WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently reflected on making the trip to attend John Cena’s final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, offering both a personal and emotional look at what the night meant to him.

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker explained that there was never any doubt he would be there, even though the journey itself took a heavy toll physically. The combination of cold weather, travel, and ongoing wear on his body made the trip especially difficult, but Booker made it clear that missing Cena’s farewell was never an option.

“I wouldn’t have missed John Cena’s last match for the world. But going down to Washington, DC, it was about 25 degrees. It was snowing. It was just so messy, and it was crazy is, my body tends to, will me through no matter what I’m going through. I’ll get through it but as soon as it’s over with, everything just breaks down. That’s what I’m experiencing right now. My knee swole up astronomically. I just came from Colombia, so I was flying like crazy going there. And I think it’s just too much flying, but my knee was like so swollen last night. The pain threshold was like a 10. As far as 10 out of 10 it might have been a 12. I’m serious. I mean, I literally wanted to cry. But I got through it. I’ve been icing because I got to go to work. I got to go to work in the morning.”

Booker’s comments highlighted the reality of life after an in ring career, where the passion for the business often outweighs the physical cost. Despite the pain, he pushed through because of the respect he has for Cena and what their shared history represents.

Booker also revealed what he told Cena backstage before the match, touching on the unique bond they developed during their time working together. Rather than focusing on wrestling itself, Booker explained that their connection always went deeper, rooted in performance, storytelling, and mutual respect.

“You know, me and John Cena, we’ve got a connection. We’re connected. I had so many matches with John. That was one of the guys that it was never wrestling. It was always Shakespeare. And him and I, we’ve never talked about wrestling. It’s always been Shakespeare. And that’s what I told him right before the match. I gave him a hug, and I said, ‘Shakespeare baby, let’s get it done one last time.’ But it was really, really cool. It was really, really cool because there again, I had a great time working with John. Being on the road with John, watching him grow. Knowing that he was the chosen one, and the guy that they were grooming to be the next Rock, Stone Steve Austin per se, Shawn Michaels, you know. I had a job to do. And you know, that job was to go out there and make this young kid a star.”