On a recent edition of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, Booker T discussed WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair signing with AEW for two years, bringing his Woooo! Energy drink sponsorship deal with him, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Flair signing with AEW: “He made headlines, man. He’s All Elite. And the thing is, I’m not surprised. How many times have I said it? Quite a few. You already know where I’m going, right? The boys, they’re gonna go pick it up [the check]. They’re not going to leave the check on the table. And if it’s Tony coming around signing them, we know they are going to be big, all right? They’re going to be substantial. They’re going to clear as well. It’s going to be a bag. You know that I’m thinking about the damn bag. Man? I got a contract coming up, and I’m. I’m gonna be. I’ll be like Punk. I’m gonna be looking for the big one. I am looking for a big bag, man, you know? I’m not surprised.”
On Ric Flair wrestling again and teaming with Sting being the perfect send-off: “I was reading that Ric Flair may want one more match in AEW. What do you think about that? I think that that might be the perfect send-off – Ric Flair-Sting, one more for old-time’s sake. Let’s go out there and, you know, do it just one last time. Let’s walk that aisle one last time. Let’s style and profile one more time. Limousine riding, jet flying. Whoa! Son of a gun. One more time. If that was to happen, just like Ric Flair’s last match, I think it had, what, 8,000 or 9000 people showed up. If Ric Flair and Sting stepped in the ring one more time, they might sell out. They might have sold 20,000 people, man…20,000 might want to come out and witness that spectacle just one more time. Would you pay to see it in one of these big arenas? Just one more time, Ric Flair. Make that walk down the aisle just one more time with the stinger. One more time. Not just not just the crotch sting. I think if you’re going to do it, he has to go back to the old Sting. Buzz cut.”
On Flair’s multi-year deal: “There’s a lot of value left in Ric Flair, man. I mean just yeah, just his image alone. He’s doing so many things right now at the age he’s still like Ric Flair. He may be the oldest guy in wrestling who still walked through the airport. No wheelchair, no walker. He ain’t getting on with the senior citizens. That’s not a reply. I’m a serious man. Remember the conversation I had I told you I had with Ric Flair around WrestleMania one time? Flair told me that. He would never retire. Never. I’m never going to retire. Never going to quit, you know, and believe him. I believe him because this is who he is, man. This is what he does. And then to bring that brand to you, it’s going to, you know, it’s going to help those guys. It’s going to help him a whole lot. And one thing that Ric Flair does also. He’s like Trump. like the way Trump used to be. You know what I mean? It’s for. It’s cool. Everybody wants him to be a part of their brand. Everybody wants to talk about him on rap songs, stuff like that. Ric Flair and what he’s going on. It’s going to help those guys a whole lot. And for me, Ric Flair. He’s another one man. He’s another one. Just like Sting should never retire. He’ll never retire. What are you going to do? Are you going to sit at home and get old? Ric Flair is a guy that’s going to run into the wheels, fall off, and for him to be around those young guys, bro, that’s only going to, you know, motivate him even more. So, for me, I’m glad to see him do it.”
On Flair not critiquing other people’s matches: “I don’t think Ric Flair is going to be watching those guys’ matches or anything like that. Trust me. That’s not why Ric Flair is going to be in that company. He’s not going to be someone sitting at the monitor critiquing somebody to jump off something. That’s just not Ric Flair. I mean, because he’s he’s he’s he’s, well, disconnected from the way the work is done in the ring today. He’s just that’s just my opinion on that. But as far as being able to bring name recognition to, well, when people see his name on the ballyhoo or see his picture on the ballyhoo and whatnot, you know what I mean? Yeah, man, that’s huge. That’s huge. And Ric Flair for him to have a multi-year deal. Yeah, that’s just that’s insurance bro. That’s all it is. And for me, I hope that I’m in, you know, as good a shape as Ric Flair when I get that age. And you know, I can get a deal like that. Seriously, seriously, that’s just the way of life. Seriously. It really is. Big ups there.”
On why WWE stars are moving to AEW like Ric Flair, Edge, Christian, Bryan Danielson, and others: “That’s the question a lot of people are asking about. You know, people like Edge. People like Christian. You know why they are making the switch over to you and me personally. I think I know the answer, but I’d love to hear from Ric Flair. As well as the perks that come along with being able to do his outside ventures, you know, like with the energy drink, you know, like with the, you know, Ric Flair drip whatnot. You know, the rap rap songs and whatnot, being able to have his product whatnot. No, seriously, man, that right there goes a long way. Just having that freedom to be able to. Just live. Not under that umbrella.”