Former WWE World Champion reveals why he couldn't declare himself in the first Royal Rumble under Triple H's regime

WWE Hall of Famer & current NXT color commentator Booker T recently explained why he did not declare himself in the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble match.

The 6-time World Champion last competed in a Royal Rumble match in 2012. Later that same year, he announced his retirement from the in-ring competition. However, Booker has previously stated that he was waiting for an invitation from the Stamford-based company to enter this year's Royal Rumble match, which he has not yet received.

On the latest episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T explained why he could not just declare himself in the Royal Rumble match like other wrestlers under contract with WWE.

"I've seen people say, 'man, why don't you just declare yourself in the Rumble.' Let me get you guys the rules of the Rumble. You can only declare if you're an active member on the roster. You can't be a retired alumni and declare yourself, okay? They have to actually send you an invitation, you know, and with that invitation it's a little something else to go with it. We ain't gonna talk about that. You know what I mean. So, I'm waiting on both of them," he said. [5:02 - 5:33]

Booker T believes a 37-year-old WWE star is the favorite to win the Men's Royal Rumble Match. Check out his comments here.

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Which WWE Superstar will win the Men's Royal Rumble match?

Over the past few weeks, fans have been speculating about who will win the Men's Royal Rumble match. Meanwhile, reports have suggested a few names that could win the bout, including Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and The Rock.

On a previous episode of the To Be The Man podcast, Hall of Famer Ric Flair disclosed that he wants to see Rhodes win the Royal Rumble match.

"The way they're using him right now, they could have Sami Zayn win. But I think if he's healthy and in good shape, because he was so well received and he's so talented, I personally hope that Cody Rhodes [wins the Royal Rumble]. When he and I talked, he would refer to it as the one tag his dad never had was the WWE Championship. Does that make sense? And he'd like to have that. You know, to say that he had it. You know how proud he is of his dad," he said. [50:19 - 50:54]

Ric Flair also predicted the winner of the Women's Royal Rumble Match. Check out his comments here.

Here are some bad Royal Rumble booking decisions made by WWE:

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Please credit the Hall of Fame podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda if you use the above transcription.