to just take a back seat.’ I think Matt and Jeff could have had jobs with WWE, at least the latter regime, they could have had jobs with WWE perhaps forever.”
On wrestlers having a hard time walking away from the ring: “It’s hard to walk away from it, man. It really is. It’s so hard. Like I said, I look at Matt and Jeff, Chris Jericho, Taker. The Rock was gonna sneak into WrestleMania 40 if he could. That’s what the business is, we never really retire. Even myself, I’m thinking about having another match at Reality of Wrestling. I’ve been training, I’ve been getting myself together in the gym on a regular basis. I’m on a 30 day ab workout. And I’m like, ‘Man, I can still do this.’ How are you gonna tell a man he can’t do it any more? You can’t do it.”
In the latest episode of Booker T’s “Hall of Fame” podcast, several interesting topics were discussed, including Rhea Ripley’s shoulder injury and her relinquishment of the WWE Women’s World Title, the potential return of the Hardy Boyz to WWE, and the difficulty wrestlers face when it comes to retiring from the ring.
Rhea Ripley, who has had a tremendous year in the WWE, recently suffered a shoulder injury that forced her to relinquish the Women’s World Title. Booker T empathized with Ripley, understanding the toll that the demanding schedule can take on a wrestler. He compared it to being thrown around like a thunderstorm, constantly on the go and performing at a high level. While being the World Heavyweight Champion is a dream come true, it also comes with immense pressure and exhaustion.
Moving on to another topic, Booker T expressed his desire to see Matt and Jeff Hardy, known as the Hardy Boyz, return to WWE. He believes that their body of work and legendary matches, particularly against teams like The Dudleys, make them deserving of a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. Booker T mentioned that he hasn’t seen Jeff Hardy in AEW for quite some time, suggesting that he might be a free agent. He also acknowledged that both Matt and Jeff still have a lot to offer in the ring and may not be ready to retire just yet.
The conversation then shifted to the difficulty wrestlers face when it comes to walking away from the ring. Booker T mentioned several wrestling legends, such as Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, and The Rock, who have had a hard time retiring. Even Booker T himself admitted that he has been considering having another match at his promotion, Reality of Wrestling. He has been training and staying in shape, feeling like he still has what it takes to compete. Wrestlers often struggle with the idea of retiring because wrestling becomes a part of their identity, and it’s challenging to let go of something they love and have dedicated their lives to.
Overall, Booker T’s podcast touched on various intriguing topics in the world of professional wrestling. From Rhea Ripley’s injury and title relinquishment to the potential return of the Hardy Boyz and the difficulty wrestlers face when it comes to retiring, it provided fans with insights into the challenges and aspirations of their favorite wrestlers.