Booker T has pretty much done it all in wrestling. He’s a WWE Hall of Famer, has held world titles in both WWE and WCW, and between his work in both companies — both as a singles wrestler and as part of Harlem Heat — he’s wrestled pretty much everyone in his generation. Almost everyone.
On Episode 86 of Heated Conversations with Booker T, the man himself said that his “fish that got away” was none other than the Heartbreak Shizzle, Shawn Michaels.
“The fish that got away was Shawn Michaels. That’s the only guy I didn’t get a chance to get in there with one-on-one and actually perform with because I always thought Shawn Michaels, even from back when he was with The Rockers, with Marty Jannetty, when they first started, when I first saw Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, I said, ‘man, this Shawn Michaels is good.’ I said, ‘this guy [has] got a lot of talent.’ Marty Jannetty, ‘yeah, he’s alright. He’s a good hand. He’s solid. This Michaels, this guy’s good.’ Then, over the years, he morphed into something that was called ‘Mr. WrestleMania’. And I always wanted to get a chance to get out there and perform with Shawn Michaels just to see how good I really was. Well, I just thought, I wouldn’t say that [Michaels was the measuring stick]. Do you know what I mean, me being a performer myself? I just wanted to see if he was as good or if I was as good as I thought I was because I always thought I was just as good as any guy that ever put on a pair of boots and you’ve got to think that way. But Shawn Michaels, he was the guy I didn’t get to test my craft with. I would’ve loved to get in the ring with him.”
Michaels and Booker teamed together on at least one occasion on Raw back in the TNN days, but amazingly, the two never did mix it up. Add that one to your own personal list of dream matches you may never have realized you wanted. I gotta admit I never considered it before, but it probably would have been fantastic. You know, provided Colonel Parker didn’t show up and cause a distraction finish via weird makeouts or anything.
(h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription)
