Booker T Reflects On His Friendship With The Undertaker

Following The Undertaker’s ‘Final Farewell’ at Survivor Series, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has looked back on his friendship with “The Dead Man.” 

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T shared how, although he was a similar age to The Undertaker and both men are from Texas, he “looked at Taker a little bit different from the rest of the boys in the locker room” when he first came into the then-WWF.

He explained how he couldn’t help but look at him differently because he was The Undertaker. Booker T added how “everyone else” also looked at him differently because of who he was and what he had accomplished.

It’s a respect that Booker T was adamant he give to “The Phenom.” 

“I made sure when I came in the WWF, WWE now, that I wasn’t coming in saying, hey, I’m here. It wasn’t anything like that. I said I’m going to come in here and make this thing work out. Taker was the first guy to come up to me and say, ‘Take it all in. It’s WrestleMania. It doesn’t get any bigger than this. Just slow it down and have some fun out there.'”

Booker T revealed that The Undertaker was the first person to invite him into the TV locker room. He explained how only eight people were in there, but he was chosen to join them. Despite ‘Taker’s invitation, however, Booker T declined the offer.

“I didn’t take it upon myself to dress in the TV locker room. I made sure I dressed in the locker room with all the boys and there were probably 30 plus guys in there,” Booker T explained. “He was gracious enough to see something in me as well. I thought that was pretty cool.”

He continued, “But to watch him the way he came up and the way he did it, not just with one guy or two guys. The Undertaker did it with every guy on the roster. He put Maven over. People don’t remember that kind of stuff. People don’t see that kind of stuff. They don’t understand. It’s like the wind. They can feel it but they can’t touch it.”

Booker T then noted how fans don’t get to see many Superstars celebrate 30-year careers. He acknowledged how people may work for 20 years in the industry; however, they wouldn’t consistently perform in the way The Undertaker did.

He added how modern Superstars should “pick the brain” of The Undertaker and experienced Superstars like him. Booker T argued they should be focused on asking critical questions about longevity as wrestling “is not about how fast you do it.”