On the latest episode of “The Hall Of Fame” podcast, WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T gave his thoughts on The Rock possibly returning to WWE, Eddie Guerrero being called a B+ player, the backlash towards Karrion Kross, SummerSlam, and the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan to AEW rumors.
Here are some highlights:
Booker T talking about a possible return of CM Punk:
“That’s a big deal. I even see some stuff where people say, ‘It seems like Booker T doesn’t like CM Punk.’ CM Punk was one of the first guys I brought to Reality of Wrestling back in the day when he was a young kid because I could see talent in him. I could see how much he wanted it as well as CM Punk was different. You could tell he was different from the rest of the guys. That’s why he rose to the top. When I see people saying, ‘Booker T doesn’t like CM Punk, that isn’t true. CM Punk’s UFC career, I criticized it. The thing is, I would criticize an actor or anyone that thought they could jump in the UFC that never had a fight before. I just thought it was egregious. I thought it was wrong, not just for CM Punk. I thought the UFC was actually using CM Punk to get more fans at the expense of him going out there and perhaps getting hurt, and getting hurt really, really bad. Did CM Punk want to do it? Did CM Punk have something to prove? Of course, he did, but for me to say I did not agree with a guy going into the Ultimate Fighting Championship that never had a fight anywhere on paper was going to be a good idea. I end up being right about that, but I don’t take any pleasure in that or anything. I’m just speaking the truth. I like CM Punk. I want CM Punk to be successful. I talk about CM Punk being away for seven years and coming back. Is that going to be a transition? Is that going to be something where he’s going to have to really work hard? Heck yea. Time off is anyone’s worst enemy in sports. That’s just a fact. Has the business changed over seven years since CM Punk left? Yes, it has. I say stuff like that and people jump on me, and rip on me like I’m saying something that’s not true. I’m speaking nothing but the truth. If he’s successful, and he can go out there and fly like he did once before, boom, more power to him. For me to speak on something as relevant as waking up in the morning, I think I should be able to do that.”
Booker T’s thoughts on Daniel Bryan going to AEW:
“That’s a huge pickup for AEW. Daniel Bryan is a huge pickup. He’s one of those guys that would love to work that style, but then want to go to New Japan and work that style. He’s one of those guys who still has a lot of fire left in him. He’s still a relatively young guy. I don’t think he’s quite 40, but I know he still has a lot left to give. The young guys today that’s doing it grew up on Daniel Bryan. He’s one of their heroes today. He’s someone that can be in the locker room with them, and they go, ‘Man, I can learn a lot.’ CM Punk is one of those guys that can be in the locker room that they looked up to watching them. They worked that style. Huge pickup for AEW and what they are planning on doing going forward. It’s huge. Chicago is going to be off the chain.”
Booker T was asked if there is a fair comparison of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk going to AEW with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall jumping to WCW in 1996:
“The thing is, I don’t call CM Punk jumping ship. I’m not going to say that at all. But these two names, as big as they are, does it have that same feel like it’s cool, and one team just pulled something off? Heck yea. Yea, it feels like that because of course, Daniel Bryan, he created something. The Yes movement, that right there, there hasn’t been a movement created like that in WWE in many years where the fans participated like that. It had been many, many years since that happened. Daniel Bryan did that himself. That was organic from him. For him to do that in this era, not being the biggest guy in the locker room, but still can go out there and hold his own, a guy that worked much bigger than he actually is. I’ve always said that boy, D. Bryan is special. To have someone like him on your team is awesome. To be able to make a comeback from having a broken neck and still be able to go out there and do it the way he does, hey man, big, big pick up for AEW.”
Click below to listen to the entire podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Hall Of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription
