Booker T Explains Why Former WWE Colleague Matt Hardy Surprised Him In The Ring

WWE legend Booker T has revealed that current AEW star Matt Hardy surprised him with his in-ring ability as well as his connection with the crowd.

During his recent "Hall of Fame" show, Booker T was asked by a fan if he was surprised by any wrestler in the ring. The Hall of Famer said he wasn't sure why Hardy was so popular but realized the reason for his popularity once he stepped into the ring with him.

"Matt Hardy [surprised him[ because I was like, 'Man, there's no way this guy could work.' Because Matt used to run so funny, and I was like, 'Why does this guy think he's so over?' We had to work at a house show and we weren't three minutes into that match and everybody in the arena was going crazy and then I go, 'Oh, this is why this guy is so good. Now I realize why he's so good,'" recalled Booker T. "He knew how to work the people, he knew how to get that crowd going, he has so much fire and it was ... I was like, 'Okay, now I know. I get it.' I was like, 'I would want to work with this guy every week.'"

The "WWE NXT" commentator added that he didn't know how good of a worker Hardy was looking from the outside, but realized later on. The Hall of Famer wrestled the AEW star numerous times on house shows, "WWE Raw," as well as pay-per-views following his switch from WCW to WWE in 2001. The last time they shared the ring was in 2006 in a King of the Ring first-round bout, a tournament eventually won by Booker T, giving rise to one of his most popular characters, King Booker.