Royal Rumble Surprise Entrant Found Out About Return Plans During Kickoff Show

WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has revealed that he only found out about plans for his Royal Rumble return during the event’s kickoff show.

The former World Champion made his WWE in-ring return during this year’s Rumble match, entering in the #21 spot.

He was in the match for less than a minute, eliminated by GUNTHER 42 seconds after stepping between the ropes.

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T explained that he found out that he was set to compete in the opening match of the Royal Rumble premium live event while at the table presenting the event’s pre-show.

Booker T said:

“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’ and me, I’m old school dog, I’m old school.

“I went down in a Winnebago, right? So something told me, bring your gear, alright? Make sure you’re ready just so you don’t have to get ready or stay ready and boom, there it was.

“The text message came through and I said, okay, here we go. Just like when I won the World Title, my first World Title, I had about ten minutes to warm up.

“So that’s what happened. I wasn’t warmed up, I went out to the ring cold. I didn’t have that gloss, I didn’t have the shine on me. I wasn’t lathered up, you know what I mean? And ready to go.

“I didn’t get to jump rope for 45 minutes to get the heart rate up, get the blood flowing, get the blood pumping… I would’ve won that damn Rumble if I would’ve just been able to prepare properly.

“I think Rey (Mysterio) went down and I think they had to fill that spot. Who better to call? They said, hey, let’s give Book a shot at this.

“Like I said, I had my gear with me, I’m old school, old school. All you young wrestlers out there, don’t show up without your gear.

“I won my first championship, my first singles championship because Rick Martel did not bring his gear. That’s a true story so you gotta be ready man and I was ready, kind of.

“I was almost ready, and I think I went out there and just got caught up in the moment. That 50-plus-thousand, they was cheering my name and everybody was wanting it, everybody was feeling that.

“They had to have that Spinaroonie. So I said, let me give it to them early because I didn’t know what I was gonna have in the tank left late in the match.

“So I said, if I’m gonna give them the Spinaroonie, let me do it now because I don’t know how this thing gonna play out.”

Click here for a list of all of the surprise entrants in both Royal Rumble matches.

Transcription via POST Wrestling. 

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• surprise
• Booker T
• Royal Rumble
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