WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has recalled a heated backstage confrontation with Fit Finlay, revealing that he once threatened to fight the veteran wrestler after receiving a particularly painful kick during a match.
Speaking on a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker discussed Finlay’s reputation for working a physical, hard-hitting style and explained why one particular encounter left him frustrated enough to confront his opponent.
Finlay was widely known for his stiff in-ring approach, something Booker generally had no issue with throughout their time working together. However, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer emphasized that there was an important distinction between delivering convincing strikes and potentially injuring another performer.
“I didn’t mind stiff, but I needed safe at the same time. And I remember working a match with Fit Finlay, and he snapped me and kicked me in the back, but he caught me in the kidney area. Man, it really hurt, man. It really, really hurt,” Booker recalled.
The kick left Booker in considerable pain, prompting him to address the situation directly with Finlay after the match. Rather than allowing the incident to pass without comment, Booker made it clear that he would not tolerate another strike landing in the same area.
“I remember telling him when he came back through the curtain, I said, ‘Bro, kick me like that again, we’re going to be fighting next time when you come back through the curtain.’”
Despite the intensity of the warning, the confrontation did not escalate into an actual fight. According to Booker, Finlay took the message seriously, and the issue never arose again during their subsequent encounters.
“But that never happened. Never happened again. But, you know, I get it. I get it. I stiffed a lot of guys,” Booker admitted.
Booker also acknowledged that he had delivered stiff strikes to opponents during his own career, suggesting that he understood the physical nature of professional wrestling even when certain moments crossed the line for him.
The two veterans shared the ring on numerous occasions throughout their careers, including singles and multi-man matches during their respective tenures in WCW and WWE.
Although their backstage exchange was heated, Booker’s recollection suggests that the warning was enough to resolve the situation without either wrestler resorting to a physical altercation outside the ring.
