wrestling / News

Booker T Reveals His Reaction to the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36, If It Should Be Undertaker’s Last Match

April 7, 2020 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
AJ Styles Undertaker WWE WrestleMania 36 Bone Yard Match Best Cinematic Matches of 2020 Image Credit: WWE

Booker T shared his thoughts on AJ Styles and Undertaker’s Boneyard match at WrestleMania on the latest Hall of Fame, and if he thinks it should be Taker’s last match. The highly cinematic match was the most talked-about encounter on the first night of WrestleMania, and arguably on either night with most people giving it very high marks.

Booker T talked about how he appreciated the cinematic aspects and said he could see more of these kinds of matches going forward. You can see highlights and the full podcast below:

On his reaction to the match: “You know, we wondered what The Undertaker and AJ was gonna do. Were they gonna come out there and just have an empty arena match. I don’t think the empty arena match would have done AJ and the Undertaker any justice. But for them to actually pull off a mini-movie? That was pretty awesome, that you could follow the storyline and understand it even from when the O.C. came out, from when the druids turned on The Undertaker. I’m serious, you know what I mean? It was like, everything in that, they took to — actually The Undertaker getting ready to get buried, and then show up behind. Everything is cinematic for me as I wanted it to be. Because I always have been able to suspend my imagination and watch wrestling for what it is: entertainment. World Wrestling Entertainment. That’s the way I’ve always been able to watch it. So when somebody give me a car chase and the car, you know, hit the heel and turn three rotations, and then still keep going, I love it! You know what I mean? Give me more, more Fast & Furious. And that’s what we got a chance to see at WrestleMania.”

On the possibility of more matches of this style: “That’s why I say, should we get more cinematic matches going forward? I heard Jeff — not Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy talking about these kinds of matches before. And now to actually be able to see them happening, it’s pretty cool.”

On the production effort involved in it: “It’s crazy, man. I’m sure he’s [Undertaker’s] happy about it, because it’s the first time it’s ever been done. And the first time for it to be done and Undertaker’s a part of it, as well as for it to be a success, is huge, it’s huge. They said it took eight hours to shoot that, the whole thing. And it trips me out, because I think when Stone Cold Steve Austin and I in the grocery store, it took us about ten minutes. One shot, it was done! So it’s crazy to see how television has advance to that point now, to where we can be able to go out there and do that kind of stuff and give those kind of [show]. But I think it’s all due to what’s going on with this coronavirus out there. You’ve got to try and find a way to still be able to give fans a little bit of something.”

On if this should be Undertaker’s last match: “I think the Undertaker’s still got a little left in the tank, as well as if we did not see the Undertaker at next year’s WrestleMania, we’ll feel like we missed something. Like, ‘Man, this WrestleMania was different. Undertaker wasn’t here.’ I think that just like the Undertaker said when they did that profile on him, I think the Undertaker’s gonna be around as long as he can muster up the strength to walk to that ring. And I think that’s pretty much gonna sum it up right there. If he can do that, he’s gonna show up.

“Because sometimes, you know, this business man, it’s tricky. It’s different than any other animal. This drug is so powerful. I’m not saying that he can’t walk away from it or anything like that, but you know, when it’s all over with — you know, it’s over. It’s done. And like you just said there a second ago. Thirty years the Undertaker’s been walking that aisle. Thirty years is a lifetime for a lot of people, you know what I mean? So I say, if it’s something that he loves and it’s something that he can will himself to actually do? I say do it until you can’t do it no more.”

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