Booker T Weighs In On Conrad Thompson Calling Roman Reigns Overrated

On the latest episode of The Hall of Fame, Booker T responded directly to Conrad Thompson’s viral claim that Roman Reigns is the most overrated main eventer in WWE history, and made the case that Reigns is the best in the world right now. Thompson debated his stance with JBL after initially saying it in 83 Weeks. You can check out his comments below:

On Who the Take Came From:

“Before we even get to our last segment, we’ve got to touch on something that was mentioned here over the weekend from one of our colleagues, Conrad Thompson. A comment that’s going around the internet right now that’s blowing up on YouTube and X and all of that stuff, as far as his comments about Roman Reigns being overrated. I could take that coming from someone who hadn’t been in the wrestling business for quite some time, someone who hadn’t been around people who really know this business. I could see someone like that saying something like that about Roman Reigns. But Conrad Thompson man, he’s so far off on this take it’s not even funny. It’s like a mountain compared to a mole hill. That’s how big of a stretch this comment is.”

On Where He Ranks Reigns:

“Roman Reigns — I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times. Right now, at this stage of the game, Roman Reigns is the best damn wrestler in the world. All right, he’s the best. And I know, I spot talent. I see it all day long. I know if a guy can make it in this business. Within three minutes if he gets in my ring, I know if he’s going to have a chance at making it. And when I watch a guy like Roman, who’s had nothing but flawless matches with every guy that has stepped in the ring with him on the biggest stages there have been.”

On the Tape Backing Him Up:

“Go pull them up, that’s all you’ve got to do. The proof is in the pudding. All you’ve got to do — the video don’t lie. The video don’t lie, and the video tells you every guy that has been in the ring with Roman Reigns, they’ve had their best match. Every one of them. Every guy that gets in the ring with Roman, that’s the best match they’re going to have that year. And that’s just fact.”

On the Question He Wants Answered:

“I would love to know who would he put in Roman Reigns’ spot. That’s what I would want. Who do you put in Roman’s spot that’s going to go out there and carry that? Because Roman, there again, he doesn’t just make himself look good. That’s a given.”

On the CM Punk Comparison:

“You talk about the match that he had with CM Punk — let’s talk about CM Punk’s last match against Cody. It was nowhere near as good of a match as the one he had with Roman. We could debate that, but I don’t think it was. That was CM Punk at 47 years old, and he looked younger than I have seen him look in quite some time in that match. He looked phenomenal. It looked like he could work another 10 years.”

On What Reigns Actually Does:

“That’s how Roman makes you feel. That’s what he gives you when he goes out there and performs. He does it with everybody that he gets in the ring with. Everybody that works with Roman walks away a better performer. And I say that being a guy that’s been out of the business for quite some time, but I know what I’m looking at when I look at a guy like Roman. When I say he’s the best, he’s the best in the world right now. From a storytelling perspective, wrestling comes secondary to guys that go out there and literally do everything right. Because he can wrestle, that’s no doubt. Telling a story, he could do that without even blinking an eye. Having that star pill when he walks to the ring — and you talk about that 12 minutes, he can get away with walking 12 minutes. That’s my point. He’s the total package. If I had to draw up what the prototypical superstar would look like, it’d be Roman Reigns.”

On Why He Thinks Thompson Feels That Way:

“You know what I think that is, and I’m going to just put it out there. I think that’s just Conrad speaking from an old thinking disposition. He’s thinking about the Hogans. He’s thinking about Savage. He’s thinking about perhaps the Stone Cold Steve Austins. But we’re in a totally digital world now. We’re in a totally different era than we were back in those days. It doesn’t mean that being in that main event spot is less than. Because I feel like Roman Reigns, in today’s professional wrestling, is the guy to carry that mantle without any shadow of a doubt.”

On the trust it takes to hold that spot:

“I didn’t think anybody would be able to weather that storm and be that guy in that position after John Cena did it. Because John was like the Iron Man. But then here comes Roman, with all those accolades, all those guys he elevated, being in that spot for so many years, over 1,000 days and whatnot. That doesn’t happen without Roman Reigns. And the company does not put you in that spot unless they trust you to be able to do that. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked about the company being able to trust you. People really don’t understand what I mean by it. What I mean is trust you to make every big event, trust you to be able to strap it up when you’re not 100 percent, to be able to go out there and do those own sales and all those meet and greets and that grunt work that a lot of people don’t see. So this dude, Roman Reigns, is truly the real deal. What he’s done over his time at that top level, with the pressure that he’s had inside and out of the ring — he’s the real deal. I’m not trying to ride Roman’s coattails or anything. I’m just giving facts here as far as this guy goes. I’ve been in the ring with a lot of guys, some of the best, and this guy is really, really good.”

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.