During a recent edition of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T reacted to Jey Uso’s 2025 Royal Rumble win.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Jey Uso’s Royal Rumble win: “I wasn’t thinking about the title or anything like that. I was just in the moment. I was just happy that he had won on that night. That was the biggest night of his career. And to have that moment, to be blessed with that moment just one time in your career. And you walk away and say, ‘Man, I won the Royal Rumble back in 2025 and such and such was in the ring.’ You got all these names you just named up, you know, and ‘I walked away on top.’ So I get it. I remember being in a match, the King of Kings match with John Cena and the Big Show. And all of us were champions, and it was a triple threat match. And I remember winning that match. I’m like, ‘This is a moment,’ you know what I mean? Those are moments that no one can ever take away from you.
“As well as, it lets you know that — something that we talk about all the time — the company trusts you. You’ve put in the work for the company to trust you, to be the guy to rep the company. And that right there, I’ve talked about two things throughout my career also. You know, the championship is one thing. But the title, that’s something totally different. Right now, he’s got the title of being the guy that they can trust. The championship will come later… So nah, man, I’m just so happy for the kid. And you know, it’s onward and upward. Like I say, I see so much of myself in this kid. I mean, it reminds me of my story, being a tag team for years and then breaking out of the singles. And then putting the work in and you know, ‘least likely to be the guy.’ And then next day, you just blow up, you know? I don’t know, it feels surreal for me.“
On Uso’s connection with the fans: “Yeah, he’s done something that’s — you know, his in-ring work is great. But I think his connection with the fans, I think is what’s really put him over the top. When I used to come out at the fans used to raise the roof. And it was undeniable. You had to say, ‘Man, this kid’s got something.’ And you see everybody doing this ‘Yeet’ thing, you gotta say, ‘Man, how many T-shirts can we sell here?’ So no, man, it’s so much appeal in Main Event Jey Uso opposed to Jey Uso. So much more appeal with this kid. And he’s done itall his way, man.
“And I — that’s what I try to talk to my students about, as far as me being a guy that’s old school from the past. But when I see something that works for these young kids today, man, go with it. I get it. And what Jey has done, he’s tapped into what these young guys are doing today. Which for me is, I’m like, ‘Man, he’s right on point.’ Then he goes out and performs in any era. He’s not just flipping around and doing that. He’s trying to get some emotion out of everything he’s doing out there. So for me, man, I’m loving it. I’m loving everything that this kid — he’s developed his own thing, and he’s created his own thing outside the tag team thing. And he’s done it relatively quickly, relatively quickly. It didn’t take him, I don’t know how many years it took me. But nah man, he’s done a hell of a job.”