Booker T On Claudio Castagnoli: "He's One That I Wouldn't Have Wanted To Lose."

During the latest Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T spoke about Adam Cole's performance at AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door.

“Good match. The match was going fairly well. The people were definitely into it. Then when that happened, you know, that’s wrestling right there. I don’t think that it’s anything other than that, wrestling. I’ve been in that position before where my bell has gotten rung where I think I’m okay, and my legs tell me, ‘No, you’re not okay. Stay right here for a minute and we’re going to see if we can regroup.’ So that’s wrestling right there. I don’t call it reckless or anything like that. It’s just part of what we do.”

On Claudio Castagnoli going to AEW:

“Cesaro was always my guy. I always felt like him and I had a whole lot in common.”

“Being around for a long time, working your ass off, and waiting on someone to pull your name, and say, ‘This is the guy.’ That happened for me. There were many times we thought that was that moment for Claudio in the WWE, and it really never happened.”

“I mean, me personally, I really don’t know why. But that’s one of the guys that I really feel that could have been made by just giving him a huge push and then after that, it really wouldn’t have mattered how we used him as long as we kept him at a certain tear. He was the guy that we could have made. Once you make a guy like that who can hold it, he’s made forever. I don’t think you’ve ever had to really worry about Claudio from an in-ring perspective and if you put him in the right situation with the microphone, he delivers there as well. He’s one that I wouldn’t have wanted to lose.”

On the possibility of having one more match:

“No. I never think about another match in WWE. I mean if it happens, I think I’ll probably say yeah. It’s just not something wrestlers do is turn down wrestling matches or anything like that. But I don’t have any itch to scratch or anything like that. I’ve scratched every itch. Preparation is the only luck you’re ever gonna have. So I’ll be in the gym training. I can guarantee you I will be doing it just for the money (he laughs), and for no other reason, so I’m just keeping it real.”