Booker T

[Guest Ransome]

Is Booker T overrated by the internet wrestling community? I've no doubt he's a good guy in real life, but does he deserve his prominent (well, relatively prominent) spot in the favour of smarks? Personally, I don't think his wrestling skills particularly stand out, nor can I even name a single memorable match he's had in the last few years that I would recommend to another. So why so highly rated by the internet?

 

In his WWE stint, I can't think of a single classic match or high profile feud he's been involved in. Over the past year, we've had the 'voodoo' Booker T in a poor PPV match with the Undertaker, an equally bad match for JBL's title at Survivor Series 2004 and the forgettable Best of 5 feud with John Cena. I haven't seen his JD '05 match with Angle, but I haven't exactly heard people calling it a MOTYC. Where are his great matches?

 

People still tend to say that Booker T has been mistreated by WWE (his crushing Wrestlemania 19 defeat, in particular) or that he deserves to be world champion again but, based on the last few years, what justifies the love ? Basically, can anybody 'sell me on' Booker T?

[Guest Angora Jellyfish]

I too noticed that he's oft mentioned as a "good" worker. He's the same wrestler who stunk it up with Buff Bagwell in his first match to me. Back when WWE was putting on consistently good PPV's, I took a piss break at his matches with the ROCK, and thought HHH's offense was the most exciting part of their wrestlemania match.

 

Maybe because he picked up the WWE's "main event style" so quickly? That begs the question, HOW IS THAT A GOOD THING???

[TheFranchise 0]

More than anything, he's earned his way to his spot, via WCW, and was one of WCW's few bright spots towards the end.

 

The fact that he went from being the 'future' of WCW, to WWE's job boy, is what people don't like, and it's a case of Booker working WWE style - I imagine you just haven't been able to see what the rest of the IWC have in his career.

 

And i'm not even a fan of the man.

[Cuban Linx 0]

I don't think Booker's even that highly praised anymore, he just gets grouped among the better guys in WWE more out of habit than anything from what i see, and as much as he's declined he still looks good compared to alot of the shit the WWE pushes these days.

 

His days as a top singles worker were done probably after 2001, he's had some good tag matches since then but that's about it from what i can remember. As far as talk about 'Good Booker T matches' goes the Booker/Goldust vs Jericho/Christian matches are about the most recent matches you'll find, and they were late 2002/early 2003. The window for Booker T as a top guy, either match quality-wise or in terms to placement on the card has been closed for a while.

[Dark Age 0]

The opposite.

[Guest Samantha]

I'm not a huge fan of the guy personally but I would rather watch him that most of the roster.

[Silence 0]

The opposite.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Kind of, but Booker T hasn't really had a good match without someone having to carry him (Angle, Benoit, etc.) for quite sometime, so he deserves some of his criticism.

 

I know that a rehash of Booker T-Christian matches doesn't sound too exciting, but the Animal and Heidenreich vs. MNM match might be even worse.

[Dark Age 0]

Because his opponent is better than him doesn't mean he was carried. That's something that's been annoying me for a while. People often jump to the conclusion that the better wrestler MUST have carried the match against a lesser performer. Not saying you, but as a whole.

[Matt Young 0]

Booker T was never a favorite of mine, but he was pretty good in WCW. He has declined greatly since 2003, however. Aside from a few matches here and there, I haven't seen a really good match from him (not to say they were bad, just mediocre) since his series with Christian over the IC belt. Yes, I liked that series.

[Guest Coffey]

Despite the loss, I actually think that his Wrestlemania match with Hunter was the best match of his career. That's not really saying a lot, nor is that a good thing. I wasn't even that fond of his best-of-seven series with Benoit in WCW.

[Dark Age 0]

It wasn't the best match of his career. It was a good match, though, carried completely by Booker. Trips was gone in that match. It was HIS best match of the year, though I'm not sure about Booker's. But it's not even CLOSE to being the best of his career. And Coffey, even if you didn't like the Benoit series, it doesn't change the fact that it was a very good series of matches.

[Guest Fishyswa]

The last match of his I can remember getting into was vs Big Show on raw in I think a NoDQ match.

 

He's incredibly mediocre, he'd be much more enjoyable if he stiffed the fuck out of everyone with his weak ass moveset but he fluffs through everything and he has easily the worst finisher in the WWE.

[JJ Johnson 0]

He's incredibly mediocre, he'd be much more enjoyable if he stiffed the fuck out of everyone with his weak ass moveset but he fluffs through everything and he has easily the worst finisher in the WWE.

 

 

The F-U. I win.

[CanadianChick 0]

Well, I personally cannot stand Booker T in the ring, but is he overrated? It's sort of like asking is RVD overrated by the internet. Yes, there are a group of smarks that overrate both men (to be honest, I'm part of that group with RVD), but the internet as a whole? Nah. It just so happens that in every arguement about someone like RVD or Booker, there are the core group that defends them until their face is blue. And while RVD has some major, major anti-fans, it doesn't seem Booker does so much.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I haven't cared about Booker T for like, three or four years. Most of his feuds in WWE have basically been crap, and he always ends up looking like an idiot joke in most of them. Further, his matches are almost always the same. He seems very mechanical in the ring, doing the same moves in every single match, using the same motions in the ring, etc. However, he seems to be stepping it up a bit since turning face and getting Sharmell as his manager, so that could be a step in the right direction. Personally, I hope he gets one good feud with some decent matches and hangs up the tights in a year or two (which is rumored anyway). Not saying he needs to win the title or anything, though.

[Black Lushus 0]

I think Booker T and Sharmell as heels would work really well, or is Smackdown too heel loaded already?

[Just John 0]

Depends if Batista needs a filler feud.

 

I like Booker, and followed most of his career. I'd say he's average in the singles matches, but he excels in tag team wrestling. I think the fact that he made a team with Stevie Ray one of the best in the 90's is a testament to that. Mainly for me, though, Booker's just one of those feel-good stories, as he's one of the few to get out of tag team hell, then work his way up the singles ladder. Especially impressive in late-90's WCW.

 

So while Booker isn't impressive in the ring now, I still like him in a markish sort of way.

[Guest Brian]

Booker gets shat on all the time in here.

 

He's a great tag worker, but his best singles days are behind him. He has flashes every once and a while, but he's in the retirment stage of his career.

[SuperJerk 0]

It wasn't the best match of his career. It was a good match, though, carried completely by Booker. Trips was gone in that match. It was HIS best match of the year...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Triple H had a far better match that year (2003) with HBK in December on Raw.

 

 

 

Booker T's recent match with Kurt Angle wasn't bad, but he moves far too slow in the ring for my tastes. He had a good gimmick, but its been played out. His last chance was in the spring of 2003 before Triple H buried him.

[Guest JMA]

If anything, Booker has a mixed following among the IWC. In the late nineties I thought he was great, and while he isn't at that level anymore, I still enjoy his work (and I think he should've beaten Triple H for the World title). I respect the fact that he wants to win one of the WWE titles (World or Heavyweight) before he retires.

[Fro 0]

He was thought of as a good worker in his WCW days, but in WWE he's eliminated most of his high-flying offense due to his bad knees. So his moveset generally is some kicks, the axe kick, and the Book End once in a while. He also used some different holds and a wide variety of rollups in WCW.

 

You rarely see him bust out a missle dropkick, and I think he's only done the Harlem Hangover once or twice since the WWE days (once at Mania v.s. HHH).

 

The other thing is, since he couldn't be his full-out Rock ripoff character like he was in WCW, he's a pretty bland babyface.

 

He still has flashes though, especially against a good worker. I really enjoyed his match with Benoit a couple weeks ago on Smackdown.

[Guest Fook]

I've always marked for Booker T, but I can easily see his best days are behind him. He's never recovered from his loss to HHH and has been struggling in the midcard ever since. I thought he and Goldust were a great team, but they were never really pushed.

 

I wouldn't like to see him in the main event nowadays since his workrate isn't what it once was, but he'd do fine competing for the US title or finding a tag partner and going for the tag belts.

[Guest JMA]

Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if Booker had gone to the WWF in 1995, and received the push Ahmed Johnson got.

[Dandy 0]

There would have been an infinite number of injuries less than the way it turned out.

[Dark Age 0]

It wasn't the best match of his career. It was a good match, though, carried completely by Booker. Trips was gone in that match. It was HIS best match of the year...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Triple H had a far better match that year (2003) with HBK in December on Raw.

 

 

 

Booker T's recent match with Kurt Angle wasn't bad, but he moves far too slow in the ring for my tastes. He had a good gimmick, but its been played out. His last chance was in the spring of 2003 before Triple H buried him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Now THAT was an overrated match, even if it was still quite good.

[Jericholic82 0]

He was thought of as a good worker in his WCW days, but in WWE he's eliminated most of his high-flying offense due to his bad knees.  So his moveset generally is some kicks, the axe kick, and the Book End once in a while.  He also used some different holds and a wide variety of rollups in WCW.

 

You rarely see him bust out a missle dropkick, and I think he's only done the Harlem Hangover once or twice since the WWE days (once at Mania v.s. HHH).

 

The other thing is, since he couldn't be his full-out Rock ripoff character like he was in WCW, he's a pretty bland babyface.

 

He still has flashes though, especially against a good worker.  I really enjoyed his match with Benoit a couple weeks ago on Smackdown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A rock ripoff chacater? maybe towards the end but I best remember Booker as A singles guy, during his initial TV title reign and push. He was energetic, had a wide arsenal of moves(his finishers included a missle dropkick, the scissors kick, and the Harlem Hangover, which we haven't really seen since he nearly killed HHH with it at WM 19 ), and had a great series with Benoit and even had some good matches with Fit Finlay.

 

Therefore in a markish sort of way I liked him then and continued to. I was happy that he got a chance at the main event in wcw in 2000 cuz it was something different. By the end of WCW, he was probably the company's top babyface.

 

The Invasion killed that by forcing him into a goofy bumbling heel, though while at times very entertaining, made him a joke and a non-credible wrestler to WWF fans who may not have known him previously.

 

Oddly enough it was his goofiness with Goldust that finally won over the WWE fans. Unfortunately, WWE waited far too long to put the tag belts on them and when they finally won them, inexplicably lost them in a few weeks and disbanded the team. They threw Booker into the main event level out of nowhere again and allowed him to be buried by Trips (though in the buildup, Booker tended to get the upper hand, but Trips' supposed racist comments and nonchalent attitude hurt his credibility-and remember Booker T pinned HHH twice in tag matches in November 2002 and March 03, but of course in the grand stage HHH was allowed to both kick out of the devasting looking Hangover and take 15 minutes to pin him after the pedigree, thereby reminding everyone who the real star was)

 

 

 

He clearly has not been the same since and has lost his drive and ethusiasm, as evident to those who have watched him closely in the ring. Next they threw him into the IC level which wasn't a bad idea to help build him back up, but again stupidly joobed him in his own hometown of Houston AGAIN to Christian at Bad Blood 03, thus killing his momentum again. He won the title on a RAW and seemed poised to make a big defense at Sumemrslam, but his back injuries flared up and he had to drop the title right away.

 

When he returned in October, he got a big pop for his entrance and the fans seemed ready to rally behind him again, so what does WWE creative do? If you said making him one of Austins lapdogs and have him jobbing in the 8man tag match at Survivor Series-then feuding with Mark Henry over , presumably, who was blacker, you might have a future with WWE.

2004 came and had little for the Book man, he got nice reactions during the rumble but that was to no avail. He was thrown together with RVD to form a rather bland and boring team that won the tag blets from Flair and Batista, but jobbed them and Booker was traded to SD.

 

Despite the SD fans wanting to cheer him, they made him a selfish, pompous heel who hated being there. No matter cuz on that night he appeared ready to feud with Eddie Guerrero over the WWE Title. They had a non-title match to main event SD and all was right with the world. But near the end, the new heel and newl ychristened JBL made his way to ringside and beat up Eddie.

 

Despite Booker being far more qualified than Bradshaw, JBL was given the title shot, onscreen by angle depsite him not even competing in the Angle Great American Award mini-tourney.

 

Booker had nothing to do, excpet get confronted by the old man Undertaker and have to act scared and resort to Voodoo.

 

After that disgrace, Booker entered the US title scene and even won the belt. OK, then he got set with a best of 5 series with Cena for the title, ok good enough. The matches sucked but at least he was being spotlighted and the crowd seemed to accept him as a heel. But after he lost the 5th match, he was suddenly turned face and immediately set to challenge JBL at Survivor Series. It's tough to maintain cred when you switch from heel to face so much so quick, but the people seemed to at leats buy him as a threat (well they bought everyone as a threat as we all kept thinking "There's no way JBL's lasting another month with the title"). But poor Booker had to play second-fiddle to Josh Freakin Matthews and jobbed again in the main event. He got another shot at Armageddon but it was he who had to job, only after Taker got his visual pinfall so he didnt lose his precious heat.

 

2005 has been an absolute nothing year for Book, as the best the guy got was winning a non-televised battle royal at wm 21. But hey a feud with Angle was set up by them costing each other the #1 contenders elimination match . SO ok theyll have a PPV match Cool enough as Angle can make him look good at least.

 

BUT............we all know what happened there and since then Booker has had to play second-fiddle to his wife and regress back 2 years to feud with Christian.

 

 

So if Booker really is unmotivated and uncaring in the ring, can you really blame him?

 

Hell he's better off retiring before he gets embarrased even more.

[iggymcfly 0]

The Invasion killed that by forcing him into a goofy bumbling heel, though while at times very entertaining, made him a joke and a non-credible wrestler to WWF fans who may not have known him previously.

 

Don't forget that they tried to push him as a face first until is terrible performance in the ring caused the entire WWF fanbase to turn on him. Honestly, the idea of a WWF heel (Kurt Angle) beating previously face Booker T caused the crowd to react like the Rock had just come back.

[Jericholic82 0]

The Invasion killed that by forcing him into a goofy bumbling heel, though while at times very entertaining, made him a joke and a non-credible wrestler to WWF fans who may not have known him previously.

 

Don't forget that they tried to push him as a face first until is terrible performance in the ring caused the entire WWF fanbase to turn on him. Honestly, the idea of a WWF heel (Kurt Angle) beating previously face Booker T caused the crowd to react like the Rock had just come back.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well being a heel was fine but the goofy part hurt him.

 

I don't think it was just his "terrible" ring performance that made wwf fans hate him, WWF fans in general were trained to think WCW sucked so why would they like anything associated with that?

[iggymcfly 0]

They'd had a bunch of good hype for WCW, people were into the angle with Shane leading WCW, and the fans were actually somewhat interested to see the first WCW match on WWF television.

 

Then Booker T and Buff Bagwell put on, honest to god, the worst main event the WWF had seen in the last three years. Worse than the matches with Vince and Stephanie, worse than the matches with Earl Hebner, worse than anything.

 

I'm not saying it was the only reason why Booker T or WCW for that matter didn't get over in the WWF, but it was certainly a very large contributing factor.

[Jericholic82 0]

I can't disagree though I havent seen the match in years (i do have it on a tape somewhere). It was dreadful, but then again having Booker face Bagwell was probably not a good idea. Perhaps the two were nervous? who knows.

 

but regardless, Booker had other chances at breaking through and never did.

 

So therefore, perhaps he is overated.