On the latest “Hall of Fame” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T commented on the Royal Rumble and the big news coming out of the show.
Booker T on CM Punk getting injured in the 2024 Royal Rumble:
“He said there’s two things he wanted to do, win the Royal Rumble and then headline WrestleMania. He didn’t win the Royal Rumble, but he had a hell of a spot in the Royal Rumble, and then to go on to WrestleMania, it would have been a great Cinderella story for him, but they’re again man, stuff like this happens. Hopefully he’ll get himself back together. Four to six months, that’s a long time sitting on the shelf. I always say, out of sight, out of mind is one thing, but time off being your worst enemy. I really do believe that for a wrestler because just thinking about CM Punk probably has been getting hurt more just because he’s been out of the ring, just that long, how many years was he away from it? That’s a long time to just think you can restart the engine and just go back and do it like you did once upon a time. That’s a really long time to be sitting. Your body’s gonna go through a transformation in that eight years and then you pull open that wound all over again. It’s not as easy as getting on a bicycle or anything like that. I can only imagine being out of this for eight years and then coming back and try to, boom, restart it and just take off and go, you know, Scissor Kicks, Spin Kicks, Spinaroonie. I can only imagine.”
Thoughts on Cody Rhodes winning the 2024 Royal Rumble:
“I like Cody winning. I see Cody in a really, really good position. Cody has been working really, really hard and the hardest part is getting through that 365 day schedule. It really is the hardest part to get through that schedule with all the other obligations you got going on outside of showing up to perform inside that square circle. I tell you, it really is a taxing grind. I always say the guys that can make that treck, that 364 days to that next WrestleMania, are the iron men in this wrestling business. For Cody to jump right in there coming off the indie scene, then going into AEW, and then boom, you know, coming into the WWE, his motor is hot and he’s ready to run. I always talk about that guy that you can trust being at the top of the card. You got to be able to trust him. You got to be able to rely on him. He’s got to be dependable all the time and that’s Cody Rhodes. It really is. I’m not blowing smoke or anything like that. I think he was the right person for this time.”
Thoughts on Bron Breakker and Jade Cargill appearances in the 2024 Royal Rumble:
“What stood out I think more than anything was they both look like major superstars already. Jade Cargill got the star appeal. Bron Breakker coming out of NXT you know, right off the bat and knocking it right out of the park, stepping in there with the big guys and fitting in pretty much perfectly. I see a bright, bright future for both of those guys. Jade Cargill is definitely going to shake it up in the women’s division. She might even take over the women’s division if she plays her cards right.”
Thoughts on Jordynne Grace’s performance in the Women’s 2024 Royal Rumble:
“When she made her walk to the ring, she looked like she belonged. She looked like she was part of, you know, I mean I’m not trying to take her or anything from TNA, but she looked like she fit right into the system right now. She looked great.”
On Bayley winning the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble:
“I’ve always said Bayley’s a general in the ring. She can go out and perform with the best. She’s believable. Everything about Bayley is top notch. I think her having that time off, you know from the injury and then coming back and working your way back into the system all the way to this point to where now she can make a play at the big goal, going into WrestleMania, so I loved it. Bayley for me, there again just like Cody, I think the right person got picked for the job.”
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. Quotes were transcribed by Jim for WrestlingNews.co.
