Booker T Talks WWE Dream Match, Biggest Rivals, Reality of Wrestling

When you think of underrated wrestlers throughout history, few men deserve more credit for the impact they’ve made on the sport and the success they’ve earned than WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

In addition to his decorated in-ring career, Booker T is also the founder of Reality of Wrestling, one of the hottest independent wrestling companies in the United States. The company recently grew even further after striking a deal with FITE TV to air ROW’s weekly show and all pay-per-view events.

In a recent interview promoting Reality of Wrestling's new deal with FITE TV, Booker T spoke to Ring Rust Radio about the exposure his company will receive as part of the partnership, his biggest dream match in the WWE and who he believes were his toughest rivals.

As the founder of Reality of Wrestling, Booker T has seen the company grow from a small independent promotion to one of the largest in Texas. Last week, ROW announced that it had reached an agreement with streaming service FITE TV to air its weekly episodic show and its pay-per-view events, starting with Christmas Chaos on Dec. 9.

When asked about what the deal with FITE TV means for ROW, Booker T spoke candidly:

“Aw man, it’s huge to actually have a platform and let the world see Reality of Wrestling as well as to be able to compete with all the other independent companies around the world,” Booker T said. “You’re only going to get better if you’re actually competing. It’s almost like the Monday Night Wars for me all over again. That’s the kind of feeling I get with Reality of Wrestling.”

Booker T knows what success in the wrestling business looks like, as he was one of the top performers for both the WWE and WCW during the most profitable time in the sport’s history. When he says he sees similarities with Reality of Wrestling, fans should take notice.

Working for the two largest companies in the world at the time, Booker T also had some of the biggest matches imaginable. Unfortunately, he missed out on several dream matches that would have resulted in marquee WrestleMania main events.

Booker T was asked to select his dream opponent if he had one more match, and he answered without hesitation.

“Booker T vs. Shawn Michaels in our prime, not now, of course,” he said. “He’s still looking real good, but even in our prime, I think Shawn Michaels and I could’ve went out and created some magic between us. He’s the one guy I never really got a chance to get in the ring and perform with.”

For fans who watched wrestling during the Attitude Era, the idea of Michaels and Booker T going head-to-head would’ve made for an incredible matchup. Not only were both men elite in-ring performers, but they also worked tirelessly to make their opponents look strong, which would’ve resulted in a five-star match regardless of the stage.

While the Michaels vs. Booker T feud never came to fruition, there were many other rivals who helped the five-time WCW champion build his legacy. Booker T appreciates all of his opponents for what they did for his career, but he has a special place in his heart for a particular group of performers.

“There’s been so many rivals, most of them Canadian guys like Rick Martel, Christian and Chris Benoit. Those guys were all ultimate professionals, every one of them,” Booker T said. “They went out and worked under the same roof for so many years with the same tenacity and they went out and performed just tirelessly. I was one of those guys. I felt like I went through that same school, but the Canadian guys were pretty much my all-time rivals in the business.”

During his career, Booker T participated in some of the most memorable storylines and matches in history, yet he is still criminally underrated. As the ultimate combination of in-ring skill, mic ability and crowd support, few men could have overcome the odds he faced in his life to become an international success the way Booker T did over the course of his career.

Now that he has stepped away from in-ring competition, Booker T is still making an impact on the business through his commentary on WWE Raw every Monday night and through his Reality of Wrestling promotion.

By helping the next generation of Superstar understand what it takes to make it in the business—not only in the ring but also behind the scenes—Booker T is ensuring the wrestling industry will remain strong for years to come.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).