Booker T was one of the first six Superstars to compete inside the Elimination Chamber, a match that the Hall of Famer was not looking forward to. Speaking on WWE’s YouTube channel, Booker recalled his reaction to seeing the Chamber for the first time.
“I was sitting there with Hunter. I’m looking at the structure, and the first thing I say is, somebody’s gonna get f***** up tonight, really bad… I was looking at the structure and I was frightened. I was scared.”
Booker was “timid” throughout the match’s debut at Survivor Series 2002, as he was afraid to fall on the steel grating surrounding the ring. Booker was wisely wary that the Chamber could prove to be just as dangerous as the five other Superstars in the match.
“If you hit an elbow, it’s split open. You drop a knee on it [the steel floor.] you’re going to be busted open. You’re going to be cut up.”
Despite the combined decades of in-ring experience between Booker and his opponents, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, and Triple H, nothing could prepare the six for the first Elimination Chamber. In Booker’s words “We’re all pretty much flying by the seat of our pants on this thing.”
Booker’s days in the Elimination Chamber are long behind him, but his protege Roxanne Perez will take her first steps inside the structure at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 from Toronto this Saturday, March 1.
John Cena’s farewell tour is underway, and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T is reflecting on the 16-time world champion’s legacy. In interview with TMZ Sports, Booker T praised Cena’s ability to maximize his career, despite not being the most technically gifted wrestler.
“The man who took what he had and made the best out of it and took it all the way to the top,” Booker said.
“Wasn’t the best wrestler in the world or anything like that… but John Cena, he knew how to go out and do it.”
As Cena prepares for his final run in WWE, speculation is growing over who his last opponent should be. While some fans are pushing for Cena to break Ric Flair’s record with a 17th world title win, Booker T believes the decision should be left to the audience.
“That’s going to be for the fans to actually decide who they want J to see, and hopefully he has enough gas left in the tank to actually get it,” he said.
WWE’s Surging Popularity
Cena’s farewell comes at a time when WWE is experiencing a surge in mainstream popularity. With a major Netflix deal and record-breaking events like the Royal Rumble, Booker T believes WWE is nearing its peak again.
“I don’t know if it’s as popular as it’s ever been, but it’s bigger than it’s ever been,” he said. “With this Netflix deal, it’s only going to get bigger and better.”
As WWE enters a new era, Cena’s influence remains undeniable. Whether or not he secures a 17th title, his legacy as one of the company’s biggest stars is firmly cemented.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has established himself as a keen talent evaluator through decades of experience, his successful Texas-based Reality of Wrestling school, and his current role as a coach on WWE LFG.
In a recent interview with TV Insider‘s Scott Fishman, Booker identified two NXT performers he believes are ready for WWE’s main roster.
Jacy Jane
Jayne has impressed throughout her NXT tenure, from her work with Toxic Attraction to her ongoing singles career. According to Booker T, she possesses all the necessary tools to make an immediate impact on either Raw or SmackDown.
“I think Jacy Jayne has been such a role player in NXT for quite some time. I’ve always thought she was main roster ready,” Booker T said. “I do feel like she is like a player-coach at the same time.”
Fallon Henley
The WWE legend also highlighted Fallon Henley as another NXT talent primed for advancement.
“Fallon Henley is someone else who could be on the main roster,” he noted. “I think if we lose her… man, do we want to lose her right now? It’s one of those type of things.”
This assessment carries significant weight given Booker T’s proven eye for talent. He has mentored numerous successful performers, including Roxanne Perez, whom he considers his “star pupil.”
Roxanne Perez
Speaking about Perez, Booker said,
“She has excelled and exceeded all expectations. She’s a household name now. She is a star.”
Beyond his work with NXT talent, Booker T is currently featured on WWE LFG, A&E’s new developmental competition series premiering February 16.
The show offers viewers an inside look at the demanding journey to becoming a WWE superstar, with Booker T joining fellow legends The Undertaker, Mickie James, and Bubba Ray Dudley as mentors.
Given his extensive experience and demonstrated ability to identify future stars, Booker T’s endorsements of Jayne and Henley deserve serious consideration from both fans and WWE management.
Booker T has opened up about working with Corey Graves in NXT after the recent controversy.
Graves who is the second longest-tenured commentator in WWE after Michael Cole found himself in a discouraging situation after WWE made changes to their commentary team earlier in the year. The broadcast star who had been working on SmackDown was sent down to NXT when his partner Cole was moved to Raw on Netflix to join Pat McAfee.
Booker T who has been part of the NXT commentary team since 2022 was asked about working with Graves in a new interview with TV Insider. He first joked that he ‘hates’ Corey Graves before claiming that they’re all team players:
“That’s what people want me to say. We’re team players. We felt like last week we got into a groove. We see the vision of where we can go and take this thing. I’ve always been a team player.”
Booker T who previously criticized Graves for venting his frustrations publicly discussed how he started his broadcast stint working with the announcing veteran on pre-show panels. He expressed the belief that with Vic Joseph directing traffic, the three of them can become the best team in all of WWE:
“For me, that’s where I started. Working with Corey during the kick-off shows down in Connecticut. We used to go to the Capital Grille every week and get that sea bass. Working with Corey is cool.
Working with Vic [Joseph], being that guy in the middle who can direct that traffic the way he does. I really think we can turn this into something really cool where people may say, “Wow, this team may be the best team in all of WWE.”
While Corey Graves has not made any more public comments since being reinstated on NXT, WWE officials don’t seem to have forgotten his previous remarks. When Joe Tessitore missed this week’s episode of SmackDown due to an ESPN commitment, it was Joseph who was brought in as a replacement instead of Graves.
Corey Graves may have put speculation about his WWE future to rest, but Booker T has made clear he isn’t pleased with how Graves handled things. During a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker adressed Graves’ recent outburst following his move to the NXT brand.
“Certain things shouldn’t be in the Twittersphere, just because I don’t think it’s their business, especially when it comes to your jobs.”
Booker added that while he hasn’t confronted Graves directly, a conversation with his NXT broadcast partner could come in the future.
“We’re not cool, not cool at all—I didn’t like the tweet. I didn’t tell him I didn’t like it, but I’m sure there perhaps will come a time when I might say it.”
Graves’ took to X in January 2025 to express his frustration with changes to the commentary teams that resulted in him being moved to NXT. While Graves missed the following edition of WWE NXT after his post on X, he was back the following week and declared that he was “right where I want to be.”
The situation with Corey Graves has yet to be referenced on TV, and with it being weeks later, it’s unlikely fans will see it brought up on WWE NXT programming. Nevertheless, Booker T isn’t a fan of how Graves handled business, and it remains to be seen if the NXT commentator confronts Graves about his attitude towards the silver brand.
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T proved he’s still got ‘it’ by defeating Zilla Fatu this week in Booker’s first singles match in over half-a-decade. The six-time World Champion got the win at the latest event for Reality of Wrestling, the promotion owned and operated by Booker and his wife Sharmell Huffman.
This win was Booker’s first singles match since a Reality of Wrestling event in January 2019 which saw Booker defeat Rex Andrews. The WWE NXT commentator’s most recent match for WWE was as part of the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match won by Cody Rhodes.
Zilla Fatu is the son of the late, great, Umaga, and expectations have been high for the Bloodline family member. In August 2024, Fatu was spotted at WWE SummerSlam, though despite speculation, he did not get involved at the event beyond being a spectator.
For any WWE Superstar, being the 30th and final entrant into a Royal Rumble match is a win in and of itself. After all, the #30 spot is mathematically the best position to be in and has produced winners including John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, and Cody Rhodes. But we’re not here to talk about the winners.
While #30 has produced plenty of winners, entering last is far from a guaranteed Rumble victory. Over the decades, we’ve seen plenty of #30 entrants be eliminated as quickly as they entered.
Here are some Superstars who squandered their coveted spot as the #30 entrant.
The Warlord (1992)
Despite his size, The Warlord had some terrible luck in the Royal Rumble match.
Until Santino Marella broke the record in 2009, the Warlord’s name was synonymous with having the shortest stint in a Royal Rumble with 2 seconds at the 1989 Rumble. Well two years later, the Warlord had better luck, but still had an abysmal performance. Lasting 1:43, Warlord scored no eliminations in the 1991 Rumble before being eliminated for the third time in his career by Hulk Hogan.
Adam Bomb (1994)
When Adam Bomb made his way to the ring as part of the 1994 Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon on commentary declared “ADAM BOMB IS GOING TO WIN THE ROYAL RUMBLE!” Now mind you, the match still had Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Lex Luger all in the bout.
As you’ve figured out by now, Bomb didn’t live up to McMahon’s declaration as he was flattened and thrown out by the bigger stars in 4:55.
Duke ‘The Dumpster’ Droese (1996)
Nobody believed that Duke Droese would be headlining WrestleMania 12 by winning the 1996 Rumble.
We can’t help but wonder what the fans in Fresno’s Selland Arena felt when Duke Droese was the final participant in the 1996 Royal Rumble match. Seriously, did a single person think it’d be Bret Hart Vs ‘The Dumpster’ at WrestleMania 12?
Droese eliminated nobody before being thrown out by Diesel and Kama after 1:10.
Vader (1998)
Once a top star of Japan and WCW, Vader’s WWF run did not do the superheavyweight justice. Never was that more evident than the 1998 Royal Rumble match, in which Vader lasted just 2:15.
His sole elimination saw Vader throw out comedy cameo The Honky Tonk Man, making it clear that the powerhouse was not meant to be taken seriously as a possible winner.
Chyna (1999)
The first woman to enter a Royal Rumble match, Chyna did score a single elimination in the 1999 match, which is more than what most people on this list can boast.
But at 35 seconds, it felt like WWE wanted Chyna out of the match as quickly as she came in.
Booker T (2002)
Booker T’s Royal Rumble debut would be a bad night for the former WCW World Champion.
Perhaps the biggest name who joined WWF after WCW’s 2001 demise, Booker T had a rough start in the promotion. While he was Vince McMahon’s pick in the 2002 Rumble match, Booker would last just 33 seconds before being tossed out. It’d be a long time before the talented wrestler would be treated as a main eventer.
Rey Mysterio (2014)
8 years on from his 2006 win, Rey Mysterio entered to a chorus of boos in the 2014 Rumble match.
One of wrestling’s most beloved heroes, Rey Mysterio’s entrance as the #30 entrant in 2014 was quite a shock to behold.
Simply put, fans wanted Daniel Bryan, and Rey’s arrival snuffed out their last hope. Rey lasted 2:10 and scored 0 eliminations, making his role seem even more egregious.
Dolph Ziggler (2018)
Dolph had vacated the U.S. title weeks before his lackluster role in the 2018 Men’s Rumble match.
After surrending his newly-won U.S. title in late 2017, fans were curious as to what was to come for Dolph Ziggler. For months, Ziggler was nowhere to be seen, until he returned to programming as the #30 entrant in the 2018 Men’s Rumble match.
Unfortunately for the Show-Off, his return was entirely anti-climactic, and he would be eliminated in 2:01 by Finn Balor. Ziggler’s only elimination would see him toss out the cameoing Goldust, who lasted longer in the match than Dolph himself.
Nia Jax (Men’s 2019)
Nobody expected R-Truth, the original #30 entrant in the 2019 Men’s Rumble to win, but the decision to replace him with Nia Jax was entirely bizarre.
The following sequence which saw a bunch of male Superstars hit their finishers on Jax wouldn’t help matters either, especially as some fans online seemed too eager to watch her get ganged up on. Jax would eliminate Mustafa Ali before being dumped out herself at 3:09.
Nia Jax (Women’s 2023)
Four years on from her bizarre entry into the Men’s Royal Rumble, Nia Jax made a surprise return to WWE during the 2023 Women’s Rumble.
Her big return is probably best remembered for WWE displaying graphics with her name over ten seconds before her return. Jax eliminated nobody in her 1:57 stint in the match.
Booker T believes Tessa Blanchard deserves a second chance.
The former Champion made her surprise return to the company at the Final Resolution event last week. The comeback sparked mixed reactions from fans and even people behind the scenes were said to be surprised by this move from the TNA top brass.
The WWE Hall of Famer gave his opinion on the matter during his Hall of Fame podcast. Booker T said that people should be able to move on:
“Man, the thing is, I’ve already seen criticisms of Tessa Blanchard being back and people still wanting to try to cancel her. Man, y’all get off of it. The thing is, if something was said, if an apology was made and fences were mended, we should be able to move on.”
The wrestling veteran explained that everyone on social media thinks that they know what’s going on with talents but they really don’t. Booker T said that people should let Tessa resurrect her career:
“One thing about certain things, in the social media sphere, everybody know about it but don’t nobody really know what’s going on.
Everybody know about the story but don’t nobody know what’s going on. My thing is, guys, get off of all of this hate and let Tessa Blanchard hopefully try to resurrect her career and go out there and redo this thing all over again. Let’s just look at it as that, a redo.”
Blanchard attacked former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace during her return. She has since claimed that she is not signed to a contract with the company and her current goal is to get a match with Grace.
Athena may be the unquestionable top woman in Ring of Honor, but Booker T feels so much more could be done with the Women’s World Champion. On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker, who trained Athena, argued that the ex-WWE Superstar should be a regular on AEW’s televised programs.
“Athena would fit right into the AEW women’s roster. She’s just as good, if not better… instead, they stick her in a box and put her in Ring of Honor.”
Though a regular in Ring of Honor, Athena rarely appears on AEW programming, with her most recent match for the brand coming back in April. That match is also Athena’s only AEW match of the past year, something that Booker would like to see change.
On the podcast, Booker also addressed AEW’s ratings, which have taken a slump in recent years. The days of Tony Khan boasting about over a million fans tuning into Dynamite are a distant memory and Booker shared what he’d be doing if he was in Khan’s shoes.
“If I saw the ratings drop that low, I’d be thinking about getting some help or shutting it down—one of the two.”
Athena recently passed 700 days as ROH Women’s World Champion, more than any other champion and more days than all other champions combined. Nevertheless, Booker believes there’s a lot more that can be done with his pupil, and has been underwhelmed by Athena being ‘boxed in’ as part of Ring of Honor.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T reckoned that Zilla Fatu, who is the son of late WWE star Umaga, has a future in WWE.
During his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T advocated for Zilla Fatu, who is learning the ropes in the legend’s Reality of Wrestling. The legendary wrestler highlighted the youngster’s potential in the business and noted the challenges in his career. Booker T also talked about Fatu parting ways with GCW.
Booker T is committed to guiding Zilla Fatu for his eventual move to WWE, where a handful of his family members have thrived. He said:
“My thing is this, we concentrate on Reality of Wrestling and our thing is I can’t think about anything other than trying to get that young man, Zilla, because he’s talent, get him to the next level, and the next level for me for Zilla, is the WWE. That’s his landing zone. That’s his safe zone, the WWE and his family. I really believe that. One thing about this business is you’re going to need people that are going to watch your back because you are going to make mistakes when you’re young, and if everybody just turns their back on you, I don’t know. That’s on them, but for me, this young man has nothing but talent.”
Booker T further spoke about Fatu’s progress and made it clear that he will try his best to get him to WWE. He said:
“Has he made some mistakes? Of course. We all make mistakes, but I’m definitely going to try to get him all the way to the WWE and beyond just because he’s family. His old man is looking down on him. When he won the Reality of Wrestling Championship, his dad was looking down on him. Reality of Wrestling is Zilla Fatu’s safe zone because one thing about this business, you’re going to deal with a lot of different people, and you have to know who to trust. At Reality of Wrestling, he’s at home.”
Zilla Fatu has trained at Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling school and made his pro-wrestling debut at ROW Summer Of Champions IX in July last year. He is the reigning ROW Champion. He has also competed for GCW and HOG. Fatu had previously won the HOG Crown Jewel Title during the promotion’s event on July 26.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T is defending Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s comments at Saturday’s Bad Blood post-show press conference about representation in WWE.
In response to a question about the lack of black wrestlers competing at the event, Triple H stated that he doesn’t see color, nationality, or gender, only talent. WWE aims to tell stories with those talents and provide opportunities for everyone, but he’s not keeping score.
Booker T addressed this issue directly on the latest episode of his Hall of Fame podcast with Brad Gilmore. He acknowledged wrestling’s historical ‘bias’ against black wrestlers, and admitted he’s been involved in “touchy” storylines himself during his in-ring career.. However, he refutes the idea that race is factor in Triple H’s creative process.
“Has there been bias in the wrestling business, in the wrestling company before? Yes, there has. … But do I think it’s race-related or anything like that, or someone being belittled on purpose? I don’t.”
– Booker T
Booker T points out that wrestling has always had more white wrestlers than black wrestlers, which affects representation. He believes talent and storyline relevance should determine who appears on the shows, and questions whether any black wrestlers were involved in significant angles that would warrant their inclusion.
“Then I’m gonna say, okay, what guys are we talking about that we saying that should be on the pay-per-view? Are they in any angles to warrant a reason for being on the pay-per-view? “
– Booker T
Booker T compares the wrestling business to a “merry-go-round.” Sometimes you’re featured, and sometimes you’re not. He reiterates that he does not believe Triple H has any racial bias.
“I don’t think it’s a black and white thing, I don’t think it’s a race thing at this stage of the game. I think if you’re talented enough, if you’re good, cream is gonna rise to the top every time.”
– Booker T
To further demonstrate his point, Booker T said Superstars like Jey Uso, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill have earned theirspots through hard work, not because WWE needed to push a certain number of non-white wrestlers. He believes the most talented performers, regardless of race, will succeed.
WWE had a huge list of legends in attendance for Bad Blood and the likes of such had its fair share of ties to Atlanta, GA.
The company started off the PLE by showing that Goldberg was in attendance with his son Gage who nearly got physical with GUNTHER after the WWE World Heavyweight Champion called ‘Da Man’ out later on in the show.
However, there was a quite the plethora of names taking in the action. In addition to Goldberg, Bad Blood also featured several WCW luminaries including Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Diamond Dallas Page, Booker T, Scott Steiner and Syxx aka Sean Waltman.
Arn Anderson may have gotten the biggest pop out of all the legends and for good reason. ‘The Enforcer’ shocked the fans at WWE SummerSlam in Cleveland when he so happened to share a few words of wisdom for Cody Rhodes before he went out for his WWE Undisputed Title defense against Solo Sikoa. Arn’s attendance at Bad Blood constitutes as a full circle moment as Cody Rhodes will be tagging up with Roman Reigns to face Solo once again. However, this time Sikoa has Jacob Fatu as his tag team partner.
WWE legends weren’t the only dignitaries in town. Hip-hop artists Killer Mike, Metro Boomin’ and Lil Baby were also seen sitting at ringside. Killer Mike was sitting beside Goldberg to start off the show who seems to be good friends with the WWE Hall of Famer.
NXT Level Up talent will be given a golden opportunity to hone their skills in Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling, the latter promotion has confirmed. Talent from the NXT secondary show will be part of ‘Breakout’ events from Reality of Wrestling, the Texas-based promotion run by NXT commentator/two-time Hall of Famer Booker T.
Our biggest Sunday #Breakout show to date with 189 fans at the Walker Texas Lawyer Arena!
BREAKING NEWS: Going forward NXT Level Up Talent will be part of our BREAKOUT Events. pic.twitter.com/hPdVa0UI77
— Reality of Wrestling (@TheOfficialROW) July 29, 2024
This is a huge deal reached for WWE NXT Level Up, which features talent at the very start of their wrestling journey. From there, wrestlers ‘graduate’ to WWE NXT and if they continue to improve, eventually make it to the main roster. The show launched in February 2022, as a replacement for 205 Live, and it goes head-to-head with AEW Rampage.
WWE NXT & Reality of Wrestling
Though this new agreement will see more regular involvement by NXT talent, Reality of Wrestling has hosted gold-brand talent in the past. In September 2023, Charlie Dempsey and Axiom appeared at the ‘Grand Opening’ event. Mere months later, Roxanne Perez appeared at ROW One Night Only, the first event for the promotion of 2024. It’s fitting that ‘The Prodigy’ was at the event given that she was trained by Booker, a fact referenced multiple times on WWE NXT TV.
Competing in Reality of Wrestling presents a golden opportunity to NXT Level Up talent to develop their skills in front of a crowd without the pressure of a TV production. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on their crossover and the latest news from the world of pro wrestling.
The WWE Universe may see women’s Intercontinental and U.S. titles introduced to the main roster, though an official decision has yet to be made.
Last week, reports circulated that WWE had women’s versions of the Intercontinental and United States Championships in the works. These titles would serve a similar role to their male equivalents and be mid-card titles on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.
While Fightful Select could not confirm that these titles are in the works, they have been discussed within WWE. The initial report included images of championships (as seen in the image for this article,) though these are examples AI art and not real championship belts. Talent who spoke to Fightful said they’ve not heard news of any upcoming mid-card championships, but it is something that a number of talent have pushed for over several years.
The Case for Women’s Mid-Card Championships
WWE introduced its first Women’s mid-card championship at WWE NXT Battleground when Kelani Jordan won the NXT Women’s North American Title. Since her six-woman ladder match victory, Jordan has retained against Michin, Izzi Dame, and most recently Sol Ruca.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T wishes that there was a system akin to WWE NXT when he was taking his first steps into the world of professional wrestling.
Since October 2022, the five-time WCW World Champion has served as a commentator for the gold brand, bringing decades of experience to the developmental show. Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker reflected on being able to watch talent grow as part of WWE NXT.
“It’s something special to watch these young guys grow up that way. I can only wish that I would’ve/could’ve had that kind of experience growing up in the business. It’s a great system for these young guys to actually be able to springboard.”
Booker went even further with his assessment of WWE NXT as he stated that he’s “living my best life” as part of the NXT “crew.”
It’s not hard to see why Booker wished WWE NXT was around during his early days. While many names established in wrestling join NXT upon signing with WWE, there are plenty who start their wrestling journey in the gold brand. Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Braun Strowman all had little to no wrestling training before coming to WWE.
The Future of WWE NXT
Later in the show, Booker shared his excitement for the future, namely the upcoming move to The CW. In October 2024, WWE NXT will make the move as part of what’s reported to be the biggest deal in the history of the gold brand. The move will also mark the end of WWE NXT’s five-year tenure as part of the USA Network.
WWE NXT will join a growing roster of live sports on The CW Network including ACC football, LIV Golf, and basketball. Wrestling fans can also catch NWA Powerrr episodes on The CW app.
WWE 2K24 is set to have the first batch of downloadable content on May 15. The popular video game series will have five DLC packs, which fans can purchase together in a season pass for $39.99. In preparation for next week’s release, WWE 2K24 has shared a first look at ECW legend The Sandman.
The upcoming DLC titled the ECW Punk Pack features The Sandman, The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley), Terry Funk, and CM Punk as playable characters. It will mark the first time they will be playable in the last few years, including The Sandman, who hasn’t been in a WWE video game since Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
WWE 2K24’s X/Twitter account previewed a first look and the entrance for The Sandman.
Although the hardcore icon character model looks good, his appearance resembles his time in WWE. Fans may be disappointed that his signature ECW theme, Enter Sandman by Metallica, isn’t featured in his entrance. It’s also noticeable that the ECW legend doesn’t come to the ring from the crowd in the game.
The Sandman is rated 86 in WWE 2K24
It’s unclear why WWE 2K developers didn’t include The Sandman’s signature entrance in their latest installment. Alongside the first look at the hardcore legend, WWE 2K24 revealed that he has an 86 overall. The Sandman’s stats come as a surprise, with the ECW icon having better numbers than current WWE superstars.
The Sandman’s Overall Compared To Current WWE Superstars In The Game
The Sandman’s high overall may surprise some fans compared to active WWE talent featured in the game. WWE 2K24 has the former ECW World Heavyweight Champion rated higher than the likes of AJ Styles (85), Chad Gable (80), and Austin Theory (72). He also has a better overall than other WWE Hall of Famers featured in the game, like Booker T (85) and Harley Race (84).
SEScoops’ Thomas Lowson transcribed the following quotes.
“For us on the design side, we’re really big on character differentiation and making sure that when you select a character that they are of their appropriate hierarchy on the card. Not everybody can be a Roman Reigns. You have people that are at the tippety top of the card and then you have people that are not, but there’s no slight on anybody,” said Williams.
Williams also noted how many championships a wrestler has held and their win/loss record were considered when making the decision.
It’s unclear why the WWE 2K developers felt The Sandman should have a better overall than several top current talent and legends. However, fans of the ECW legend will soon get a chance to put his overall to the test next week.
A new four-part docuseries about legendary wrestling promotion WCW is coming to Vice TV on June 4. The former rival to WWE has seen many involved share their stories and experiences from working or competing against the promotion. However, WWE and Hollywood megastar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson plans to share new stories about the company’s fall with Who Killed WCW this June.
Johnson and longtime business partner Dany Garcia are the executive producers for the docuseries. The creators of Dark Side Of The Ring are also involved in the project.
Here is the official trailer for Who Killed WCW from Vice TV’s X/Twitter account.
"Who Killed WCW?" from our @SevenBucksProd & the Co-Creators of @Darksideofring comes a 4-part series about the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of the cultural phenomenon that was World Championship Wrestling.
In a press release about the making of Who Killed WCW, Johnson shared why he wanted to create the docuseries and what fans can expect.
SEScoops’ Michael Shalik transcribed the following quotes.
“The iconic rise and fall of WCW is one of professional wrestling’s most captivating stories – full of big dreams, massive successes, painful failures, and the harsh realities of the pro wrestling business. With wrestling viewership and fan engagement at an ultimate high, there has never been a more perfect time to tell top-quality wrestling stories, and there’s no better one to start with than a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes look at this epic saga, known as The Rise and Fall of WCW and personally, the rise of WCW, not the fall, inspired me greatly early in my career where I would eventually become, the Final Boss,” said Johnson.
More On Who Killed WCW 4 Part Docuseries
How many former WCW superstars or em ployees will be involved in the project is unclear. However, the trailer shows former WCW Senior Vice President Eric Bischoff, Goldberg, and Booker T, who will share their experiences of the company’s decline.
Although the premiere date is June 8, Vice TV will likely release a new weekly episode. The series may stream on Hulu the next day after it airs on ViceTV.
The new project seems like it may shed new light on WCW’s fall. However, it will be interesting to see how much new information will come from stories shared for over two decades.
Fans attending an upcoming UFL game will get much more than football as they will also be able to attend a show from the Reality of Wrestling promotion.
On Instagram, the Reality of Wrestling account revealed that attendees for the upcoming game of the Houston Roughnecks will also be able to attend the wrestling show. The ROW show will start at 4:30pm CT on Saturday, April 27, from ‘The Rig.’ Not only will fans get both wrestling and football, but Reality of Wrestling founded Booker T will also host a meet and greet with those in attendance.
The UFL was announced in December 2023 with the merger of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s XFL and the USFL. Johnson purchased the XFL in 2020 after Vince McMahon’s attempt to relaunch the alternative to the NFL was snuffed out due to safeguarding measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for Booker’s promotion, Reality of Wrestling has been around since 2005 (as Pro Wrestling Alliance) and often features the two-time Hall of Famer at shows. ROW alum includes ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and WWE NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez. The latter’s connection to Booker is often highlighted on weekly WWE NXT programming.
The wrestling world has made its views clear following the airing of backstage footage showing last year’s altercation between Jack Perry and CM Punk.
The April 10, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite saw the Young Bucks air the much-anticipated footage from All In London 2023 that saw Perry and Punk get physical. The altercation led to both men being suspended from AEW and Punk being fired a week later.
The Wrestling World Reacts
Unsurprisingly, the airing of this footage has caused quite a stir among those in professional wrestling. On his Instagram Stories immediately after the segment, Punk shared an image of President George W. Bush with the message “Mission Accomplished.”
The Young Bucks took to Twitter to speak about being petty Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling.
EVPetty
— Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (@youngbucks) April 11, 2024
Shawn Spears, an AEW alum who has since returned to WWE as part of NXT, suggested that releasing the footage had backfired for Tony Khan.
Eric Bischoff, who has been critical of AEW and Tony Khan, believes releasing the footage proved that Khan is a ‘clown,’ a term Punk used to describe him post-fight.
“This is not on the talent. This is not on the locker room. And most of the time, it never ever is across the board. It’s on creative. It’s on the booker. It’s on the matchmaker. This company needs help. At this point, I hope even you diehards realize that.”
Ultimately, Punk will continue to be a source of controversy within AEW even after his release from the company. As far as these reactions and those by fans go though, it appears airing the footage may not have done AEW or Tony Khan any favors.
Booker T had no issue with his angle with Triple H in early 2003, despite many believing that the angle leaned too heavily into racial insensitivity.
The angle in question saw Booker feud with the Game over the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H’s verbiage in promos would raise eyebrows as he said that “people like you” don’t win world titles. Many took this as a nod at Booker being African-American, as there had not been a fully-black WWE World Champion at the time.
Amid backlash, WWE would try and play off the comment as Triple H making reference to Booker T’s criminal history. The two-time WWE Hall of Famer spent 19 months in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery at Wendy’s restaurants in Houston. This did little to quiet critics of the angle, as similar comments had not been made about white WWE Superstars who had fallen afoul of the law.
Booker T on the Storyline
While many still take issue with the angle and the racial undertones, Booker does not have a problem with the storyline. In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, Booker discussed some of Triple H’s verbiage during the angle.
“The one line people remember the most is when Triple H said ‘People like you don’t deserve to be here.’ That’s motivation for all of us to get up off our asses and prove them wrong.”
Booker then discussed how the angle played on his real-life background and said he approved of what was said in the storyline.
“It was as real as it could possibly be for me from an emotional perspective and a lot of the stuff that went into the angle, I approved all of it.”
What Came Next?
While the angle was distasteful to many, it did build Booker as a sympathetic babyface. Many assumed that the vile heel Triple H would finally get his comeuppance at WrestleMania 19 by losing the World Heavyweight Championship.
Instead, The Game retained and the finish of the match also saw controversy. Triple H waited close to a minute after hitting the Pedigree on Booker before getting the decisive pinfall, which many felt was a ‘burial’ of the ex-WCW star. Booker would have to wait over three more years before he won the World Heavyweight Championship from Rey Mysterio in 2006.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
Immediately, suspicions arose regarding Booker’s claim of a backstage altercation with Punk. The ex-AEW star has been well-behaved since his return to WWE in November of last year and has been especially helpful with the WWE NXT roster.
Nobody on said roster, or anyone at the taping, could recall any confrontation between the two. Booker would also waste no time in downplaying the seriousness of this alleged altercation.
Booker T Comes Clean
On the most recent edition of his podcast, Booker T shared the truth about this so-called altercation with Punk. Booker admitted that he wasn’t exactly being honest when he claimed there was a ‘run in’ with the Raw Superstar.
“I’m trying to entertain my fans… Because that story, that 40-second story that people wrote,it was clickbait, guys.
“Did I put it out there? Did I say it? As far as I had a beef, I was gonna run up? Yeah, I said [it] But I’m entertaining you guys. Entertaining. Just playing around.”
Booker’s (Real) Run-In
While two backstage altercations would ultimately doom CM Punk’s AEW run, Booker is hardly faultless when it comes to trouble backstage. In 2006, Booker and Batista had a legitimate fistfight at a SummerSlam commercial shoot.
The issues between them seemed to stem from Batista suggesting that he was superior to Booker (and others on the roster) because of his quick rise to the top of WWE. The fight left both men bloodied, according to sources at the time.
What’s Next?
When not making up stuff for his podcast, Booker can be found behind the desk as an NXT commentator and will continue to call the action at WWE NXT, including at the Stand & Deliver show that’ll take place on April 6.
Booker T isn’t quite sure why fans are making such a big deal after claiming he had a ‘run-in’ with CM Punk at the March 12, NXT.
The episode saw the Superstars of the gold brand continue on the road to NXT Stand & Deliver. The upcoming event will take place on Saturday, April 6, mere hours before WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday.
Booker T’ and CM Punk
CM Punk was present at this week’s episode of WWE NXT but he was acknowledged during the broadcast. On a recent edition of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker claimed that he had a ‘run-in’ with Punk and teased the pair had an altercation. Booker did not disclose details but said he would share more at a later time.
Booker T Responds
The reported backstage altercation quickly went viral as fans compared the situation to Punk’s previous issues behind the scenes in AEW. On Twitter, Booker (seemingly unaware of Punk’s prior altercations) questioned why fans were making such a big deal of things. The WWE NXT commentator said their ‘run-in’ could have been over something as simple as a banana, but still stopped short of saying what exactly the issue was.
People are making an issue of a 40 second clip out of a 2 hour show… the dispute between @CMPunk could’ve been over a banana in catering hahah. Y’all are making much to do about nothing. ?? https://t.co/RLyYHBRlyl
There has been scepticism within WWE as to whether this altercation actually took place. No sources within WWE saw any sort of ‘run-in’ between the two. In fact, since Punk’s return to WWE, the former AEW World Champion has been on his best behavior and has been very helpful at past WWE NXT tapings.
CM Punk is back in WWE, and he hasn’t been in any big controversial situations yet. Then again, he’s just getting started, and it seems that something happened with Booker T.
CM Punk made a backstage appearance at this week’s NXT, and he adopted a more subdued approach compared to his previous visits to the developmental brand. Earlier in the week, Booker T recounted a story on his Hall Of Fame podcast, alleging a backstage confrontation between himself and Punk during the taping.
However, Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that sources within NXT expressed skepticism regarding Booker’s remarks. These sources were unaware of any confrontation before Booker’s podcast episode. One insider highlighted that Punk has had no backstage issues since his WWE return last year and found it surprising that Booker would make such a claim without providing additional context.
Additionally, security was not alerted to any altercation, nor was there any discussion of such an incident. One would think that security would be notified if there was an incident.
CM Punk’s Backstage Attitude This Time Around
Furthermore, it was reported that Punk has been cooperative and willing to assist whenever he’s backstage at NXT. He’s there to help and soak in the atmosphere, so Punk isn’t being a problem or confrontational.
During the taping, Punk reportedly maintained a positive demeanor and mostly kept to himself, engaging in conversations with Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, and a few NXT roster members. One talent flatly refuted the alleged incident, citing Booker’s past claims of friction between him and Corey Graves, which were later proven false.
We will have to see what happens with CM Punk next, but it seems that there was no issue with him and Booker T. It’s very possible that Booker was just creating content for himself, but there was no Jack Perry moment with the Second City Savior.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more in the pro wrestling world, as more information is made known. Keep checking back for more updates on the headlines you need.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and CM Punk came close to having some kind of altercation this week at WWE NXT according to the former WCW World Champion.
This week’s WWE NXT saw the gold brand Superstars continue on the road to NXT Stand & Deliver. The show saw Roxanne Perez explain her recent heel turn and demand an opportunity at NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria. The show also saw Trick Williams demand a match with Carmelo Hayes, which has been made official for NXT’s next major event. Trick even shared a kiss with Meta Four’s Lash Legend in the closing segment of the show.
Booker T & CM Punk
After recently returning from health issues, Booker T was on hand to call the action at this week’s WWE NXT, alongside Vic Joseph. CM Punk was also present at this week’s show in a rare outing for the injured Superstar, though he wasn’t featured as part of the broadcast.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T reflected on Punk’s time at the show, and disclosed an alleged altercation between the two.
“I almost had a little run-in with CM Punk. The internet might want to pick that up. Me and CM Punk almost got into it at ‘NXT’ this week… We’ll talk about it later, because they’re going to pick it up and run with it.”
What’s Next?
Booker will continue to call the action at WWE NXT, including at the Stand & Deliver show that’ll take place on April 6, mere hours before WrestleMania 40: Saturday. CM Punk will make an appearance on the March 25, episode of WWE Raw that will take place in his hometown of Chicago, IL.
WWE superstar Sami Zayn has punched his ticket into a featured match at WWE WrestleMania 40. On the March 11 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, He won a thrilling Gauntlet match to challenge WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther for his title. The match will occur at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April, but it’s unclear if it will happen on Night One or Two. That said, some fans wanted Chad Gable to have the opportunity instead of Zayn.
As one of the participants in the Gauntlet Match, Gable seemed to have a chance to get his long-awaited rematch with Gunther. However, WWE decided to have Zayn win the Gauntlet and eliminate Gable last in a close matchup.
Although the company has been building up Zayn to challenge for a title, some fans online have responded negatively to their recent decision. The negative backlash seems to have gotten Zayn’s attention as well.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T shared on his podcast that he spoke to Zayn and wasn’t happy with the negative responses. The former five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion also revealed what advice he gave to Zayn in their conversation.
“…He was so literally upset about the online heat that he got from fans. He was like, ‘I thought loved me, you know, and then I see all this stuff.’ I said, Man, you can’t listen to that white noise,” said Booker T. He added, “…You have to think about how great that match was, and you are going look back on it match one day and think that was some really really good work that I did, but he still was feeling that heat.”
Fans Wanting Conclusion To Chad Gable’s Storyline
Booker T mentions that it was the match that fans were upset about from the episode. However, it seems more about the decision to have Gable lose the Gauntlet Match.
Gable still has unfinished business with Gunther, and it seems fans won’t get to see it resolved anytime soon. He was involved in a well-received feud with the champion last year. Their previous bout ended with Gunther victorious, but the company left it open for another match. The storyline also became more personal when Gable’s family got involved.
This resulted in fans wanting to see the underdog get his revenge and potentially dethrone the champion on the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All.’ Unfortunately, WWE went a different direction, and Gable’s storyline is still unresolved.
After the match, Gable somberly admitted that he didn’t know what would be next for him. It’s possible the underdog superstar could still be in line to challenge Gunther for the title after WWE WrestleMania 40. However, it does look bleak as Zayn will get his chance at the title first, and the company has other roster members awaiting their opportunity.
