WWE HOFer Was Last-Minute Royal Rumble Entrant After Rey Mysterio Went Down

Booker T claims he had no idea he'd be participating in the men's Royal Rumble match until the last minute. Booker was the 21st entrant in the match this year, but he was eliminated by WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER in just 42 seconds.

During a recent episode of his "Hall of Fame" podcast, Booker revealed when he got word that he'd be a participant in the Royal Rumble match.

"I was sitting at the table at the Kickoff Show and I got a text message, and it was the invite telling me, 'Book, you're in the Rumble,'" Booker recalled. "Me, I'm old school. I went down into Winnebago, right? So, something told me, 'Bring your gear. Make sure you ready, just so you don't have to get ready. Stay ready,' and boom, there it was. The text message came through, and I said, 'Okay, here we go.'"

Booker said that the pre-match vibe reminded him of when he won his first world title in WCW. He said he had 10 minutes to warm up before making his Rumble entrance.

Rey Mysterio was scheduled to take the number 17 spot in the Rumble match. He never made his entrance, and his son, Dominik, walked out with Rey's mask, insinuating that he was attacked. Dave Meltzer of "Wrestling Observer Radio," reported that Mysterio suffered a legit injury in his match with Karrion Kross during the January 27 episode of "WWE SmackDown."

Booker said Mysterio's injury may have led to his Royal Rumble appearance. "I think Rey went down, and I think they had to fill that spot," Booker said. "Who better to call than me to say, 'Hey, let's give Book a shot at this.'"

Please credit the "Hall of Fame" podcast, with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.