"Never going to retire" - WWE legend Booker T shares his take on former tag team partner hinting at retirement next year
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has weighed in on what he thinks about the recent news that his former tag team partner Dustin Rhodes will be retiring in 2023.
Rhodes announced that after 35 years as an active in-ring competitor, 2023 would be his final year as a wrestler, with the additional note that his AEW contract will expire in July.
"The Natural" seems to have only gotten better with age as his AEW run has been highly regarded by both fans and people within the industry, with stand-out matches against CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and his brother Cody among the highlights.
Dustin Rhodes vs CM Punk @ AEW Dynamite
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- WON https://t.co/CSzlWt4f4X
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T was asked what he thought about Dustin retiring, and while he knows why he's made the decision, he feels as if "Goldy" will be back in the ring at some point down the line.
"He's never going to retire. We're never going to retire. It's what we do, man. Goldy is going to be back in the middle of that ring somewhere, but on his own time. When he wants to do it, and I understand that, too, especially at this stage of the game. He should hang em up, you know? Goldy's been doing this [for] a long time, he's been around since the late '80s." [H/T Wrestling Inc]
Booker T is a man who knows all about stepping between the ropes despite being retired, as the current NXT commentator hung up his boots in 2012, but has still made sporadic appearances mainly for the Reality of Wrestling promotion which he owns.
When did Booker T and Dustin Rhodes team together?
Having been in the business for as long as they have, it's no surprise that Booker T and Dustin Rhodes have crossed paths on multiple occasions in their careers, with the two first sharing the ring during their time in WCW in the early 90s.
However, it was when they were thrown together as a tag team in 2002, where they found their biggest success when sharing the ring together, as the two men became one of the most popular tag teams in the early days of the WWE brand extension.
The union of Booker T and Goldust provided so much entertainment in the WWE back in 2002.their partnership resulted in a short reign as WWE Raw Tag Team Champions.Booker and Goldust had a nice run together in the time it lasted. https://t.co/RoDKxCPCMF
Booker T and Goldust were so popular and so in sync with each other that they ended up becoming World Tag Team Champions at the Armageddon pay-per-view in December 2002, an accolade that at the time of writing is coming up on its 20th anniversary.
What are your fondest memories of these two teaming together? Let us know in the comments section down below!