Booker T Thinks Ronda Rousey Vs. Sasha Banks Could Be One Of The Best Women's Matches Of All Time
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently released a new episode of his podcast, Heated Conversations. Among the multiple topics Booker discussed, he went into detail about his thoughts regarding Sunday's Royal Rumble PPV and the Elimination Chamber show that follows in February. Booker also spoke highly about WWE Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey's opponent for Royal Rumble, Sasha Banks. Booker believes that a competitor with such high endurance, like Banks, will grant Rousey the opportunity to put on her greatest match to date.
"It could be the best women's match that we've seen thus far – and really, I'm not just saying that – as far as Ronda Rousey goes," Booker explained. "As far as Ronda going out there and having that match to where she look back and say, 'Man, that was so, so good.' Sasha Banks, she's one of the best. And she'll throw caution to the wind. She puts herself in certain positions sometimes where it scares me – seriously – inside of the ring, as well as outside of the ring. She's just one of those type that just will put herself out there and you got to love that. That's what the business is about, it's not ballet or anything like that. Ronda Rousey's definitely gonna be tested as far as her cardio and endurance goes because Sasha can go all night long. I'm looking forward to it. All around, the ladies are doing some crazy stuff."
In November 2002, Booker T was a participant in the first-ever, six-man, Elimination Chamber match, ultimately being eliminated from the match after a lionsault and pinfall via Chris Jericho. At this year's Elimination Chamber PPV, it's been announced that a six-team Elimination Chamber match will take place to determine the first-ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. Booker looks forward to the chamber match next month but he is especially excited for the prospect that both brands will potentially be dueling for one set of WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
"I was in the first Elimination Chamber match and that was here in my hometown," Booker recounted. "It's gonna be huge, that match right there for the ladies to determine something that they have been waiting for so many years, the tag team champions. And what's crazy, is the tag team champions, obviously, are going to represent on both brands. They'll take on all comers. Especially at the pay-per-views, it's gonna make it even more interesting. I don't know, but that's the way I'm feeling like, because there's gonna one [group] from SmackDown, one [group] from RAW, somebody's got to win that thing, it's got to go to one brand. But that thing's got to be able to float around because every woman out there in the company gonna want a taste of it. It's the WWE Tag Team Champions, not the SmackDown or RAW version, so I see everybody getting a shot. This is global, man."
Booker still has concerns regarding which duo WWE will be supplied with the first-ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. When the prospect of Sasha and Bayley joining forces to win the titles came up, Booker mentioned how he thinks they need to "filter this thing out", and possibly call up some NXT girls so that they avoid giving the championships to "two women that they just put together".
"I think that's something that we have to think out before we just throw teams together like that. You know, Sasha and Bayley is understandable but do we really want all of this fire power on two of our biggest players? We got to know how to filter this thing out and I'm hoping this is where some of the NXT girls, gonna get a rub, come up and actually be a part of this thing and there truly will be a tag team champion as opposed to just two women that they just put together and make tag team champions.
You can listen to the full interview above. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Heated Conversations with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.