ooker T knows exactly what it feels like when the wrestling business gets hot, and he made it clear that real competition can change everything.
During his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T and Brad Gilmore were talking about WWE’s Clash in Italy when the conversation shifted to AEW’s pay-per-view style. Brad pointed out that AEW shows often come with a different in-ring pace and a different expectation from fans, especially when every match tries to deliver something huge. That led Booker to look back at the Monday Night War, and he said WCW’s rise forced WWE to become sharper.
“I really do think WCW made WWE a whole lot better.”
Booker said WWE’s top locker room had to come together when WCW was gaining steam, because the pressure was real.
“When WCW was on the rise and Taker and Austin and Rock and Kane and all those guys that were in that locker room, they had to come together and they had to they had to figure it out.”
Booker was right in the middle of that war while working for WCW, but he admitted there were plenty of nights when he watched WWE and wished he could be part of what they were doing. He explained that WWE’s stars were bringing something special every Monday night, and he could feel it even from the other side.
“I was wishing a lot of those nights I was on the other side.”
“Those guys went out there on Monday night in the middle of that damn square circle and they brought it and they made it feel a certain way to me on the other side watching it.”
Booker said that same kind of pressure may be coming back now, because AEW is giving fans a very different in-ring product and that kind of competition has to be answered where it matters most. Booker made it clear that this battle won’t be won online or through talk. To him, it has to play out inside the ring.
“I think the competition now is going to really have to kick in because like you say those guys on the other side they really are working their butts off to go out there and give the fans something totally different in the middle of that ring on a monthly basis from a pay-per-view perspective.”
“That’s where the war is really going to, you know, going to play out in the middle of the ring on television in front of the world.”
He also said the wrestling business is in a place where competition feels stronger than ever. Booker wrapped the point by saying wrestlers always move differently when someone is closing in on them.
“I think this competition thing is real as it’s ever been right now at this moment.”
“You do always run faster when someone’s chasing you.”
Booker T has been through a real wrestling war before, so when he says AEW can force WWE to step up, that carries weight. WWE and AEW may have different styles, but Booker’s point is simple: competition makes everyone better, and the fans are the ones who win when both sides start pushing harder.
What do you think about Booker T saying AEW competition could push WWE to step up inside the ring? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
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