Booker T Comments On Possible In-Ring Return Following ROW Match
Booker T never officially retired, but the two-time WWE Hall of Famer came back to the wrestling ring this past weekend for just the fourth time in the last decade. Houston was in store for some "Harlem Heat" on Saturday as Booker came back wearing the iconic "flame" gear from his WCW days to compete in a 10-man tag match for his own Reality of Wrestling promotion. Images surfaced on social media of Booker, who appeared to be in great shape, and he made sure to clarify his status as an in-ring performer on the "Hall of Fame" podcast.
"I wouldn't call it an in-ring return," he said. "I would think I never really left the ring, really. I haven't officially said I retired or anything like that. So any time sees me inside the ring, I'm just back, you know what I mean?"
The 10-man tag didn't phase Booker too much physically. "I feel pretty good, man," he said. "After the show, I went home and immediately jumped in the jacuzzi. A preemptive strike on this pain! Do some work, get the Epson salt out and whatnot, but I soaked for a little while." Booker took some time to rest on Sunday before taking flight for some more appearances.
A few shots of @BookerT5x returning to action at @TheOfficialROW Summer of Champions VIII pic.twitter.com/yU19bwstnA
— Bryant (@BryantDM88) July 10, 2022
Booker T is often asked if he'll ever return to wrestling for a prolonged run in a major promotion. His last WWE matches took place in 2012 — the last one seen by anyone other than a live crowd was a 12-man tag at Wrestlemania XXVIII — and since then he's wrestled almost exclusively for ROW, with one PCW match in 2016. Despite the fan speculation, however, the former six-time world champion seems largely content with his current role in the industry.
"You've heard me say it many times, man, I have no itch to scratch or anything like that," Booker said. "Stepping back in the ring is not something I'm looking to do. I always said if WWE was to ask me to come back I'll do it, but it'll only be for the check. But to do it for Reality Of Wrestling, a company that I built with my own two hands ... It meant a lot, and it's special to see the guys around the wrestling community respond to, there again, not a WWE show, but a Reality of Wrestling show. It just makes the world see Reality of Wrestling in a different light."
Co-host Brad Gilmore did mention that Booker's latest ROW appearance recharged some old buzz about him and his older brother, Stevie Ray, reuniting as Harlem Heat for a match against FTR, who have been on a quest to revitalize tag team wrestling. Could Booker donning the Harlem Heat gear indicate that he's getting closer to making that dream match a reality?
"I never say never on anything like that ... That's not my dream match, that's a lot of people's dream match," Booker said. "I haven't seen Cash Wheeler a whole lot lately, but Harwood been putting in some damn good work. The kid definitely understands what it means to go out and perform, and perform at a very, very high level. If it was to happen, it would happen, and I would definitely be prepared to step in the ring if it was to come around."
The biggest obstacle to such a "dream match" might not be Booker, but Stevie Ray, who hasn't set foot in a wrestling ring since 2017. But Booker does have another former tag team partner who currently works alongside FTR in AEW.
"My brother is definitely in another zone right now," he said. "It might be me and Goldust before it would be me and Stevie Ray. It might happen, never say never."