Booker T has been with WWE for a long time and the WWE Hall Of Famer has confirmed that he is not going away anytime soon.
The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with Culture Map in Houston. He talked about things such as talents from his wrestling school being picked up by major promotions and more.
Speaking of his relationship and future with WWE, T said that his relationship has ‘never been better.’ He claimed that his contract with them isn’t up for several years:
“My relationship with the company has never been better. My contract with them isn’t up for another several years. I’m still around doing the kickoff shows for all the premium events on Peacock.
I sometimes host RAW Talk and Talking Smack” mentioned Booker T, “And WWE has me involved with several other projects,”
At the age of 57, the former WCW champion is still active in wrestling. While he hasn’t wrestled for WWE since 2012, he regularly competes in his own Reality Of Wrestling promotion.
Talking about potential retirement, Booker T claimed that he will never be done wrestling. He said “I won’t be retired from the squared circle until I’m six feet under,”
Booker T doesn’t believe the “Forbidden Door” event does anything for AEW outside of catering to its existing fanbase.
AEW and NJPW have teamed up to create a joint PPV event, “Forbidden Door.” The event will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. No matches have been announced at this time.
Booker T Not Sold On Forbidden Door Attracting New Fans
Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said he doesn’t see the AEW-NJPW crossover show attracting new fans (h/t EWrestlingNews.com).
“I do not think the majority of people here in the United States are clicking to go find Japanese wrestling. I just don’t believe that.”
Booker said he understands that the existing AEW fanbase will enjoy the show but it won’t be making waves outside of that group.
“They’re going to love it, I get that. The AEW fanbase, they’re going to love it,” Booker expressed. “But what I am saying is, outside of the AEW fanbase, there aren’t a whole lot of people are going to look at this like it’s a forbidden door because don’t too many people know about it but the AEW fanbase.”
As of now, no matches have been announced for the “Forbidden Door” show. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada has squashed speculation that he may not be able to attend the show.
Big AEW names such as Bryan Danielson have also committed to being in action on the show. The Hardys have made it clear that they want to add the IWGP Tag Team Titles to their mantle.
Tetsuya Naito has said that he won’t be calling anyone out and that he’ll let the AEW stars come to him. His status is a bit of a question mark, however, as he’ll be undergoing surgery on his right eye soon. Naito had a quick turnaround for a similar surgery back in 2019.
The Hardy Boyz being featured on the latest episode of AEW Dark: Elevation has started a debate. While Matt Hardy has defended their spot, a lot of people think that this is still a demotion for the wrestling veterans. It appears that Booker T shares the sentiment.
T was asked for his opinion on the matter on the latest episode of his podcast. The former WCW champion claimed that it indeed is a demotion:
“Hell yeah, it’s a demotion. I know that’s going to get picked up, but hell yeah, it’s a demotion. Damnit, I’m not working on Dark. For me, working on Dark, which is a show that is only on the internet should be for the young guys coming up.
Booker T called WWE ‘the big show’ and explained that he wouldn’t go from WWE to AEW to work on Dark. Matt has said that Tony Khan actually asked for their consent before putting them on the show. The WWE Hall Of Famer said that if Vince McMahon ever asked him to work on Velocity, he wouldn’t say no to it. However, Mr Mahon respected him enough not to do it:
“He respected me enough as far as to keep my star power at a certain position. He kept me working around the main event guys. If I wasn’t with the main event guys, I was doing something.”
What do you think about Booker T’s opinion on the matter? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Earlier this week it was reported that WWE had loosened its policy on marijuana use, and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has offered up his reaction.
It was reported by Fightful this week that WWE hasn’t fined or suspended talents in “years” for marijuana use. In the past, the promotion would issue out fines of $2,500 for those who tested positive for marijuana. However, it was noted that talents are still tested for “everything.”
Booker T took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to offer up his take on the news. He noted that the move is “long overdue” and thinks it could be a huge benefit for talents dealing with lingering pain and injuries.
“It’s a long time overdue, I think – marijuana policy being lifted,” Booker T said. “Just because, like, science approved what marijuana can do for so many different types of ailments, especially pain management. And one thing about the professional wrestling game, the opioid problem got huge at one point in time. You know, guys trying to self-medicate and we lost a lot of guys due to that.
“So for me, I’ve been somewhat of an advocate, you know, not as outspoken as (Rob Van Dam). I’m sure he’d be proud right now. I’m sure he’d be happy. I’m sure he’s jumping for joy. I’m sure he’s celebrating, you know what I mean? But definitely, I’ve always been something that believed that shouldn’t be something that was on the banned list.”
It was reported that current WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Randy Orton was actually a big advocate for the change. His tag team partner, Matt Riddle, has been an open advocate for marijuana use since his days in NXT. Going even further back to the 90s, WWE Hall of Famer and former WWE Champion Bret Hart was also a pro-marijuana advocate.
Hart mentioned it gave athletes a better alternative to the dangerous methods commonly used amongst professional wrestlers to deal with pain.
Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T has offered his thoughts on WWE making the decision to split up the pair of Bobby Lashley and MVP.
Lashley made his first in-ring return at WrestleMania 38 since the Royal Rumble, taking on Omos. Lashley defeated Omos in the singles bout, but the giant came out on Monday Night RAW the following evening to challenge “The Almighty” to a rematch. However, MVP attacked Lashley, turning on him.
This came as a bit of a surprise considering the pairing was doing very well together, as MVP was even by Lashley’s side during his run as WWE Champion. However, WWE made the decision to finally split the pair up, instead aligning Omos with MVP, and the former United States Champion now serving as his manager. Speaking on his “Hall Of Fame” podcast, Booker T offered his reaction to the decision.
“It’s not for me to like it or not,” Booker said (via 411Mania). “I thought The Hurt Business did some really good work. With MVP at the helm throughout the pandemic, and definitely put a light on that group.
“I really believe MVP was the spark behind Bobby Lashley, I really do. I always thought perhaps Bobby needed that frontman to actually do that part of the work for him. Then he go out and be the clean-up man in the middle of that ring.”
While Booker admits MVP did a lot for Lashley’s character, he also notes that Omos might benefit from MVP’s help as well at this point in his career.
“Omos is definitely a person that may need a little help in that department as well. I think MVP is definitely the right man for that job right now, that he’s doing.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T knows exactly who he wants to be the one to finally dethrone Roman Reigns.
The two-time Hall Of Famer took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to offer his thoughts on the current World Title picture. Booker explained that he’d like to see Rhodes get a World Title reign by defeating Reigns, even if it means getting the title back around “The Tribal Chief’s” waist before the next WrestleMania.
“I don’t see why Cody can’t take the title off Roman in the meantime,” Booker said (via WrestlingInc.). “Roman could easily get it back by the time WrestleMania comes back around, we’ve got plenty of time to be able to switch that back, if that’s the route we are going to go in. If that’s the route they’re thinking, I suggest yes, we go that route of Rock and Roman, because it’s money.”
Reigns comes off of a big WrestleMania 38 win over Brock Lesnar, capturing the WWE Championship to unify with the Universal Title he already held. Now, having topped “The Beast” in Dallas, it remains to be seen who will be Reigns’ next big opponent. In the meantime, he’s focused on collecting more gold for The Bloodline in the form of getting The Usos to capture the RAW Tag Team Titles.
Rhodes finally made his return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, being introduced as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent. “The American Nightmare” came out on top in the matchup, which was undoubtedly one of the best of the entire weekend. Now, Rhodes has made it clear he came back to WWE with his sights set firmly on a World Title. And right now, that road goes through Roman Reigns.
Reigns may sense Rhodes is creeping up on his run as Unified Champion, as he recently destroyed a fan’s Cody Rhodes sign after Monday Night RAW went off-air this week.
Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to offer his thoughts on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) president Tony Khan’s recent controversial comments.
For those who missed it, Khan claimed that an independent study confirms that an online “bot army” has been deployed to spread negativity about AEW on social media. Khan didn’t name anyone specifically for who was behind the “thousands” of Twitter accounts using bots to derail AEW’s image, but noted “Look closely, these aren’t real people.”
While the AEW frontman didn’t name WWE as the accused, he did ask “Who’d pay for such a wildly expensive thing?” As expected, Khan’s comments were met with a ton of blowback, and Booker T’s thoughts were no different. The Hall Of Famer asked if Khan is “losing his damn mind?”
“Is Tony Khan losing his damn mind? I know he’s off into analytics, I think he works in that field, but people are going to hate, okay? Everybody is not going to like ya,” Booker T said (via Wrestling Inc.). “I know Eric Bischoff said that Tony Khan had thin skin, and this came out right after that. I don’t know if that proves that or not.”
Booker T also went on to suggest that AEW should take such comments as nothing more than exactly that – comments. He also noted that he has only ever seen nothing but positive comments about AEW on social media before all of this. With that being said, despite the controversial comments, Khan seems focused on making sure AEW continues to thrive for years to come.
Earlier this week on Monday Night RAW, former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley made his long-awaited return to set up his WrestleMania 38 matchup with Omos. Lashley had been out of action since Elimination Chamber back in February with a storyline concussion. However, Lashley was actually ailing an injured shoulder.
Now, according to a report from PWInsider, Lashley is listed as a babyface for the red brand. He’ll get back into the swing of things against one of WWE’s most promising big men on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All” this weekend.
Booker T On Steiners WWE Hall Of Fame Induction
As noted, The Steiner Brothers have been announced for a WWE Hall Of Fame induction this weekend. They join an already loaded class that includes the likes of The Undertaker and Vader. Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently took to the latest episode of his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to offer his thoughts on the induction.
The former World Heavyweight Champion reminisced on how The Steiners were some of Harlem Heat’s greatest rivals. Specifically, Booker noted how the four put on some great matches, and he enjoyed working agains them very much.
“You’ve got to love it,” Booker T said (via Wrestling Inc.). “I know it had to be pulling teeth, it seemed like it took forever to make this announcement, but The Steiner Brothers got the nod. There have been all kinds of rumors online as far as Scott Steiner having a little bit of trouble and whatnot.
“Rick Steiner saying, ‘We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do this right now, we ain’t got time to be messing around.’ I am just paraphrasing, none of that was said like that. But I do want to say congratulations to Rick, and Scott Steiner. Two of the Harlem Heat’s ultimate rivals back in the day, we had such a good time working with those guys, so many great matches.”
You can check out the updated lineup for this weekend’s Hall Of Fame induction ceremony below.
Booker Thas called out AEW’s Dax Harwood, saying that he will slap him across the face just like Will Smith did to Chris Rock during the Oscars. FTR of the AEW had called out Harlem Heat before their release from the WWE. Booker T and Dax Harwood are at it again, trash-talking each other.
Harwood sent out a message and called out Booker T for ignoring FTR’s challenge when they were known as The Revival in WWE. This came about when Booker mentioned the idea of a match between the two teams during WrestleMania weekend in Dallas.
Harwood had sent a message saying that Booker needs to call daddy Vince McMahon and set up a match if he wants to face the FTR, as they don’t answer to anyone but Booker might need permission to do things. This is Harwood to previous remarks from Booker which said that FTR should get permission from Tony Khan to set the match up. “I don’t have to get permission from anybody, I run my life! Nobody else tells me what to do, I run my life! […] You’re the corporate man, okay? I’m the one who rocks the boat, you stand in a straight line. If you want FTR, if you want me and Cash [Wheeler], if you want the absolute best tag team of all time walking this earth today, you and your brother, Just get on the phone. Call daddy Vince. Until then, stay off my mentions,” Harwood said in the video.
Booker T felt the need to set the record straight and on the latest episode of his Hall Of Famepodcast, he responded to the message sent with some choice words.
“Dax Harwood, right? He called me, and actually said, ‘hey, this, that, whatnot and the other. They are willing to do this, they don’t have to answer to anybody. If anything I have got to answer to my daddy.’ Let’s just get that straight real quick,” he said. “I don’t have to answer to anyone. Of course, I work for a company, and they treat me very well. But when it comes time to having to deal with someone on a personal level, like Will Smith, I will slap the taste clean out of your mouth,” Booker T said (via WrestlingInc).
As far as the Harlem Heat reunion goes, Booker said that it all depends on his brother. However, if that doesn’t pan out, Booker gave Harwood the option of facing him in the ring one-on-one.
“My thing is this, I can’t make my brother do anything, I can’t make Harlem Heat reform like old school back in the day. But I just want to put this out there, and Dax Harwood I want you to know personally. I have nothing personally against you. But, as far as stepping inside the squared circle and schooling you, I would love to do that, Booker said. “So my thing is this, if my brother can not step up and be partners, may I have a partner of my choosing, and we still get this done? Or, Dax, you and I handle this like men, one on one. Let me know, hit me in the DMs.”
Alongside people such as The Undertaker and Vader, the 2022 Hall Of Fame class will also feature former WWE star and the wife of Booker T, Sharmell.
The former WCW world champion talked about this induction in detail during the latest episode of his Hall Of Fame podcast, alongside other things.
Booker claimed that he is proud to see his queen take her place inside the Hall Of Fame. According to him, it’s the ultimate stamp of approval:
“I’m happy and I’m proud to see my queen take her place inside the Hall of Fame. I’ve always said it many times that Sharmell didn’t get the recognition that a lot of the girls have always got, but this is the ultimate recognition.
It’s the ultimate stamp of approval” said Booker T, “saying we really appreciate everything that you’ve done for the business as well as for this company.”
Rok-C has signed with WWE, as first reported by PWInsider. She will soon join the NXT 2.0 developmental brand.
A well-known student of Booker T, Rok-C is seen as one of the most promising young performers on the independent scene.
Last month, Booker T told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour that his former student had signed with WWE.
“One of my girls, Rok-C, WWE just signed her. She was my youngest champion in Reality of Wrestling. Started with me in a fantasy camp. At 13 years old, her dream was to be Reality of Wrestling Champion.”
It turns out Booker T was mistaken and his comments about Rok-C signing with WWE were a bit premature.
Rok-C held the Ring of Honor Women’s World Title for 119 days before dropping it to Deonna Purrazzo on an episode of Impact. The loss led many to speculate that Rok-C was on her way to a major promotion.
Rok-C is just 20 years old and would fit the bill with WWE’s youth movement in terms of snagging new talent. She also has experience facing seasoned veterans and could be ahead of the curve with fellow wrestlers that are her age.
One WWE legend believes that The Undertaker has found an angel in Michelle McCool.
Undertaker and McCool married back in 2010. Taker had been in a prior marriage that ended in 2007. A good friend and fellow industry icon believes that Undertaker has changed for the better ever since being in a relationship with McCool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FumD3wS9QTg
“Touched By An Angel”
Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said The Undertaker has been calmer than ever.
“I think with The Undertaker, once he had that peace in his life, man, I think the rest of it has been easy for him. I don’t think I’ve seen dude as happy as he’s been over the last few years ever.
“I don’t think I’ve seen him, honestly as spiritual as I’ve seen him over these last few years because he’s been touched. He was touched by an angel and her name was Michelle McCool.
“Like I said, us grunts, us guys that’s out there in the trenches all the time, we need that soft touch to make us who we are sometimes. I think she’s the perfect match for him.”
McCool recently made a return appearance for WWE. She participated in the women’s Royal Rumble match.
The Undertaker took his last bow inside the ring at the Survivor Series event back in Nov. 2020. Booker T has said that he thinks Undertaker will want to have one last match before truly wrapping up his career.
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One WWE legend doubts that the name change from WALTER to Gunther will cause any issues in the long run.
Fans were up in arms with WWE’s decision to change WALTER’s name now that he will be a regular on WWE TV outside of NXT UK. He now goes by the name Gunther. WWE found themselves in hot water for trademarking the name “Gunther Stark” as that is the name of a known Nazi.
Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said that being called Gunther shouldn’t hurt WALTER’s stock.
“Three months ago maybe with Steiner and Breakker and now, do anybody think about Bron Breakker now? Is anybody thinking about it? Everybody’s talking about how freakin’ awesome Bron Breakker is.
“That’s the only thing I hear now. Now, of course, WALTER is his real name. Of course, that may cause some kind of conflict from a logistic perspective, I don’t know. Changing his name, I don’t think that’s something that’s gonna hinder him or hurt him in any way when he goes out there and performs in the middle of the ring.
“I think people will forget it soon.”
WWE is known for changing names of established independent and international talent before they make it to the main roster. There are exceptions such as AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ricochet.
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One WWE Hall of Famer isn’t buying into the idea that AEW will have a presence at the Royal Rumble event.
Since Chris Jericho and Hiroshi Tanahashi collided in Tokyo for Wrestle Kingdom 14, the “Forbidden Door” has been used as a way to advocate for cross-promotion. We’ve seen promotions such as AEW, NJPW, and Impact Wrestling working together.
Booker T Not Sold On AEW Talent At Royal Rumble
Recently, WWE and Impact Wrestling turned a lot of heads. Mickie James is the current Knockouts Champion, yet she will enter the Royal Rumble.
There’s been a lot of speculation regarding AEW stars potentially making the event but taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said he isn’t sold.
“I don’t see it happening. I just don’t see any AEW activity in the Royal Rumble or anything like that. There again, I could be wrong but I just don’t think something like that’s gonna happen right now at this time.
“AEW is definitely on their own wing right now, they’re doing their own thing and I just think something like that would just muddy the waters like crazy. The fans would lose their minds more than anything.”
Part of the reason why some rumors have surfaced has to do with the report from Fightful that Cody Rhodes is working without an AEW contract.
Reporters such as Dave Meltzer have shot down rumors that Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley could appear at the Royal Rumble.
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Jade Cargill became the first-ever AEW TBS Champion during the first edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS last week. It was the culmination of a multi-week tournament, with Cargill defeating Ruby Soho in the finals.
The match itself was a major winner for AEW, ranking at the top of the ratings for the night. Cargill appears to be a ratings winner for the company, though we’ll need to have more data to see for sure.
During a recent edition of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T was incredibly complimentary of Cargill.
“I don’t give a damn if Jade Cargill couldn’t do a wrist lock or headlock takeover. I wouldn’t care,” Booker T said. “I would put the title on her because she’s a specimen. She’s something that we have never seen before. When you put her on the marquee, whether you think she can wrestle or jump off the top rope, you want to buy a ticket just to see her.
“Some people don’t understand this business of drawing money. When I see Jade Cargill, I see, man we can draw some money here. Then if we can teach her the ins and outs to do the little things about this business, man, we can really do something. So, when you look at someone like Cargill and you know exactly what she brings to the table just from that box, she checks all of them off. Then she gets in the ring and performs. Now we got something.”
Some have compared Cargill to Goldberg, and Booker T responded to those comparisons as well.
“For her to be compared to Goldberg, I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent spot-on or anything like that, but I wouldn’t say it’s so far-fetched that it’s something we shouldn’t even be talking about. Both were green. Both were young in the business. Both look so impressive that you can’t do anything other than let them go out there and beat the hell out of somebody. I think Cargill is the prefect person to build something with to where people go, ‘Man, I don’t think she’s gonna ever lose the title.’”
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Big E’s WWE Title reign has come to an end but one WWE Hall of Famer feels the former titleholder did his thing.
On the Sept. 13, 2021 episode of Monday Night Raw, Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Bobby Lashley. E pinned Lashley to become the WWE Champion. E held the championship for 110 days before dropping the gold to Brock Lesnar at Day 1.
While Big E most likely won’t be going into WrestleMania 38 as the WWE Champion, Booker T believes the former New Day member is better because of the title reign.
Booker T Praises Big E’s Reign
During an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T expressed his belief that Big E was solid during his world championship run.
“I thought Big E had a good run and I thought the championship made him better.
“It was almost one of those things to where I always say, when you win the title it makes you a better performer normally just because you know that you’re the world heavyweight champion.
“You walk a different way, you feel a different way. I don’t know what it is but that effect definitely got a hold of Big E and you could see him falling into that role as being the WWE Champion.
“He believed he should have been a WWE Champion. So, I thought he did a great job.
“We didn’t get a chance to see Big E have a whole lot of classic matches as champion or anything like that but I think there again that’s more — I think Big E has a chance to come back and capture it again [and] grow.
“I think Big E is gonna be in this business for at least five to perhaps eight to ten more years maybe. Not the WWE but in the business but he has a chance to literally grow over this time and really become the performer that he wants to be.”
Big E made some key media appearances during his time as WWE Champion. Most notably, he introduced Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder for their trilogy fight and he made an appearance ahead of a college football game at his alma mater earlier that day.
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Booker T has taken notice of how rapidly Bianca Belair upped her game.
Belair has established herself as the “EST” of WWE. Many were worried about Bianca after she suffered a 26-second loss to Becky Lynch at Summerslam back in August. The good news is, Bianca still has the fans by her side.
More recently, she had quite the moment on an episode of Monday Night Raw. On Dec. 20, Belair defeated Doudrop by hitting the K.O.D. The ending had fans in attendance jumping out of their seats.
Booker T Backs Bianca Belair
Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T reflected on the quick rise of Bianca Belair.
“I would say Bianca Belair, championship material, but more importantly most improved. I try not to put the carriage before the horse.
“Bianca is really, really good but I just do not want to put that pressure on her to be thinking like that when there again she’s good, she’s really, really good.
“As far as being ranked number one, I would give her that honor but it’s not just from a wrestling perspective. It’s how far Bianca Belair has come so quickly, so quickly.
“I mean she like rose out of the ashes to be a contender like Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed and then go out and win. Not because of any other reason than she’s talented just like Rocky. So, yeah man give her the props.”
The co-host of the Hall of Fame podcast, Brad Gilmore, expressed his belief that Bianca is in for another Royal Rumble win and a WrestleMania showdown with Becky Lynch.
If that happens and she defeats Becky, then many WWE fans will feel the story will have come full circle.
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One WWE and WCW legend doesn’t believe Sammy Guevara’s loss to Cody Rhodes has damaged him.
On the Christmas episode of AEW Rampage, Guevara put the TNT Championship on the line against Cody. The match was highly-praised and ultimately ended with Cody defeating Sammy to become a three-time TNT Champion.
Some fans questioned the decision to end Sammy’s reign at just 84 days. When you factor in that he was able to dethrone Miro, who has been dominant since displaying The Redeemer gimmick, it puzzles those fans even more.
Booker T Thinks Sammy Guevara Will Be Fine
On an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T expressed his belief that Sammy Guevara won’t lose any steam after dropping the TNT Title to Cody Rhodes.
“I really don’t think so just because when you win the title, that says one thing. That says the company, they believed in you enough to say, ‘Hey man, let’s put the belt on this guy. Let’s give him the rub, let’s bring him up but we can’t bring everyone up and just focus on this one guy.’
“Sammy is good, Sammy’s young he’s got a lot of time left in the business. He’s got a lot more title reigns to capture.
“Just imagine man, if people were talking about, ‘Booker T won the TV Title, man. He should be in the world title picture right now.’ Can you imagine what that would’ve done for me as far as what kind of pressure that would’ve put me under?
“But winning the Television Championship six times before I moved on? Man, that on-the-job training for me was worth its weight in gold and I think that’s what Sammy is getting right now is on-the-job training.
“I think he’s done a damn good job being a young kid thrust in the spotlight the way he has been over this last year.”
It’ll be interesting to see what will happen next now that Guevara doesn’t have the TNT title. Sammy posted this on Twitter following the loss.
What a beautiful life, 11 years of Blood, Sweat & Scars got me here. The ups and the downs, I wouldn’t change a thing.
It wasn’t my night but it doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be.
Booker T thinks there could be some serious potential with Xia Li.
Li was brought on board at the WWE Performance Center back in 2017. She competed in the Mae Young Classic and WWE officials were impressed with her efforts.
In 2019, Xia Li made her Royal Rumble debut. She then transitioned to the NXT roster and is now a member of the SmackDown brand. Many have high hopes for WWE’s first Chinese female talent.
Booker T Talks Xia Li’s Ceiling
During an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T was asked by a fan about his thoughts on Xia Li. It’s clear that Booker T thinks there’s some potential there.
“She’s got talent. She definitely can perform and she’s different. I think, man if given a chance and put in the right position she definitely can get over. Let’s just put it that way and that right there, that’s the question for a lot of guys.
“A lot of times you wonder and I’m using examples now because one of my favorite guys before he ever came to WWE was Ricochet, Prince Puma. I was like, ‘Good God, this guy’s amazing.’ And then he gets to WWE and it seemed like it’s taken him a while to figure it out but now you see Ricochet on the rise.
“You see him getting the shine and me personally, I just hope it don’t take that long to see if this thing works out [with Xia Li].”
Xia Li made her SmackDown debut on Dec. 10. She protected Naomi from Shayna Baszler, Natalya, and heel authority figure Sonya Deville.
It hasn’t taken long for Li to gain support within WWE. Before her release, Serena Deeb was a coach at the WWE Performance Center and she praised Li several times. Sasha Banks has also been supportive of Xia.
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Jeff Hardy was released from WWE last week after being sent home from a recent WWE live event tour. Booker T doesn’t believe that Hardy should be thinking about going to AEW right now. Rather, Booker believes Hardy should be getting the help he needs. He spoke on the subject recently on his Hall of Fame podcast with Brad Gilmore.
“I know people gonna be calling for him to be going to AEW and whatnot. I’m sure that’s already the talk out there, but I think that’s the last place he needs to be right now. From a monetary perspective, you’ll always be ‘checking,’ okay? So that right there can motivate you to go do work when you really don’t need to. My thing is, hopefully he gets the help he needs.”
Booker continued to say that Jeff and his brother Matt have a long history in WWE and likely would have had a job there forever.
“Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, those guys are ‘WWF’ originals. Those guys were literally created through the WWE in that brand, for so many many years. I’m sure a guy like Jeff Hardy, as well as Matt Hardy would’ve had a job there forever doing something.”
WWE reportedly released Hardy after he refused to go to rehab. There was concern regarding Hardy’s performance at a house show event where fans noted he looked sluggish. Hardy also left through the crowd after tagging out during the match.
Footage of Hardy at the house show is available below:
The wrestling world is warmly embracing Jeff Hardy after news broke that he’s been released by WWE after refusing their offer to enter rehab.
This all seems to stem from a Dec. 4 house show event in Edinburg, Texas. Hardy looked sluggish during his entrance for a tag team match with Drew McIntyre and Xavier Woods. The three took on The Bloodline.
During the match, Hardy made a hot tag to McIntyre. He then made his exit through the crowd despite the fact that the match hadn’t ended.
Jeff Hardy is so beloved by his fans and his peers. I’ve never heard a negative word about him & he’s always treated me with such kindness. Just wishing him and his family the very best.
The Hardyz gave 12 year old me so much hope to live a dream that seemed so out of reach. We all love you, Jeff! You’re so special and only wish the absolute best for you ?? pic.twitter.com/6TyXC3HOug
Jeff Hardy along with Matt as the Hardy Boyz, helped mold my love for professional wrestling. I was able to share a ring with Jeff on multiple occasions and enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you for just being Jeff Hardy
Disappointed to read, per Fightful, that Jeff Hardy has been released after being offered help and rehab by WWE and turning it down. Rather than wonder where he may go next, he needs to get his shit sorted first. Wrestling doesn't even matter right now.
I got to compete against Jeff Hardy on Main Event. I made the assumption that Jeff was going to take it “easy.” Jeff says “Nah man, I’ve been waiting for this match. Let’s tear this sh*t up.” He was incredibly giving. I sincerely hope for the best for Jeff and his family. pic.twitter.com/m7Qp1XOo6t
Without Jeff Hardy I am not who I am today. I love wrestling because of Jeff Hardy. Addiction is terrible in every way and I just hope that my guy is gonna be alright.
— Tempest (once again misses) Canada (@Hey_Its_Tempest) December 9, 2021
Booker T considers Jeff Hardy to be a good friend of his. He took to his Hall of Fame podcast to express his hope that Jeff will get the help he needs.
“Jeff Hardy’s a friend of mine and for me to not even talk about that for a second — like I said I wouldn’t be doing my job.
“Me personally as far as what’s going on with [Jeff], I saw the video footage just like everybody else in America who clicked on it and watched it. One can determine what happened there or what was going on there.
“The thing is how many times — I’m not finna sugarcoat this or anything like some people may wanna think, but how many times have I told you man, the road is a monster?
“Being out there doing this on a 24/7 basis and that guy’s been doing it for a long time as well as we’ve known about his problems. Probably everybody knows Jeff Hardy has dealt with addiction throughout the years.
“I just say this, if he is in a certain situation my wish is to slow him down, figure out what’s wrong with him and get him some help.”
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Booker T thinks AEW talent would be best served to avoid hurling barbs at WWE.
It’s no secret that there have been some verbal jabs thrown between talent in both AEW and WWE. We’ve seen references of Triple H burying people on AEW TV with Cody Rhodes’ sledgehammer and golden shovel. We’ve also seen WWE take shots at the “pissant T-shirt company.”
Ultimately, Booker T believes AEW stars have been taking more shots than WWE talent. He feels that could prove to be a mistake.
Booker T Weighs In
During an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T shared why he thinks AEW stars should refrain from the trash talk towards WWE.
“I’m never gonna highlight the other company. That’s just not good business as far as I’m concerned.
“AEW continuously talking about WWE, it’s just not — just say for instance at the end of the day, WWE is still the one that’s rising up out of the ashes when it’s all over.
“This may happen it may not happen, it’s just one of those things but when you put yourself in a certain situation things can happen.
“And just say for instance the bottom did drop out, the one guy I think would be in the best position is a guy like MJF, who did when mentioning WWE he said, ‘Hell, I might even work there one day.’
“That right there for me is using the competition from a perspective to where the company I’m working for knows that I got power because when my contract’s up, that company over there might want me.
“The thing is a lot of guys in AEW, just say for instance, they’re happy right now. Everybody’s happy but trust me it’s not gonna stay that way. Everybody’s not gonna be happy go lucky forevermore.
“Don’t think guys aren’t gonna get fired from AEW and don’t think that guy is not gonna be somebody’s friend. So, don’t think everything’s gonna be so rosy when things can happen.
“I just think it’s a bad, bad — you’re just putting yourself in a bad situation to where if something was to happen you just got egg all over your face.”
AEW got the ball rolling in 2019. The company debuted its Dynamite show. For months, WWE went one-on-one with AEW through NXT. Ultimately, AEW got the better of that battle and NXT ended up not only changing nights but also going in a new direction.
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Booker T has chimed in on Nia Jax saying it’s possible she will never wrestle again.
Jax was a polarizing figure in WWE. Many fans blamed her for causing a slew of injuries throughout her run. Still, Jax found success in the company and became a Raw Women’s Champion and a two-time women’s tag team champion with Shayna Baszler.
Nia ended up being a part of a wave of WWE roster cuts. She joined the likes of Keith Lee, Karrion Kross, and more.
Booker T Weighs In
Nia Jax recently took issue with people who said her real name was her ring name. At the end of her rant on social media, she said there’s a strong possibility that she’ll never step foot inside the squared circle again.
Lol! ? Newflash..Lina is my real name. It’s not another “ring” name. It’s just MY NAME, the name given to me at birth. Calm TF down trolls. In all fairness, “Opponent Crippler” would be a SOLID front runner if I ever decide to wrestle again. ??? but it’s highly unlikely
On a new episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T said it’s entirely possible that Nia wants to simply live a normal life.
“It’s a whole lot different I think for women than it is for men. Just think about it for a second, what do you remember seeing Nia Jax ever before she was in WWE?
“That’s exactly my point. So, for her to actually go out and do the other shows other than WWE, something that perhaps came to her and was an offer that probably she couldn’t pass up.
“Maybe something that she really didn’t even wanna do. Just think about that for a second, but sometimes when the opportunity comes and then you see what kind of numbers are behind that opportunity you say, ‘Okay I’ll try this.’
“And it turns out to be a career for you for a period of time but who’s to say Nia Jax don’t wanna do something else like have a family, have a regular life, be able to breathe for a moment?”
Booker went on to say that he believes Nia Jax would be a big fish in a small pond going to Impact Wrestling. He also expressed his belief that she’d do well in AEW. Of course, that is if Nia Jax decides to keep wrestling.
Do you think we’ve seen the end of Nia Jax inside the ring?
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Booker T is a fan of MJF and Darby Allin, and he likes how AEW has utilized them.
MJF and Darby Allin are considered to be two of the four pillars of AEW in terms of young talent. The two collided at the Full Gear PPV with MJF picking up the win.
Many believe the sky’s the limit for MJF, who is widely considered to be one of the best heels in wrestling, and Darby, who is a top babyface.
Give em props
During an episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, host Brad Gilmore expressed his belief that AEW does a good job balancing established stars while still building towards the future.
Booker T was in agreement, naming MJF and Darby Allin as prime examples.
“It’s a balancing act and you got a guy like MJF who’s definitely pulling his weight as a young guy. Like you said, under 25. There’s not very many young guys under 25 that’s gonna be in that position.
“Guys like Darby Allin who definitely has been a bright light in that company being one of the guys that you wouldn’t think ever would be working in that position just because he’s not the prototypical guy.
“Sometimes talent, man, trumps everything. Really, hard work it trumps even more. So, when you watch guys like that go out there and do their thing, yeah they definitely are doing a hell of a job. Give em’ props.”
MJF seems to be gearing up for a feud with CM Punk. As for Darby, he’s gotten involved in a feud with the Gunn Club.
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One WWE legend is happy to see Jay Lethal quickly land on his feet.
Jay was perhaps the biggest name impacted by the recent Ring of Honor news. The promotion will be going dark until at least April and is releasing all of its talent. Jay had been loyal to the company for a decade.
Lethal was simply too good to sit on the sidelines, however. During the Full Gear PPV, it was announced that Jay is All Elite.
Booker T On What Makes Jay Lethal Special
During an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T, who worked with Jay back in TNA, sang the praises of the new AEW signee.
“Jay Lethal, he’s a soldier, bro. I’ve gotten a chance to work with Jay Lethal in TNA and he’s always been a guy that, I must say, loves this business more than anybody I’ve ever seen.
“Jay Lethal loves this business. He loved working for that company [ROH] but when the doors closed, they sent him a letter saying his contract is void.
“It’s like any athlete man, you’ve got to look for work and you’ve got to do it quick because those notes that come in the mailbox they’re called bills.
“They keep coming whether you’re working for somebody or not. Jay Lethal is saying AEW opened the doors, and he stepped right in there and I’m glad for him and glad to see Jay Lethal take that next step past ROH.
“I’ve always thought Jay Lethal should be somewhere working primetime, there again the loyalty that he has given to this business, so give that man a break.”
Booker T also said that Lethal can hang with the best workers in the industry. He feels when Jay walks away from the business, people will look back at just how good he really was.
Lethal is scheduled to challenge Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship on the Nov. 17 episode of Dynamite. The match could bring Lethal one step closer to meeting his dream opponent, Chris Jericho.
