Booker T's online interview...

[Guest BifEverchad]

On his recent visit to England five-time WCW champion Booker T popped

into the offices of The Sun, the UK’s biggest selling newspaper. He sat down with wrestling correspondents The LilsBoys for a very interesting and revealing online chat. Booker talked at length about many subjects including:

 

Race – “I wanted to change the image of the black wrestler and I think I've done that in so many different ways. I know when I was young there was no one to look up to on television wrestling programmes. I had my favourites but there wasn't anyone who made me say, ‘that's who I want to be like when I grow up.’ I hope that there black kids now are watching wrestling and saying, ‘man, I want to be like Booker T.’”

 

Winning his first WCW title – “I only knew that I was going to be

wrestling for the world title about 10 minutes before I had to go out and work the match. Jeff Jarrett did a heck of a job carrying me and keeping me on track, because it was a very nerve-wracking time.”

 

Triple H – “My favourite of all those (WWE) guys to work with, and the one I've had the best chemistry with, so far is Triple H. When we wrestle nothing is off limits – if he whacks me then it's all fair in love and war, but he knows he's going to get whacked back.”

 

Goldust – “We were not only friends on the television but also behind the scenes. There are very few people in the business that I can call my friend, but Goldust is one of them… Our team was one of my biggest highlights – if not the biggest – in the WWE so far.”

 

WCW – “The way I used to always describe WCW was as a ‘good ol' boys club.’ It was like, ‘I've worked with you for 20 years so if your son needs a job then he's got one, even if he is the crappiest worker out there.’ There was a lot of ‘if you watch my back, then I'll watch your back’ kind of thing in WCW.”

 

Retirement – “I have six months left on my contract with the WWE and I'm going to sign for another year. But after that I am definitely walking away from the wrestling business.”

 

This is just a small snapshot of the chat, in which Booker also revealed his thoughts on why Goldberg has a lot to live up to, WrestleMania, the origins of the spin-a-ronee, what Stevie Ray is doingthese days and much much more.

 

 

The full chat is HERE at the UK Sun.

[Guest OnlyMe]

Unless someone else posts while I'm writing this, I'm first to make the "following the company line" about HHH comment.

[Guest Austin3164life]

Retirement – “I have six months left on my contract with the WWE and I'm going to sign for another year. But after that I am definitely walking away from the wrestling business.”

 

He needs at least ONE World Title reign before he goes out.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Tell ya the truth, I can't think of one person Booker ever had chemistry with.

 

I don't know, just seems like Booker T doesn't gel well anyone.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Tell ya the truth, I can't think of one person Booker ever had chemistry with.

 

I don't know, just seems like Booker T doesn't gel well anyone.

IMO Booker T's best matches in the WWE all have been against Kurt Angle. They have had good chemistry everytime they have been in the ring together.

[Guest T®ITEC]

As far as chemistry goes... I thought that his feud in WCW with Jeff Jarrett sparked some pretty good matches. So maybe there was some chemistry there.

[Guest Downhome]

Booker T really shines when he is in there with "good workers". Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, Chris Benoit, etc...

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Booker T really shines when he is in there with "good workers". Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, Chris Benoit, etc...

Although his couple matches w/ Eddy on Raw were brutally awful.

[Guest the 1inch punch]

Unless someone else posts while I'm writing this, I'm first to make the "following the company line" about HHH comment.

I seconds that

[Guest bob_barron]

Booker really works a lot better in tag teams- he rests a bit too much when he works singles.

 

He's like Davey Boy Smith- He won't be able to carry anyone but if you put him with somone really good- watch out.

 

Downhome-

What match did Booker and Jarrett have that shined? The New Blood Rising match sucked, the 49ers match made no sense. Only the BATB match was any good

[Guest TheArchiteck]

It's always great to read a booker interview since their so rare.

[Guest Cerebus]

I find this sad...Booker T is really the most prominent black wrestler in recent memory (though there have been other minorities like the Rock) and to see him get depushed so quickly after WM XIX is an awful site to see. He says he's got a year and a half left...I really hope that Vince can see what he has in Booker T and try to put him over and give him a WWE reign before he rides off.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Booker T is weird. Like I said before, he just doesn't seem to gel with anyone these days.

 

Bob hit it right on the head. Booker is just like Davey Boy.

 

Usually, "smart marks" hate people like that, buy guys like Booker always seem to be trying and always giving 100%. It seems like we respect him because he at least tries hard.

 

Then again, while some people can respect Booker T for that, they HATE other guys like Edge.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Booker T also has twice the charisma that Edge has.

[Guest Mystery Eskimo]

It'll be nice to see a wrestler retiring in decent time and not dragging on and on until they drop dead or can barely move.

Let's just hope he doesnt get jobbed and humiliated too much over the next 18 months.

[Guest bob_barron]

Booker T is weird. Like I said before, he just doesn't seem to gel with anyone these days.

 

Bob hit it right on the head. Booker is just like Davey Boy.

 

Usually, "smart marks" hate people like that, buy guys like Booker always seem to be trying and always giving 100%. It seems like we respect him because he at least tries hard.

 

Then again, while some people can respect Booker T for that, they HATE other guys like Edge.

A lot of smartmarks get behind Booker T because for the most part the guy's been getting screwed his whole career. He also turned his lfe around and went through a lot to make it here.

 

Booker seems to love the business and doesn't really care whether he wins or loses. I think he just's content with doing his dream job for a living and if he can do that- he's happy- regardless if he jobs to HHH at Wrestlemania.

 

I think those are the reasons smartmarks get behind Book.

 

I'm also a HUGE Edge fan if that matters

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

The bets of 7 series with Benoit are Book's best matches IMO. Although he had some great TV title matches with Saturn, Fit Finley and Rick Martel, of all people.

 

His matches with Angle, Rock and, to a lesser extent, Triple H are probably his best in the WWE.

 

And I really hope he gets a title reign atleast once before retiring.

[Guest Gary Busey]

The company won't build around him now for sure. They'll say, why waste time with a guy who is guaranteed to leave wrestling in about a year and a half? They'll say it isn't worth it since he won't be around for the long haul.

[Guest DawnBTVS]

Hi Booker, I have been a huge fan of yours forever, but I really want to know why you don't use the Harlem Hangover leg drop that much anymore?

Stephen, Surrey

 

I used it at WrestleMania against Triple H, but that move is not something you can do all the time. It's high risk and you don't want the fans to get conditioned to seeing you do it every night. So it's a move that sometimes I'll use out of the blue in a big match.

 

Plus I hurt a few guys doing the Harlem Hangover in WCW – I broke Rick Martel's jaw and gave Perry Saturn a concussion – and they've got to support their families too. So I don't want to hurt somebody and stop them earning money.

 

Found that one really interesting...Poor Martel and Saturn

[Guest bob_barron]

I'm glad we found out why Book doesn't do the Hangover anymore- I love that move.

 

Good to hear Booker is considerate of his fellow wrestlers.