Booker T has revealed that he was once considered for a major role at WrestleMania 37: teaming with Bad Bunny in the rapper and multi-platinum recording artist’s in-ring debut.
Bad Bunny ultimately teamed with Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison at the 2021 event. The match became a significant moment both for Bad Bunny’s wrestling career and for Priest’s early presentation on WWE’s main roster. But Booker, speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, said the pairing was originally discussed differently.
“I almost did a tag match with Bad Bunny,” Booker said. “It was actually supposed to be me and Bad Bunny as opposed to Damian Priest and Bad Bunny.”
Booker did not provide a detailed explanation for why the idea did not move forward. When asked about the change, he made clear that there were factors behind it but declined to reveal them.
For more background on this topic, read John Cena Shares Mixed Reaction to $329,400 Sale of WrestleMania 41 Topps Card.
“Certain reasons why,” Booker said. “I’m not going to disclose them.”
The former world champion was also asked whether he had seriously weighed returning to the ring for the WrestleMania match. His answer suggested that, while the possibility existed, he was not fully committed to making it happen.
“Not strongly enough,” Booker said.
A Different Path for Bad Bunny’s WWE Debut
Bad Bunny’s relationship with WWE had already been building before WrestleMania 37. One of the most visible connections came through his song titled “Booker T,” a track that helped create a natural link between the artist and the WWE Hall of Famer. That association led to Booker appearing as part of Bad Bunny’s WWE-related presentation and put the two performers in the same orbit.
A WrestleMania partnership between them would have leaned directly into that connection. Booker was one of the defining names of his generation, a decorated champion whose distinctive persona made him an enduring figure long after his full-time in-ring career ended. Bad Bunny, meanwhile, entered WWE with enormous mainstream visibility and a clear appreciation for the industry. A tag match featuring both men would have joined those elements together on one of WWE’s largest stages.
Instead, WWE paired Bad Bunny with Damian Priest. The eventual match placed Priest beside the celebrity newcomer while opposing The Miz and John Morrison, two established WWE stars who were well suited to a high-profile WrestleMania tag team setting. Priest’s presence also gave the bout an important developmental purpose: it offered him a prominent position alongside one of the biggest celebrity attractions WWE had featured in years.
Booker’s comments do not establish how far planning had advanced, what specific concerns prevented the match from happening, or whether the idea changed because of one issue or several. He was deliberate in withholding those details. What is clear is that Booker was at least discussed as an alternative to Priest for Bad Bunny’s WrestleMania partner.
Booker T’s Selective Returns to the Ring
The revelation also fits the broader story of Booker’s post-full-time wrestling career. He retired from a regular in-ring schedule in 2012, ending a run that included major accomplishments across multiple eras of professional wrestling. Since then, he has remained a familiar WWE personality through commentary, panel appearances, special projects, and occasional physical involvement.
Although he stepped away from a full-time schedule, Booker has not completely shut the door on wrestling matches. He has worked a handful of bouts since moving into retirement, making his potential involvement at WrestleMania 37 plausible even if it never came together.
His most recent WWE match took place at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where he appeared as a surprise entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble match. That appearance reminded viewers that Booker could still receive a major reaction when WWE chose to bring him back into the ring. It also demonstrated the value of his legacy appearances: they are used sparingly, which helps preserve their novelty.
In that context, Booker’s response that he did not consider the Bad Bunny match “strongly enough” is notable. WrestleMania opportunities are rare by definition, especially for performers who are no longer active full time. Yet the comments indicate that being part of such a match was not enough, by itself, to make Booker fully embrace the idea. He may have been available to discuss it, but he did not portray himself as eager to force a return.
Why Damian Priest Became an Important Choice
While Booker’s name would have brought a different kind of star power, Damian Priest’s placement alongside Bad Bunny carried its own obvious logic. Priest had a personal and cultural connection with Bad Bunny, and their partnership gave WWE an opportunity to spotlight an emerging performer in an unusually visible WrestleMania role.
For Priest, standing beside Bad Bunny meant sharing the ring with a celebrity whose involvement attracted attention well beyond WWE’s usual audience. For Bad Bunny, partnering with an active WWE talent offered a more conventional tag team dynamic against The Miz and Morrison. The arrangement balanced the celebrity attraction with the need to deliver a structured match on a card of WrestleMania’s scale.
That does not make Booker’s possible involvement any less intriguing. A Booker T and Bad Bunny team would have brought a more explicit connection to the song that carried Booker’s name. It would also have created a veteran-and-newcomer pairing, with Bad Bunny learning the ropes alongside a Hall of Famer rather than an active rising star. The tone, story, and likely presentation of the match would have been different.
Still, WWE’s final choice had consequences beyond one night. Priest’s role put him in a memorable WrestleMania setting at a key stage in his WWE tenure. Booker’s latest comments add a new layer to how that spot came to be, but they do not diminish the role Priest ultimately played.
An Interesting WrestleMania What-If
Professional wrestling is filled with ideas that are considered, discussed, adjusted, or abandoned before audiences ever hear about them. WrestleMania, because of its scale and long planning cycle, often produces some of the most fascinating examples. A single change can alter not only a match but also the momentum of the wrestlers involved.
Booker T and Bad Bunny at WrestleMania 37 is now one of those what-ifs. The concept had built-in recognition because of Bad Bunny’s “Booker T” song, and Booker’s WWE history would have given the match an immediate sense of occasion. At the same time, Booker’s own account makes clear that the plan did not reach the point of a firm commitment from him.
There is no indication from Booker that the proposed pairing caused conflict with Bad Bunny, Damian Priest, The Miz, John Morrison, or WWE. He simply acknowledged that the idea existed, stated that undisclosed reasons kept it from happening, and indicated that he was not strongly inclined to pursue it. Those are the limits of what has been revealed.
For fans, the story offers a fresh perspective on a WrestleMania match that already stood out because it marked Bad Bunny’s first in-ring performance. The version seen by the public featured Priest. Another version, at least for a time, could have featured Booker T instead.
Booker remains connected to WWE and continues to be a voice with a unique perspective on the company’s past and present. His recollection of the Bad Bunny proposal adds another behind-the-scenes footnote to his long career: even years after retiring from full-time competition, he was close enough to WrestleMania plans to be considered for a celebrity tag team showcase.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.