Booker T On What Chris Benoit’s Legacy Would Have Been, Daniel Puder Not Making It In WWE

On the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T talked about working with Chris Benoit, what Benoit’s legacy would have been if not for his murdering his family and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On Chris Benoit: “You know, honestly, if Benoit’s legacy would’ve lived on, he probably would’ve went down as the greatest wrestler that ever lived. Really that good. And he wasn’t just that good. He made you that good. He made you better than you actually could ever be. And it was as real as it possibly could be to that dude, man. He was only about 5’9, 5’10 at best. And I swear, he hit me harder than anybody I’ve ever been in the ring with…

“But like I said, working with some of the best guys in the world for me has been the reason why I’m here. I would not be the guy that I am today without — and I mean, the Benoit, that’s one thing, man, but the, uh, the, uh, the Black Barts, The KIller Tim Brooks’, The Maniac Mike Davis’, the Manny Fernandez’ of the world. Man, those guys, man. Those guys literally were, they were my mentors, but they were my sensei. They taught me everything that I needed to know about this business.”

On why Daniel Puder failed in WWE after winning WWE Tough Enough: “Daniel Puder, of course, was the kid who won Tough Enough. Who won the $100,000 — well, he only got about a hundred thousand out. That’s the tax, that’s why I called it — it might have been the $50,000 contract, before he got the money. [laughs] But now, Daniel Puder I think, when he won that contest, he really, I think, felt like he had made it in the business and he had an attitude like he was one of the boys already. Like, he didn’t really have to pay any dues.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the Hall of Fame with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.