April 21, 2025 • 45 mins
On the Season 3, Episode 52 of Club 520, six-time world champion and legendary WWE wrestler, Booker T, joins Jeff Teague and the squad LIVE FROM THE MAIN STAGE at WWE World in Las Vegas for WrestleMania 41. Booker T talks about his viral moment calling out Hulk Hogan and his take on the beef between the two of them. B Hen asks Booker T about him recently being in a clip with Sexyy Red, and how he’s been changing with the times. And years after the epic supermarket fight with Steve Austin, Booker T admits he watched it for the FIRST TIME just six months ago. Plus, don’t miss Booker talk about his time in the WWE’s LFG show, losing to Triple H, his wrestling origin story, and so much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
WWE World. Please welcome to.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
The stage, your host Jeff TG, DJ Wells and Brandon Hendre.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yo yo, yo, what's going on? Are y'all doing?
Speaker 5 (00:40):
We go by the name of Club five twenty. We
come from Indianapolis, Indiana. We are here in Vegas with
it WWE World WrestleMania.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Man, it's a blessing to be out here.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Man.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
I got my saying co host with me.
Speaker 5 (00:51):
To my far left, I got my dog Bishop be
hearing out the pearl leys.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
How you weren't nasty?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
What's up baby?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (00:57):
WrestleMania Las Vegas? Yes, sir, we got out there and
what's up boy? But show we locked in to my
far right, we got my dog, young Nacho, Young Tea.
Got you what brother? Cooling bro.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Happy to be here, man, I'm excited, got a got
a great show for you guys.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Everything should be lit. Man, We're excited.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Man.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Shout out to chime for providers as wonderful opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Man.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
But listen, man, it ain't just us. We got a
wonderful guest for y'all. Man's the time. One of the
best to ever do it. Hall of Fame, one of
the best Booker t Man, bring them on out.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Can you dig it, dig it, suck up, suck up.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Yeah, come on, man, you hear the chance five time,
(02:05):
five time, five time.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
It was good. It was damn good.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Yes, sir Man first and foremast who wanted to say
thank you man. We are honored to have a legend
in our presence. Man on our platform. We talk about
you so much, especially young notch over here man. So
for you to be up here with us as a
blessing man, we appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Sliding on this man already, dog already, it's Russell happy
media everybody.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Oh yes, man, a consumer professional man. But listen, man,
we go start the episode off right. Man, shout out
to CHM. It's called making the milestones. Now listen. You
know you're very successful man. You dot a lot of
things in your career. I want to ask you, what's
that first time where you were just like, all right,
I made it. Maybe nothing crazy, maybe not the home
(02:49):
but the house, but it's just like, all right, I'm
established now.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I never really thought about it like that, but I remember,
I think you know, it was like in nineteen ninety one.
Actually it was when I first got started and I
started in this company called the Global Wrestling Federation, and
I was on the ESPN, you know, every every week
on television. But I was only making like a hundred bucks,
(03:15):
you know, to do the show. And I remember going
to the Virgin Islands and everybody, all the brothers on
the island knew me. I was like, oh shit, I'm here.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Exactly, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
I was like, I think maybe I need to quit
my job. You know, I was working at this warehouse,
and I was like, maybe I need to quit my
job and really really pursue professional wrestling.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
And I think that's when the light bulb really went off. Man.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
That is dope, man.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
And listen, man, we know everything is expensive nowadays, prices
going up for everything. Listen, send to some of the
things that child can benefit from you to help you
with a credit card.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Secure credit card for sure. Listen.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
All you gotta do is tap in with this because
you can help you plan for some of those vacations
like Booker's talking about. Hey, even if it's just saving
on your house or your car payment, Chime secure credit
card can help you with that. It is a credit builder. Listen,
Visa credit card, no annual fees, no interest, just check
to apply.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
You can use it anywhere that you can use a
credit card.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
Man, build that credit up and get right so you
can go on the trip like Booker t you feel me.
Use it for all your everyday purchases towards your financial
success financial goals with Chime secure credit card. Man tap
in makes a noise for Chime one time for bringing
us out here. So and y'all know, we got to
read thesecent claimers to make sure y'all get no troubles
with them. Listening to Chime credit card bilter is visa
credit card is issued by the bank corp in a
(04:38):
or try bank in a spot me eligibility requirements and
overdraft limits to apply Chime credit account required to apply
out of the network ATM withdraw. Y'all know the ATM
fees get crazy? Yeah, check on those as well. Time
It depends on submission to payment file. Late payment may
negative impact their credit score results may very Go to
Chime dot com class's closures for a full detail.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
One more time for Chime man gon pending.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
The bills man book, I got a question.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
What's the question, duck man, where's your first name come
from Black Snow.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Oh Man, black come from Black Snow.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Man. Actually, uh, I went to this hotel downtown, the
W Hotel, I think it was downtown Houston, and I
went to go see the Spoken Word and it was
his brother and his name was Black Snow and he
did this awesome, awesome poem and it was about Ms.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Shackson and her three boys. And I was so.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Enthralled with this dude, man, because he totally captured me.
And I say, man, one day, I got to bring
Black Snow to the big stage, you know what I mean.
So that's how it was. I was just paying hummits
to a brother who inspired me.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Man, okay, love hey.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Man, that's fire bookt orders. You was walked early on mygaard.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I also heard you as a drum major too. Man
in high school. Bro, Yeah, Man, I was a dancer.
Step I was a dancer.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I never played sports or anything like that. And uh,
but I used to be, you know, part of a crew.
We used to be called the Remote Controls. We was bad, Man,
We was bad. That's the hell of a name to
the hell of a name. When the Remote Shoe first
came out, what year was it? Hold on book.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
What year was it?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
We ain't gonna talk about what year was.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Black Snow promote. I got some names, oh.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Man, you know, but yeah, I was the trump major
in school. Man, I was. I was kind of like
a nerd. I used to make my.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Own clothes and stuff like that, you know, but kind
of like, uh, scope to me into the person I
have today though.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Ohka, that's where the spinner Rooney come from.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was break dancing on my auntie's
front porch.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Man.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
We had the cardboard box. Man, it used to be
cold out there, I remember. That's what I remember both about,
you know, the spinner rooty, those cold whole nights, you know,
working trying to figure it out on the patio because
we couldn't do it in the house, you know, on
the patio man. But no, man, great memories. What music
was y'all dancing too?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Uh? Craft Work Man, craft Work Numbers.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
That's the song called Numbers was one of the hottest
songs back in the day. This group called craft Work
I think they was from Japan and Bad Bad Man.
So if y'all ever get a chance, check out some
craft work you you, you millennials.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
Listen, We got a lot of questions about your origins.
But I think for be hearing myself and Tigue and
probably the fans as well, we had one question that
we got to start off with.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Come on, man, talk Hogan. We're coming from you man.
What happened right to Conic moment and wrestling history? What
happened right there?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Man?
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Hey man, I'm from the neighborhood. I'm from the neighborhood.
And that's a word that you know, just to educate,
just to get educate everybody. That's a word in my
neighborhood that was used on a regular basis. Yess what,
But I could tell you other than that one moment,
that's the only time that any of my peers has
(08:18):
ever heard me say that word. And the reason why
I feel like that was perhaps the most memorable moment
in my career from a negative standpoint, because I got
so many young black kids looking up to me, and
if they see Booker T, they say, if Booker T
(08:40):
Can say that word, it's cool for them to say it.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And my thing is with young.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Black kids, I always try to teach them that you
got to know how to change your levels.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (08:50):
When you go in for a job interview, you got
to know how to conduct yourself when you're on television
in front of millions of people, you got to know
how to conduct yourself. And for me, that word, I
feel like should be eradicated from all of our our
vocabularies as black folk, because we are the only ones
(09:11):
that look at ourselves and look down on ourselves.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
That's why I feel like.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
That moment for me was one of the worst moments
in my career because so many young Black kids as
well as white kids, Mexican kids, Bad Bunny, Bad Bunny,
you know, as a kid, looked.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Up the booker t So I just want to make
sure I represent properly.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Most that's interesting that you say that, because you know
what I'm saying, A lot of us love that moment obviously,
just because we've all been there from a mental standpoint
and just seeing it happen, it's like no doubt. But
then we look at other situations like with herk Angle
and saying his preferred choice of a name, saying I
know you guys revere that, but that's something that hurts me.
So for here, you said that was like, you know, yeah,
you guys love that, but that's like not one.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Of my product moments. That's just an interesting perspective from
the situation for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
I mean, like I said, I'm from the neighborhood, yes, sir,
But like I say, I wouldn't have made it this
far in this bitches. Thirty five years guys.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I been.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I know, I still look like I'm in my thirties.
I can't he only thirty five half color.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
I'm thirty five lost kid exactually my boy, But you
don't make it that far File's Moses.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You don't make it that far by slipping on a
banana peel.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I mean, preparation is the only luck you're gonna have
in life. Let loan this business for.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Sure, but we gotta take it back. So I'm a
fan fan.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
I've always watching wrestling since I was a little kid,
and I remember you back in the WCW days and
I fell in love with you with Harlem Heat and
Stevie Ray, You and your brother y'all came out with
that theme song and that music, and like you said,
as a young black kid, I seen y'all on TV
and I'm like, oh shit, Like they wrestled, like yeah, yeah,
(10:59):
that moment right there. It made me fall in love
with wrestling. So when they said we had a booker
t on the show.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I'm like he was.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
I was fanned out and they make fun of me
because I live weights and he called me book.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
No man. Representation, man, is very very important.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
When I was coming up, I got a chance to
watch j Y D the Junkyard Dog.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
He was.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
He was my guy that I looked at and say, man,
I want to be like that dude. Man, I want
to represent like that dude. And for me and my brother,
we got that chance. You know, we say, let's just
get out footing the door. That's the only thing we need.
Just let us get out foot in the door and
we'll do the rest. And man, we had a hell
of a run ten times w c W Tag Team
Champions along with our sister Sherry mortail Man, and we
(11:43):
beat the hell out of buff Bagwell in the Patriot,
the Nasty Boys, the Steiners, Well, we beat the hell
out of all those guys, man, And it felt damn
good being able to go out there and you know,
put ourselves in position. Were like young people like yourself
was watching us, with so many others around the world,
(12:04):
to inspire, to be able to inspire, to be able
to be the best that you possibly could be in
this world.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Man, But now I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Did you introduce your brother to wrestler or no?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
No, my brother introduced me to wrestling. Actually, I came home.
Everybody know my story. I came home from prison and
but my brother, uh, he always wanted to be a wrestler,
and and he knew this guy opening a wrestling school,
guy by the name of Ivan Putsky, who was a
w w.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
E Hall of Famer as well.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And he was like, hey, man, you want to go
to this wrestling school, and and I was like, man,
I you know, I love you. But it was three
thousand dollars and I didn't have the money to go
to the school.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And my boss that I was working.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
For sponsored me to go to the school, and U
my brother and I we went at the same times.
But I always say that I'm living my brother's dream.
This is something my brother wanted to do. And then
our brother had a tryout and I just followed my
brother to the tryout and one of the guys by
the name of Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert was there and
(13:08):
he tells who's this guy? And he goes, that's my brother.
Is he a worker? He goes, yes, well we're looking
for a tag team.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Boom.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
That is the beginning of the empity experience, which game
later to become the Harlem Heat.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Yeah man, great, great time. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
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Speaker 2 (14:27):
What's sore man?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You here?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
You gotta know their first name? Though? What Ebby experience man?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
What Epony experience? Bad book? Book? It to U? Stevie Ray?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
They experience that's a that's just like the remote control
that's innovated. You know why we were the Epeny experience.
It was this black wrestler back in the day. He
used to wear a mask and his day was mister Ebony,
and he used to get his ass whopped every time
we say we go represent for mister Abity. Became the
(15:05):
Ambity experience.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
All right, that's hard because I got something called the
Hendricks Experiences.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
So we wanted to say, all right, definitely, so it
might be two different programs. Definitely to word was definitely
listen man. So many questions about historic career. I know
we talked about this when you kind of have first
transition over from ww to WWE.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Now you are probably one of the most historic matches.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
And we see a lot of these people on Instagram
now they doing like the independent wrestling type situation where
they out in the airport with it, they out in
the streets with it. But y'all was one of the
first to go to the supermarket with it.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Yeah, Lee's talked about that historic mass situation.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Man, nah man, the grocery store fight with Steve Austin,
you know, it's iconic moment. I never I never imagine that,
you know, weather in the storm and you know, lasting
more than twenty twenty years.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I never bad in that or anything.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Steve and I we were just going out and creating,
you know, work, creating some magic and doing what we
do best.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
And that's entertained the fans at that point in time.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
It was it was that was that's that was called
the payoff, which you know, it was time for me
to put Steve Austin in the in the proper position
and uh and for me to do it to the
best of my ability.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
I watched that video literally six months ago.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
For the first time, all right six months ago, the
first time I watched the stole Coach Steve Austin and
Booker t in the grocery store, and I swear to god,
I cried real tears from the beginning of it to
the end because it was that damn funny. I did
some of my best work because I was crying. I
(16:50):
was begging, I was bargaining, I was pleading, I was
doing everything to get out of that ass whooping. But
at the end of it, man, it was some really,
really beautiful work in one of the WWE's most iconic moments
to where they played every year around this time.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
I know we skipped over to WWE, but I like
to take it back to WCW and when you actually
won the championship. And I know it was in a
controversial way with Vince Russo and Hong Kongan when they
did what they did, but Jeff Jerry came out and
lay down, But then you fought later that night and
won a championship, Like what was that moment for you?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
You know that that night when I won the championship.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You know, the stuff went down with Hokgan and Vince
Russo I really feel like if that wouldn't have happened,
by championship win wouldn't have been as big. I think
I've really needed all of that chaos in order for
people to really understand what was really really going on
when I finally won the championship.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
But it was a great moment. It was a great moment.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I had about about literally five to ten minutes to
prepare for winning the World Everyweight Championship my first time.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
But I think Jeff Jarrett more than anything.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I think Jeff Jarrett because man, he was such a
professional anyone out there made me feel so comfortable and
put me in a perfect position to go out there
and become the World Everyweight champion for the first time.
If it wasn't for Jeff Jarrett, I don't know if
it would have ever happened, you know. So I really
think that dude, man. But what was going through my
mind was I tell you, it was a surreal moment
(18:36):
because winning the World Everyweight Championship was a moment that
I never thought about. I never put myself in that position.
I always just wanted to be the best damn wrestler
in that locker room. I always used to tell the
guys go follow that. You know what I mean, you know,
I'm top five in the world.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
That's what I used to say.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
And then when it came time for me to actually
win it, I questioned myself because I wondered if the
fan would actually, you know, take me being in that
position as world heavyweight champion. And I remember winning that
night and I went to my hotel room and I
sat on the edge of my bed for I don't know,
maybe an hour, and I didn't even go out, and
(19:15):
I didn't party or anything. I didn't have one drink
that night, and I went to sleep and I woke
up the next morning I had TV for night tro
and man, I realized everybody at party for me that night.
Everybody was so freaking glad I won the world everyweight championship.
(19:36):
And man, that really put a stamp of approval on
that moment for me.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
It really did.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
You talk about it being one of the most celebrated
wrestlers around, not even from the fans who obviously love you,
but from your peers, because what people don't know is
that's a grind if you could, could you tell us
what a day in a life as a professional wrestler's life,
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
What, Actually it's a it's a grind a day. It's
really hard to explain. Maybe say years. I never, like
throughout my whole wrestling career. Every time I was watching
football on Sunday, it was in an arena. It was
(20:20):
never at home, all right, So I was on the
road constantly. I remember when I when I joined and
signed with WWE. I used to have a boat in
WCW and I used to go on my boat every weekend.
I'd be out fishing, hanging out, trinking a beer, having fun.
And then I signed with WWE, and I was I
(20:43):
worked Gride Gride and one day I went to go
fishing on my boat, all right, So I had to
go get a new sticker put on my boat.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
And I realized.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
It was two thousand and five, four years later, that's
how much I had been working. I had been out
on my boat in four years. So it's a grind.
It's a constant grind. You gotta have blinders old. It's
it's one of those when you hear no days off,
that's a true statement. I remember watching the documentary with
(21:19):
Shake to Sneak Roberts Beyond the Mat and he said,
you know, when you signed that WWE contract he was
talking to his daughter, said, when you signed that WWE contract, baby,
you're obligated to work every day.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
That's the grind.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
So for me, I never took any vacations or anything
like that throughout my career. My wife and I we
got married. I didn't take a honeymoon. All of that
stuff came later. It was all about getting through this thing,
finishing it properly and getting to the other side, and
then enjoying the fruits of the labor like I'm doing
(21:58):
right now.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
I'm living my best life. Just turned sixty, brother, looking good.
That's something you can relate to. Jeff obviously would have
been a professional athlete.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
I'm saying yourll schedules are so crazy. People don't understand
the sacrifice that goes into that for your craft. Yeah,
you definitely sacrifice a lot, especially your family time, but
it's nowhere near being a wrestler. I mean, like you said,
it's every single day. We get almost six five or
six months off in the summer that had that time
to spend with your family and stuff like that. But
for him to do it all year around, and for
(22:31):
the fans. We really appreciate it because we're fans. We
love it. But man, that's unbelievable. No way in here
I could do it.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Well.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
It's you know, it's about bandishing down that time too,
because you know, it's not a matter of if you're
going to get hurt.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
It's just a matter of win, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
So for me, I always thought about, you know, working
a certain way on the house show, working a certain
way on TV overseas, you know what i mean, pay
per view.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Everything was different.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Structuring, you know, the workouts, you know, like on the road,
I would just do push ups and the rubber bed,
a lot of baby all.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Go on down.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Why are climbing from bucket?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
No doubt?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
What what hobbies you got now though? Post retirement? Man,
once you pick up what you're doing, like you know,
entertain yourself.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Now retire it retire it talking about retire talking about
from the ring though, I'm sure you got a little
bit more. Damn. I just had a match like two
months ago. I just beat the hell out of Zelopha.
To the next big star. Are you restaurant I'm busy
with my wrestling school, Reality of Wrestling. If you guys
(23:54):
have it tapped in the Reality of Wrestling, make sure
you subscribe, you know what I mean, you know, and click,
you know all that stuff. We're trying to get up
to a million YouTube subscribers right now. We're in eight
hundred and fifty thousand subscribers now. But I'm working with
my own television show, working with my shooters. I've had
my school now for twenty years. I love playing golf,
(24:18):
you know what I mean, getting out on the golf course,
you know, hitting the links, you know, just to you know,
stay stress free. More than anything, staying in the gym.
That's one of my all time hobbies that I hope
to have as long as I live. I ask God,
you know, just give me my give me my health
more than anything. I don't ask for money, you know, Man,
(24:41):
make the money, you know what I mean. Just give
me my health and I'll get the work that I
ask God. You know, Just let me finish my work,
you know, and then we'll meet in the middle, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
So but now, man, I'm all about you.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Know, Retirement is not something I think about, you know,
when I retire, I think I'll be six feet under.
It's about, you know, staying staying on the grind. It's
about what's next. It's not about the past.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It's truly about the future and what's next, you know.
So I'm thinking about my ten year playing. Man, I'm
working on my ten year player. What's gonna happen over
these next ten years? What can I create over these
next ten years? More than anything?
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Now, who does Booker team model his golf game after?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Probably, uh, definitely not a Tiger Woods or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
I'm way on the time.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I'm way down allege. I wouldn't say, Charles, are you
that far? I'm in the middle, in the middle somewhere.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Charles and Tiger.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
So now I wanted to ask, I'm a like I said,
I'm a huge fan. Your first WrestleMania moment when you
came over from w WCW and you had your chance
to be at WrestleMania. We hear WrestleMania Weekend. What was
your first moment? Like, man, it was it was surreal
(26:13):
being in Canada.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, going against Edge.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I remember walking out the curtain, and I mean before
I walked out the Kurtin. I remember an undertaker he
was sitting at what we called the gorilla position, and
he said, make sure you take it all in. And
I really didn't think about that before he said that.
And then I walked out on stage and I stopped
and I just looked around. It was like seventy thousand people,
and I was like, wow, man, this is fricking this
(26:39):
is awesome because you got to think about it. Seventy
thousand people coming to see that twenty by twenty square
foot that's all. That's it. That's it, you know what
I mean. It's not a football field or anything like that,
twenty by twenty and for them to come to see you,
the ones that had those sides up, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
You know, it's awesome. It's the most you know, adrenaline rush.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
You're ever gonna have nothing, nothing, it's ever gonna top
that moment, you know, So get that out of your head,
you know, when it's all over with, take it and
savor that moment, and hopefully you'll get a few more
of those moments, you know. And for me, you know,
I definitely got a chance to have many more of those.
WrestleMania moments. But uh, for for young people that's getting
(27:25):
into this business, that's you know.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
That that think about it and wonder about it.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I say, man, go out there and work your ass
off to to really make it happen to have that
WrestleMania moment at least just one time. Trust me, man,
something you'll remember for the rest of your life.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I ain't gonna lie. I'm still mad. I know you
want to chip before here. You came champion one time,
but at WrestleMania when you fought Triple h you were
so over like you were supposed to be the champion
that night.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
A lot of so many people, a lot of office
guys told.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Me, man, you should have won that night. I thought,
you know what I.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Mean, And with the angle, yeah, perhaps I should have
won that night. Sure, you know, but honestly, I never
really I never really I never really lost any sleep
over it or anything like that. I always looked at
wrestling a certain way. I always looked at it as
(28:28):
a performance. And I always say, guys, I always say,
if they give me that damn check every time, I take.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
The hell because because that was a most.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Check, you feel me, Sunglasses, not that Chicken.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
I definitely feel that, all right, But you did win
a championship, y'ah.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
But but I tell you what, I left everything in
the ring that night, Now you did. I went out
of performed my ass off. I didn't win, but I
still won. I still won because I'm a kid. I'm
a kid from South Park, Texas who dropped out of
school in the tenth grade with the prison all right,
got locked up, came out and found myself in the
(29:27):
main event of WrestleMania.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
All right. Yeah, that's that's a wind. That's a win
for any way you look at it. Anyway you look
at it, that's a win.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
That's definitely a win.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
But you did win a championship, and you want it
in my hometown Indianapolis, Indiana. I happened to be watching,
but I was sick. I couldn't be there, but shout
out to Chime. I'm able to be at wrestle AIA now,
but I was mad. I couldn't be there for the
Great American Bass. But I'm glad you won that championship.
We was an overdue for us at ww fans, Booker
t fans. I was excited you had that moment.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
What was that, like you said, you just said something
earlier to you said when I when I at WrestleMania
in nineteen against Hunter, you said I was over I
should have won.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
It was show I was way more over there.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I mean, come on, I mean the greatest King of
the man almost revered key of them all.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Oh you know what, man, that was h That was.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Like some of the best time, the best time in
my wrestling career with my lovely Queen Charmel at my
side where she actually won Miss Black America in India Indianapolis,
Indiana as well. That was a moment for us man
Raymond Sterio. I gave him big props, man, because what
a worker, What a worker man. I couldn't have did
(30:49):
it without him. But that moment that was that was
my crowning moment. That was the moment for me that
really put the icing on the cake as far as
my career goes. You know, I don't know if you
guys know the stats or anything like that, but out
(31:10):
of the history and the annals of times, as far
as the King of the Ring tournament, I'm the only
Key to have a win the heavyweight championship. I'm the
only one and that wasn't by accident or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
That was by design.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
I said after Key Booker, they're going to have to
break the damn mood because there'll never be another key
like me ever a kid. And I proved that. I
proved that. I proved that. So Na, Man, it was
a great time in my career. I wouldn't change you
for anything. Was definitely.
Speaker 5 (31:38):
I want to ask you this question because you know,
as a fan, we see everybody about to come out first,
and we do, we hear that music.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
How did you settle on your theme music?
Speaker 5 (31:47):
Because we all know obviously when you came out, you
know what I'm saying, We got the flares going, everybody
gigged about it. What's that moment You're just like, Nah,
this is it? This why I'm about to pull up
to work every day.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Went I remember back in ninety one, late ninety one
when they first oh Dad is right that too, when
they first approached us with this sound right here. It
was just out of an abundance of music that we
just had to pick from. And as soon as we
heard it, man, I was like, man, that's it, that's
(32:16):
the song.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Just because I wouldn't It's very, very important.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
As far as the music you have, you do your
name like such as Booker T and Stevie Ray championship names,
championship names. We want a championship music as well. And
I wanted everybody, all of the fans to have an
experience when they heard that music. And that music was
(32:43):
so unique. It wasn't rap, you know what I mean.
It had its own feel, its own flavor.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
And when you.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Heard it, you go, oh, man to come to boys,
and they about to come out here and do some work,
you know.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
So no, man, that music still to this day and
it hypes me up. Man.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
My wife got that on her phone, so I got
to hear it every day, you know. But it's awesome,
it really is.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Every time. That's what you hear.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yes, I hear my house.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
What was it like though, when you changed it when
you came King Booker, Well, no.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
The royal music it was. It was majestic. Man.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
You know, I couldn't even call myself Booker T.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
I had to be king, but go.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Roy It had to be majestic. I became Booker. I
had to believe it. I had to believe it. In
one I had to believe that like somebody hit me
on the head, and I, you know, had amnesia and
really woke up believing that I was a key for
two years. For two years after I was King Booker,
(33:55):
I could go to a restaurant and.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I would never pay for a meal.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
I would I haven't pay for a drink because somebody
would say, King Booker, please let me get that for you.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
You know, every time. I still to this day, I'm.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
About to change my name.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Right, that's far. That's far, you know. So no, man,
it was so cool playing that role.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Plus, I was thinking about Hollywood at that time, and
I was thinking about that some director, some producer, they
got to be watching this.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
They gotta be seeing, Oh man, you know, do some
great work.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
You know, what's your most memorable moment in the ring
with your brother man?
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Most memorable moment with my brother love with sister Sherry
would be Sturgis, South Dakota, hog while against the against
the Steiner brothers and the reason why we was the
only black guys in Sturge of South Dakota. It was crazy,
(34:54):
it was. It was a stupidest thing in the world.
I kept asking myself did I get here? It was
like freaking being in the Wizard of Oz. I'm serious.
It was that crazy because, like I said, we was
the only brothers there who was going to give the
Sinner Brothers and circle around the ring. Everybody was on
(35:15):
motorcycle and they rode out on their harleys and we
beat the hell out the Stidner. We almost started a riot. Man,
they started throwing rocks in us, man and everything. Security
had to get us out of there. I remember telling
the fans, like I say, it was nothing but bikers,
(35:37):
and I remember getting the microphone and I said, listen,
I don't like Red Knicks, did you? People are Red Nicks?
You out of pocket what you was asking for? But
I had to act tough just to see if it
(35:58):
would work. That's what my god. I don't know what
I was thinking. I really don't, but but it worked.
I got those guys that was so riled up. Then
it made that match so freaking awesome. Just getting out
of that was the problem.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
I can't imagine the real match after, so I'm sure
they ain't pick up the tag in here.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
I would ask you this question, obviously with the wonderful progression.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Listen, we live at WWE World.
Speaker 5 (36:30):
What's it like as you see the progression with the company,
and then you start seeing yourself getting branded so many
different places, especially like with video games. I know, for
all us going up playing video games, like it's some
classic wrestling games. What's that like when you were a
part of that? Now, because now you got a whole
different market.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
No, man, it's awesome, you know, seeing out before we've come,
especially from a video game perspective. You know, I was
I read it too a guy last night. It was
like then I used to play you in the video game. Man,
you know what that was you It's just so cool
of seeing that. I just got a email just last week,
you know about Brad being a voice you know, from
a cover of Tating's perspective, you know, so never the
(37:07):
million years, just like from an action figure, you know
what I mean. I remember my first action figure. It
was like a cutout, you know, just like a plastic cutout.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
I thought it was so freaking awesome they have something
like that. And now I got maybe you know, forty
action figures, forty different action figures, you know. So no, man,
to see the progression of WWE, you know, just from
a talent perspective, it's been like so freaking awesome for
me having a handed you know, working with a lot
of that talent and you know, trying to put a
(37:36):
little bit a bit of light like on Trick Williams.
You know, working with Trick Williams, like you know, get
a little beat, you know, you know ad libs, you
know when he come out.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
You know they add a little bit. You know.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Steffan of a Cure, she's doing so awesome with a
little ad libo on some of her stuff. But now
seeing the growth, man of these young guys and the talent,
you know, it's been awesome, especially in NXT with Sean
Michaels in here team working with that next generation of stars. Man,
(38:05):
I'm so living my best life right now because I
think teaching is like my wheelhouse.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
You know, coaching is like my wheelhouse.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
I love, you know, being able to work with the
young guys and trying to get their full potential out
of them, you know what I mean. So for me, Man,
awesome awt some time right now woul't change for anything.
Speaker 5 (38:23):
Most definite, especially when you talk about the RW working
like you said, using all your experience of me and
better poured back into the next generation. It's definitely dope
to see because like you got a lot of people
who get older in the situation, they're like, I don't care.
You can tell your energy it's really still there for
those people.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
You know what, when I started my rest in school
twenty years ago, I wouldn't hire nothing but young kids.
You know, I'm the oldest guy on my crew by
design because they give me a lot of energy. I
got a lot of young kids, and like just say,
for us to get some bad apple or some old
head in there and want to tell some stories from
(38:56):
back in the day, that's just bitter from the bitch,
just the way they treated had treated them. We creating
our new We created new stories. This is a different journey.
This is the way you guys are gonna remember it.
So for me, I'm having a part in that is
so freaking awesome. My right hand man at Reality ar
Wrestling started with me when he was eighteen years old
(39:19):
and now he runs Reality of Wrestling. My partner, Brad
Gilmore on my Hall of Fame show my podcast, started
with me when he was eighteen years old. Now he's
thirty three years old. To grown man, you know, graduated
from college. You know what, I mean, these guys are
gonna take over reality or wrestling one day, you know,
(39:41):
when I'm when, long after I'm gone, Reality of wrestling
is still gonna be here, all due to the way
you know, we've created it.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
You know.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
The young guy. The young guy gonna learn from this guy,
and he's gonna keep passing it on and keep passing
it on and forever more. Reality of Wrestling is gonna
be a staple here, hope on this search just because Man,
for me, it's all about the young guys. I've had
my I've had my time to shine. Yeah, But the
thing is, I'm still having fun. I'm still having fun.
(40:12):
One of my kids, he went to Japan last year.
It was it was his first trip to Japan, and
I was able to help facilitate that.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
And it's just to.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Think from my perspective, Man, he's gonna be running around
with Punky, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
He's gonna be at the Kio Plaza.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
He's gonna go to the hard Rock you know what
I mean. He's gonna get on that bus and go
around to just like I did, and see the same
things I did back This life don't stop, man, it
don't stop. He keeps going and for me to be
able to, you know, pass it on, man, sauce.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
You know what's so dope about this because life even
now we got my man be here, he now tap
into the rest and say heavy man.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
When he saw you with sexy red man, oh.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Man, that's what That's what got me back into it.
I had said it to Jeriff. I'm like, nah, he
got sexy after Booker clowned. That's why I thought you
retired after fool was sexy.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
I was that man, Oh man, I'm telling you, man,
I told my wife, I'm just acting.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
So that's my boy right there. Like I literally called
Jeff Booker to you all the time. So to see
you do that, bro, that really turned me off for real.
That showed me that you still tapped into the youth.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Oh man.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
If you don't know how to change with the times,
the times would truly pass you by, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
So for me, it's all about it.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
I quoted, I quoted little Baby last week.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
What you saying.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I don't call myself a goat.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
I leave that up to the people after some more.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
But I'm scared.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
My boy, My boy, he was like, he was like,
you just quoted little Baby. That's hard, man, that's hard.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
And I know the kids that show around in the
youth like I appreciate that though that you can still
be relatable to them too.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You know.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
You know why, man, it ain't about me, it really is.
That's why I love what I do, I love who
I am, I love you know everything about what's going on.
But it ain't about me. Man. I've had my time,
you know, and for me to see the young guys
doing it, but for me to still be here, I
did not expect to still be doing this thirty five
(42:31):
years later.
Speaker 2 (42:31):
I did.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
I thought, you know, fifteen years ago this thing would
have been over with and I would have been doing
something else.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
But for some reason, I'm still here.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
God put me in this position for some reason, and
I'm gonna just keep doing it and keep doing it
to the best of my ability.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
But it's just like working working in the NXT with
Vic Joseph.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Vic Joseph, I'm his right right hand man, I'm his
oh Polly, he's the guy that's that that that's running
running the whole whole board, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
And I'm gonna try to make.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
That dude look as best as I possibly can. That's
my job, you know what I mean. And I appreciate
the young guys man that that that know you know
why I'm here and know what I'm doing, and and
know that I'm here for them one percent, know that
they can come to me for anything. I'm gonna be
there for him. So now, man, like I say this,
(43:30):
this is a great time in my life. Seriously, I
wouldn't changeing for nothing.
Speaker 5 (43:34):
No, I'm tapped in. But I've been watching LFG. Yeah, yeah,
Legends and Future Great. It's the heck of a show.
But like you said, you tapped in with the youth,
and you know, seeing you on that show and how
you relate to the wrestlers, and how the guys really
embrace you.
Speaker 4 (43:50):
Uh, you can tell that you was meant for this.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
You know what that those shows? Man, I love doing LFG.
I bet a perfect for shows like that.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
Working with Bubba A and working with Biggy James Undertaker,
it's been really really cool. But being able to tap
into the to the young guys and really get into
the head to let them understand what this thing is about,
how how big this opportunity really really is, and the
opportunity like this don't come around to offen few and
(44:23):
far between, So take it as serious as you possibly can.
Look at this like it's a job, like you're waking
up in the morning and you're going do your your
nine to five. Because if you're not looking at it
like that, you're slipping, you know what I mean, Because
you know, if you're not preparing, trust me, somebody else
is preparing a little bit harder than you.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
So for me to really tap in on screen as
well as off screen, you know, because those guys they
call me, you know, we do film study, you know
when when nobody's around, you know, because I'm about winning,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (44:58):
I want my team to win another date, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
So no, man, lfg uh is something that has been
you know, Solis to be a part of, and I
can't wait to season two.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
Most definitely listen. Book We appreciate your time and make
some more. It's a booking Tell you one.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
More time, five times, baby, five times. Listen.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
We appreciate y'all for coming out. Shout out to Chime
for making this wonderful event happen. It's Club five to
twenty we'll see y'all next time.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
The volume
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
WWE World. Please welcome to.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
The stage, your host Jeff TG, DJ Wells and Brandon Hendre.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yo yo, yo, what's going on? Are y'all doing?
Speaker 5 (00:40):
We go by the name of Club five twenty. We
come from Indianapolis, Indiana. We are here in Vegas with
it WWE World WrestleMania.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Man, it's a blessing to be out here.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Man.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
I got my saying co host with me.
Speaker 5 (00:51):
To my far left, I got my dog Bishop be
hearing out the pearl leys.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
How you weren't nasty?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
What's up baby?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (00:57):
WrestleMania Las Vegas? Yes, sir, we got out there and
what's up boy? But show we locked in to my
far right, we got my dog, young Nacho, Young Tea.
Got you what brother? Cooling bro.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Happy to be here, man, I'm excited, got a got
a great show for you guys.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Everything should be lit. Man, We're excited.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Man.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Shout out to chime for providers as wonderful opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Man.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
But listen, man, it ain't just us. We got a
wonderful guest for y'all. Man's the time. One of the
best to ever do it. Hall of Fame, one of
the best Booker t Man, bring them on out.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Can you dig it, dig it, suck up, suck up.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Yeah, come on, man, you hear the chance five time,
(02:05):
five time, five time.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
It was good. It was damn good.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Yes, sir Man first and foremast who wanted to say
thank you man. We are honored to have a legend
in our presence. Man on our platform. We talk about
you so much, especially young notch over here man. So
for you to be up here with us as a
blessing man, we appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Sliding on this man already, dog already, it's Russell happy
media everybody.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Oh yes, man, a consumer professional man. But listen, man,
we go start the episode off right. Man, shout out
to CHM. It's called making the milestones. Now listen. You
know you're very successful man. You dot a lot of
things in your career. I want to ask you, what's
that first time where you were just like, all right,
I made it. Maybe nothing crazy, maybe not the home
(02:49):
but the house, but it's just like, all right, I'm
established now.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I never really thought about it like that, but I remember,
I think you know, it was like in nineteen ninety one.
Actually it was when I first got started and I
started in this company called the Global Wrestling Federation, and
I was on the ESPN, you know, every every week
on television. But I was only making like a hundred bucks,
(03:15):
you know, to do the show. And I remember going
to the Virgin Islands and everybody, all the brothers on
the island knew me. I was like, oh shit, I'm here.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Exactly, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
I was like, I think maybe I need to quit
my job. You know, I was working at this warehouse,
and I was like, maybe I need to quit my
job and really really pursue professional wrestling.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
And I think that's when the light bulb really went off. Man.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
That is dope, man.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
And listen, man, we know everything is expensive nowadays, prices
going up for everything. Listen, send to some of the
things that child can benefit from you to help you
with a credit card.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Secure credit card for sure. Listen.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
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Speaker 4 (04:13):
You can use it anywhere that you can use a
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Speaker 5 (04:16):
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Speaker 4 (04:56):
One more time for Chime man gon pending.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
The bills man book, I got a question.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
What's the question, duck man, where's your first name come
from Black Snow.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Oh Man, black come from Black Snow.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Man. Actually, uh, I went to this hotel downtown, the
W Hotel, I think it was downtown Houston, and I
went to go see the Spoken Word and it was
his brother and his name was Black Snow and he
did this awesome, awesome poem and it was about Ms.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Shackson and her three boys. And I was so.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Enthralled with this dude, man, because he totally captured me.
And I say, man, one day, I got to bring
Black Snow to the big stage, you know what I mean.
So that's how it was. I was just paying hummits
to a brother who inspired me.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Man, okay, love hey.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Man, that's fire bookt orders. You was walked early on mygaard.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I also heard you as a drum major too. Man
in high school. Bro, Yeah, Man, I was a dancer.
Step I was a dancer.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I never played sports or anything like that. And uh,
but I used to be, you know, part of a crew.
We used to be called the Remote Controls. We was bad, Man,
We was bad. That's the hell of a name to
the hell of a name. When the Remote Shoe first
came out, what year was it? Hold on book.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
What year was it?
Speaker 2 (06:24):
We ain't gonna talk about what year was.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Black Snow promote. I got some names, oh.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Man, you know, but yeah, I was the trump major
in school. Man, I was. I was kind of like
a nerd. I used to make my.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Own clothes and stuff like that, you know, but kind
of like, uh, scope to me into the person I
have today though.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Ohka, that's where the spinner Rooney come from.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was break dancing on my auntie's
front porch.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Man.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
We had the cardboard box. Man, it used to be
cold out there, I remember. That's what I remember both about,
you know, the spinner rooty, those cold whole nights, you know,
working trying to figure it out on the patio because
we couldn't do it in the house, you know, on
the patio man. But no, man, great memories. What music
was y'all dancing too?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Uh? Craft Work Man, craft Work Numbers.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
That's the song called Numbers was one of the hottest
songs back in the day. This group called craft Work
I think they was from Japan and Bad Bad Man.
So if y'all ever get a chance, check out some
craft work you you, you millennials.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
Listen, We got a lot of questions about your origins.
But I think for be hearing myself and Tigue and
probably the fans as well, we had one question that
we got to start off with.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Come on, man, talk Hogan. We're coming from you man.
What happened right to Conic moment and wrestling history? What
happened right there?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Man?
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Hey man, I'm from the neighborhood. I'm from the neighborhood.
And that's a word that you know, just to educate,
just to get educate everybody. That's a word in my
neighborhood that was used on a regular basis. Yess what,
But I could tell you other than that one moment,
that's the only time that any of my peers has
(08:18):
ever heard me say that word. And the reason why
I feel like that was perhaps the most memorable moment
in my career from a negative standpoint, because I got
so many young black kids looking up to me, and
if they see Booker T, they say, if Booker T
(08:40):
Can say that word, it's cool for them to say it.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And my thing is with young.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Black kids, I always try to teach them that you
got to know how to change your levels.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (08:50):
When you go in for a job interview, you got
to know how to conduct yourself when you're on television
in front of millions of people, you got to know
how to conduct yourself. And for me, that word, I
feel like should be eradicated from all of our our
vocabularies as black folk, because we are the only ones
(09:11):
that look at ourselves and look down on ourselves.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
That's why I feel like.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
That moment for me was one of the worst moments
in my career because so many young Black kids as
well as white kids, Mexican kids, Bad Bunny, Bad Bunny,
you know, as a kid, looked.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Up the booker t So I just want to make
sure I represent properly.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Most that's interesting that you say that, because you know
what I'm saying, A lot of us love that moment obviously,
just because we've all been there from a mental standpoint
and just seeing it happen, it's like no doubt. But
then we look at other situations like with herk Angle
and saying his preferred choice of a name, saying I
know you guys revere that, but that's something that hurts me.
So for here, you said that was like, you know, yeah,
you guys love that, but that's like not one.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Of my product moments. That's just an interesting perspective from
the situation for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
I mean, like I said, I'm from the neighborhood, yes, sir,
But like I say, I wouldn't have made it this
far in this bitches. Thirty five years guys.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I been.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I know, I still look like I'm in my thirties.
I can't he only thirty five half color.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
I'm thirty five lost kid exactually my boy, But you
don't make it that far File's Moses.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You don't make it that far by slipping on a
banana peel.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I mean, preparation is the only luck you're gonna have
in life. Let loan this business for.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Sure, but we gotta take it back. So I'm a
fan fan.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
I've always watching wrestling since I was a little kid,
and I remember you back in the WCW days and
I fell in love with you with Harlem Heat and
Stevie Ray, You and your brother y'all came out with
that theme song and that music, and like you said,
as a young black kid, I seen y'all on TV
and I'm like, oh shit, Like they wrestled, like yeah, yeah,
(10:59):
that moment right there. It made me fall in love
with wrestling. So when they said we had a booker
t on the show.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I'm like he was.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
I was fanned out and they make fun of me
because I live weights and he called me book.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
No man. Representation, man, is very very important.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
When I was coming up, I got a chance to
watch j Y D the Junkyard Dog.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
He was.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
He was my guy that I looked at and say, man,
I want to be like that dude. Man, I want
to represent like that dude. And for me and my brother,
we got that chance. You know, we say, let's just
get out footing the door. That's the only thing we need.
Just let us get out foot in the door and
we'll do the rest. And man, we had a hell
of a run ten times w c W Tag Team
Champions along with our sister Sherry mortail Man, and we
(11:43):
beat the hell out of buff Bagwell in the Patriot,
the Nasty Boys, the Steiners, Well, we beat the hell
out of all those guys, man, And it felt damn
good being able to go out there and you know,
put ourselves in position. Were like young people like yourself
was watching us, with so many others around the world,
(12:04):
to inspire, to be able to inspire, to be able
to be the best that you possibly could be in
this world.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Man, But now I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Did you introduce your brother to wrestler or no?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
No, my brother introduced me to wrestling. Actually, I came home.
Everybody know my story. I came home from prison and
but my brother, uh, he always wanted to be a wrestler,
and and he knew this guy opening a wrestling school,
guy by the name of Ivan Putsky, who was a
w w.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
E Hall of Famer as well.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And he was like, hey, man, you want to go
to this wrestling school, and and I was like, man,
I you know, I love you. But it was three
thousand dollars and I didn't have the money to go
to the school.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And my boss that I was working.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
For sponsored me to go to the school, and U
my brother and I we went at the same times.
But I always say that I'm living my brother's dream.
This is something my brother wanted to do. And then
our brother had a tryout and I just followed my
brother to the tryout and one of the guys by
the name of Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert was there and
(13:08):
he tells who's this guy? And he goes, that's my brother.
Is he a worker? He goes, yes, well we're looking
for a tag team.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Boom.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
That is the beginning of the empity experience, which game
later to become the Harlem Heat.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Yeah man, great, great time. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
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Speaker 2 (14:27):
What's sore man?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You here?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
You gotta know their first name? Though? What Ebby experience man?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
What Epony experience? Bad book? Book? It to U? Stevie Ray?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
They experience that's a that's just like the remote control
that's innovated. You know why we were the Epeny experience.
It was this black wrestler back in the day. He
used to wear a mask and his day was mister Ebony,
and he used to get his ass whopped every time
we say we go represent for mister Abity. Became the
(15:05):
Ambity experience.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
All right, that's hard because I got something called the
Hendricks Experiences.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
So we wanted to say, all right, definitely, so it
might be two different programs. Definitely to word was definitely
listen man. So many questions about historic career. I know
we talked about this when you kind of have first
transition over from ww to WWE.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Now you are probably one of the most historic matches.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
And we see a lot of these people on Instagram
now they doing like the independent wrestling type situation where
they out in the airport with it, they out in
the streets with it. But y'all was one of the
first to go to the supermarket with it.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Yeah, Lee's talked about that historic mass situation.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Man, nah man, the grocery store fight with Steve Austin,
you know, it's iconic moment. I never I never imagine that,
you know, weather in the storm and you know, lasting
more than twenty twenty years.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I never bad in that or anything.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Steve and I we were just going out and creating,
you know, work, creating some magic and doing what we
do best.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
And that's entertained the fans at that point in time.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
It was it was that was that's that was called
the payoff, which you know, it was time for me
to put Steve Austin in the in the proper position
and uh and for me to do it to the
best of my ability.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
I watched that video literally six months ago.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
For the first time, all right six months ago, the
first time I watched the stole Coach Steve Austin and
Booker t in the grocery store, and I swear to god,
I cried real tears from the beginning of it to
the end because it was that damn funny. I did
some of my best work because I was crying. I
(16:50):
was begging, I was bargaining, I was pleading, I was
doing everything to get out of that ass whooping. But
at the end of it, man, it was some really,
really beautiful work in one of the WWE's most iconic moments
to where they played every year around this time.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
I know we skipped over to WWE, but I like
to take it back to WCW and when you actually
won the championship. And I know it was in a
controversial way with Vince Russo and Hong Kongan when they
did what they did, but Jeff Jerry came out and
lay down, But then you fought later that night and
won a championship, Like what was that moment for you?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
You know that that night when I won the championship.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You know, the stuff went down with Hokgan and Vince
Russo I really feel like if that wouldn't have happened,
by championship win wouldn't have been as big. I think
I've really needed all of that chaos in order for
people to really understand what was really really going on
when I finally won the championship.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
But it was a great moment. It was a great moment.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I had about about literally five to ten minutes to
prepare for winning the World Everyweight Championship my first time.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
But I think Jeff Jarrett more than anything.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I think Jeff Jarrett because man, he was such a
professional anyone out there made me feel so comfortable and
put me in a perfect position to go out there
and become the World Everyweight champion for the first time.
If it wasn't for Jeff Jarrett, I don't know if
it would have ever happened, you know. So I really
think that dude, man. But what was going through my
mind was I tell you, it was a surreal moment
(18:36):
because winning the World Everyweight Championship was a moment that
I never thought about. I never put myself in that position.
I always just wanted to be the best damn wrestler
in that locker room. I always used to tell the
guys go follow that. You know what I mean, you know,
I'm top five in the world.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
That's what I used to say.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
And then when it came time for me to actually
win it, I questioned myself because I wondered if the
fan would actually, you know, take me being in that
position as world heavyweight champion. And I remember winning that
night and I went to my hotel room and I
sat on the edge of my bed for I don't know,
maybe an hour, and I didn't even go out, and
(19:15):
I didn't party or anything. I didn't have one drink
that night, and I went to sleep and I woke
up the next morning I had TV for night tro
and man, I realized everybody at party for me that night.
Everybody was so freaking glad I won the world everyweight championship.
(19:36):
And man, that really put a stamp of approval on
that moment for me.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
It really did.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
You talk about it being one of the most celebrated
wrestlers around, not even from the fans who obviously love you,
but from your peers, because what people don't know is
that's a grind if you could, could you tell us
what a day in a life as a professional wrestler's life,
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
What, Actually it's a it's a grind a day. It's
really hard to explain. Maybe say years. I never, like
throughout my whole wrestling career. Every time I was watching
football on Sunday, it was in an arena. It was
(20:20):
never at home, all right, So I was on the
road constantly. I remember when I when I joined and
signed with WWE. I used to have a boat in
WCW and I used to go on my boat every weekend.
I'd be out fishing, hanging out, trinking a beer, having fun.
And then I signed with WWE, and I was I
(20:43):
worked Gride Gride and one day I went to go
fishing on my boat, all right, So I had to
go get a new sticker put on my boat.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
And I realized.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
It was two thousand and five, four years later, that's
how much I had been working. I had been out
on my boat in four years. So it's a grind.
It's a constant grind. You gotta have blinders old. It's
it's one of those when you hear no days off,
that's a true statement. I remember watching the documentary with
(21:19):
Shake to Sneak Roberts Beyond the Mat and he said,
you know, when you signed that WWE contract he was
talking to his daughter, said, when you signed that WWE contract, baby,
you're obligated to work every day.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
That's the grind.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
So for me, I never took any vacations or anything
like that throughout my career. My wife and I we
got married. I didn't take a honeymoon. All of that
stuff came later. It was all about getting through this thing,
finishing it properly and getting to the other side, and
then enjoying the fruits of the labor like I'm doing
(21:58):
right now.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
I'm living my best life. Just turned sixty, brother, looking good.
That's something you can relate to. Jeff obviously would have
been a professional athlete.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
I'm saying yourll schedules are so crazy. People don't understand
the sacrifice that goes into that for your craft. Yeah,
you definitely sacrifice a lot, especially your family time, but
it's nowhere near being a wrestler. I mean, like you said,
it's every single day. We get almost six five or
six months off in the summer that had that time
to spend with your family and stuff like that. But
for him to do it all year around, and for
(22:31):
the fans. We really appreciate it because we're fans. We
love it. But man, that's unbelievable. No way in here
I could do it.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Well.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
It's you know, it's about bandishing down that time too,
because you know, it's not a matter of if you're
going to get hurt.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
It's just a matter of win, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
So for me, I always thought about, you know, working
a certain way on the house show, working a certain
way on TV overseas, you know what i mean, pay
per view.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Everything was different.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Structuring, you know, the workouts, you know, like on the road,
I would just do push ups and the rubber bed,
a lot of baby all.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Go on down.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Why are climbing from bucket?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
No doubt?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
What what hobbies you got now though? Post retirement? Man,
once you pick up what you're doing, like you know,
entertain yourself.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Now retire it retire it talking about retire talking about
from the ring though, I'm sure you got a little
bit more. Damn. I just had a match like two
months ago. I just beat the hell out of Zelopha.
To the next big star. Are you restaurant I'm busy
with my wrestling school, Reality of Wrestling. If you guys
(23:54):
have it tapped in the Reality of Wrestling, make sure
you subscribe, you know what I mean, you know, and click,
you know all that stuff. We're trying to get up
to a million YouTube subscribers right now. We're in eight
hundred and fifty thousand subscribers now. But I'm working with
my own television show, working with my shooters. I've had
my school now for twenty years. I love playing golf,
(24:18):
you know what I mean, getting out on the golf course,
you know, hitting the links, you know, just to you know,
stay stress free. More than anything, staying in the gym.
That's one of my all time hobbies that I hope
to have as long as I live. I ask God,
you know, just give me my give me my health
more than anything. I don't ask for money, you know, Man,
(24:41):
make the money, you know what I mean. Just give
me my health and I'll get the work that I
ask God. You know, Just let me finish my work,
you know, and then we'll meet in the middle, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
So but now, man, I'm all about you.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Know, Retirement is not something I think about, you know,
when I retire, I think I'll be six feet under.
It's about, you know, staying staying on the grind. It's
about what's next. It's not about the past.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It's truly about the future and what's next, you know.
So I'm thinking about my ten year playing. Man, I'm
working on my ten year player. What's gonna happen over
these next ten years? What can I create over these
next ten years? More than anything?
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Now, who does Booker team model his golf game after?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Probably, uh, definitely not a Tiger Woods or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
I'm way on the time.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I'm way down allege. I wouldn't say, Charles, are you
that far? I'm in the middle, in the middle somewhere.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Charles and Tiger.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
So now I wanted to ask, I'm a like I said,
I'm a huge fan. Your first WrestleMania moment when you
came over from w WCW and you had your chance
to be at WrestleMania. We hear WrestleMania Weekend. What was
your first moment? Like, man, it was it was surreal
(26:13):
being in Canada.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, going against Edge.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I remember walking out the curtain, and I mean before
I walked out the Kurtin. I remember an undertaker he
was sitting at what we called the gorilla position, and
he said, make sure you take it all in. And
I really didn't think about that before he said that.
And then I walked out on stage and I stopped
and I just looked around. It was like seventy thousand people,
and I was like, wow, man, this is fricking this
(26:39):
is awesome because you got to think about it. Seventy
thousand people coming to see that twenty by twenty square
foot that's all. That's it. That's it, you know what
I mean. It's not a football field or anything like that,
twenty by twenty and for them to come to see you,
the ones that had those sides up, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
You know, it's awesome. It's the most you know, adrenaline rush.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
You're ever gonna have nothing, nothing, it's ever gonna top
that moment, you know, So get that out of your head,
you know, when it's all over with, take it and
savor that moment, and hopefully you'll get a few more
of those moments, you know. And for me, you know,
I definitely got a chance to have many more of those.
WrestleMania moments. But uh, for for young people that's getting
(27:25):
into this business, that's you know.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
That that think about it and wonder about it.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I say, man, go out there and work your ass
off to to really make it happen to have that
WrestleMania moment at least just one time. Trust me, man,
something you'll remember for the rest of your life.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I ain't gonna lie. I'm still mad. I know you
want to chip before here. You came champion one time,
but at WrestleMania when you fought Triple h you were
so over like you were supposed to be the champion
that night.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
A lot of so many people, a lot of office
guys told.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Me, man, you should have won that night. I thought,
you know what I.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Mean, And with the angle, yeah, perhaps I should have
won that night. Sure, you know, but honestly, I never
really I never really I never really lost any sleep
over it or anything like that. I always looked at
wrestling a certain way. I always looked at it as
(28:28):
a performance. And I always say, guys, I always say,
if they give me that damn check every time, I take.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
The hell because because that was a most.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Check, you feel me, Sunglasses, not that Chicken.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
I definitely feel that, all right, But you did win
a championship, y'ah.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
But but I tell you what, I left everything in
the ring that night, Now you did. I went out
of performed my ass off. I didn't win, but I
still won. I still won because I'm a kid. I'm
a kid from South Park, Texas who dropped out of
school in the tenth grade with the prison all right,
got locked up, came out and found myself in the
(29:27):
main event of WrestleMania.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
All right. Yeah, that's that's a wind. That's a win
for any way you look at it. Anyway you look
at it, that's a win.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
That's definitely a win.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
But you did win a championship, and you want it
in my hometown Indianapolis, Indiana. I happened to be watching,
but I was sick. I couldn't be there, but shout
out to Chime. I'm able to be at wrestle AIA now,
but I was mad. I couldn't be there for the
Great American Bass. But I'm glad you won that championship.
We was an overdue for us at ww fans, Booker
t fans. I was excited you had that moment.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
What was that, like you said, you just said something
earlier to you said when I when I at WrestleMania
in nineteen against Hunter, you said I was over I
should have won.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
It was show I was way more over there.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I mean, come on, I mean the greatest King of
the man almost revered key of them all.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Oh you know what, man, that was h That was.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Like some of the best time, the best time in
my wrestling career with my lovely Queen Charmel at my
side where she actually won Miss Black America in India Indianapolis,
Indiana as well. That was a moment for us man
Raymond Sterio. I gave him big props, man, because what
a worker, What a worker man. I couldn't have did
(30:49):
it without him. But that moment that was that was
my crowning moment. That was the moment for me that
really put the icing on the cake as far as
my career goes. You know, I don't know if you
guys know the stats or anything like that, but out
(31:10):
of the history and the annals of times, as far
as the King of the Ring tournament, I'm the only
Key to have a win the heavyweight championship. I'm the
only one and that wasn't by accident or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
That was by design.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
I said after Key Booker, they're going to have to
break the damn mood because there'll never be another key
like me ever a kid. And I proved that. I
proved that. I proved that. So Na, Man, it was
a great time in my career. I wouldn't change you
for anything. Was definitely.
Speaker 5 (31:38):
I want to ask you this question because you know,
as a fan, we see everybody about to come out first,
and we do, we hear that music.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
How did you settle on your theme music?
Speaker 5 (31:47):
Because we all know obviously when you came out, you
know what I'm saying, We got the flares going, everybody
gigged about it. What's that moment You're just like, Nah,
this is it? This why I'm about to pull up
to work every day.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Went I remember back in ninety one, late ninety one
when they first oh Dad is right that too, when
they first approached us with this sound right here. It
was just out of an abundance of music that we
just had to pick from. And as soon as we
heard it, man, I was like, man, that's it, that's
(32:16):
the song.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Just because I wouldn't It's very, very important.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
As far as the music you have, you do your
name like such as Booker T and Stevie Ray championship names,
championship names. We want a championship music as well. And
I wanted everybody, all of the fans to have an
experience when they heard that music. And that music was
(32:43):
so unique. It wasn't rap, you know what I mean.
It had its own feel, its own flavor.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
And when you.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Heard it, you go, oh, man to come to boys,
and they about to come out here and do some work,
you know.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
So no, man, that music still to this day and
it hypes me up. Man.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
My wife got that on her phone, so I got
to hear it every day, you know. But it's awesome,
it really is.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Every time. That's what you hear.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yes, I hear my house.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
What was it like though, when you changed it when
you came King Booker, Well, no.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
The royal music it was. It was majestic. Man.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
You know, I couldn't even call myself Booker T.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
I had to be king, but go.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Roy It had to be majestic. I became Booker. I
had to believe it. I had to believe it. In
one I had to believe that like somebody hit me
on the head, and I, you know, had amnesia and
really woke up believing that I was a key for
two years. For two years after I was King Booker,
(33:55):
I could go to a restaurant and.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I would never pay for a meal.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
I would I haven't pay for a drink because somebody
would say, King Booker, please let me get that for you.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
You know, every time. I still to this day, I'm.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
About to change my name.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Right, that's far. That's far, you know. So no, man,
it was so cool playing that role.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Plus, I was thinking about Hollywood at that time, and
I was thinking about that some director, some producer, they
got to be watching this.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
They gotta be seeing, Oh man, you know, do some
great work.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
You know, what's your most memorable moment in the ring
with your brother man?
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Most memorable moment with my brother love with sister Sherry
would be Sturgis, South Dakota, hog while against the against
the Steiner brothers and the reason why we was the
only black guys in Sturge of South Dakota. It was crazy,
(34:54):
it was. It was a stupidest thing in the world.
I kept asking myself did I get here? It was
like freaking being in the Wizard of Oz. I'm serious.
It was that crazy because, like I said, we was
the only brothers there who was going to give the
Sinner Brothers and circle around the ring. Everybody was on
(35:15):
motorcycle and they rode out on their harleys and we
beat the hell out the Stidner. We almost started a riot. Man,
they started throwing rocks in us, man and everything. Security
had to get us out of there. I remember telling
the fans, like I say, it was nothing but bikers,
(35:37):
and I remember getting the microphone and I said, listen,
I don't like Red Knicks, did you? People are Red Nicks?
You out of pocket what you was asking for? But
I had to act tough just to see if it
(35:58):
would work. That's what my god. I don't know what
I was thinking. I really don't, but but it worked.
I got those guys that was so riled up. Then
it made that match so freaking awesome. Just getting out
of that was the problem.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
I can't imagine the real match after, so I'm sure
they ain't pick up the tag in here.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
I would ask you this question, obviously with the wonderful progression.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Listen, we live at WWE World.
Speaker 5 (36:30):
What's it like as you see the progression with the company,
and then you start seeing yourself getting branded so many
different places, especially like with video games. I know, for
all us going up playing video games, like it's some
classic wrestling games. What's that like when you were a
part of that? Now, because now you got a whole
different market.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
No, man, it's awesome, you know, seeing out before we've come,
especially from a video game perspective. You know, I was
I read it too a guy last night. It was
like then I used to play you in the video game. Man,
you know what that was you It's just so cool
of seeing that. I just got a email just last week,
you know about Brad being a voice you know, from
a cover of Tating's perspective, you know, so never the
(37:07):
million years, just like from an action figure, you know
what I mean. I remember my first action figure. It
was like a cutout, you know, just like a plastic cutout.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
I thought it was so freaking awesome they have something
like that. And now I got maybe you know, forty
action figures, forty different action figures, you know. So no, man,
to see the progression of WWE, you know, just from
a talent perspective, it's been like so freaking awesome for
me having a handed you know, working with a lot
of that talent and you know, trying to put a
(37:36):
little bit a bit of light like on Trick Williams.
You know, working with Trick Williams, like you know, get
a little beat, you know, you know ad libs, you
know when he come out.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
You know they add a little bit. You know.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Steffan of a Cure, she's doing so awesome with a
little ad libo on some of her stuff. But now
seeing the growth, man of these young guys and the talent,
you know, it's been awesome, especially in NXT with Sean
Michaels in here team working with that next generation of stars. Man,
(38:05):
I'm so living my best life right now because I
think teaching is like my wheelhouse.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
You know, coaching is like my wheelhouse.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
I love, you know, being able to work with the
young guys and trying to get their full potential out
of them, you know what I mean. So for me, Man,
awesome awt some time right now woul't change for anything.
Speaker 5 (38:23):
Most definite, especially when you talk about the RW working
like you said, using all your experience of me and
better poured back into the next generation. It's definitely dope
to see because like you got a lot of people
who get older in the situation, they're like, I don't care.
You can tell your energy it's really still there for
those people.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
You know what, when I started my rest in school
twenty years ago, I wouldn't hire nothing but young kids.
You know, I'm the oldest guy on my crew by
design because they give me a lot of energy. I
got a lot of young kids, and like just say,
for us to get some bad apple or some old
head in there and want to tell some stories from
(38:56):
back in the day, that's just bitter from the bitch,
just the way they treated had treated them. We creating
our new We created new stories. This is a different journey.
This is the way you guys are gonna remember it.
So for me, I'm having a part in that is
so freaking awesome. My right hand man at Reality ar
Wrestling started with me when he was eighteen years old
(39:19):
and now he runs Reality of Wrestling. My partner, Brad
Gilmore on my Hall of Fame show my podcast, started
with me when he was eighteen years old. Now he's
thirty three years old. To grown man, you know, graduated
from college. You know what, I mean, these guys are
gonna take over reality or wrestling one day, you know,
(39:41):
when I'm when, long after I'm gone, Reality of wrestling
is still gonna be here, all due to the way
you know, we've created it.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
You know.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
The young guy. The young guy gonna learn from this guy,
and he's gonna keep passing it on and keep passing
it on and forever more. Reality of Wrestling is gonna
be a staple here, hope on this search just because Man,
for me, it's all about the young guys. I've had
my I've had my time to shine. Yeah, But the
thing is, I'm still having fun. I'm still having fun.
(40:12):
One of my kids, he went to Japan last year.
It was it was his first trip to Japan, and
I was able to help facilitate that.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
And it's just to.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Think from my perspective, Man, he's gonna be running around
with Punky, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
He's gonna be at the Kio Plaza.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
He's gonna go to the hard Rock you know what
I mean. He's gonna get on that bus and go
around to just like I did, and see the same
things I did back This life don't stop, man, it
don't stop. He keeps going and for me to be
able to, you know, pass it on, man, sauce.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
You know what's so dope about this because life even
now we got my man be here, he now tap
into the rest and say heavy man.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
When he saw you with sexy red man, oh.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Man, that's what That's what got me back into it.
I had said it to Jeriff. I'm like, nah, he
got sexy after Booker clowned. That's why I thought you
retired after fool was sexy.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
I was that man, Oh man, I'm telling you, man,
I told my wife, I'm just acting.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
So that's my boy right there. Like I literally called
Jeff Booker to you all the time. So to see
you do that, bro, that really turned me off for real.
That showed me that you still tapped into the youth.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Oh man.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
If you don't know how to change with the times,
the times would truly pass you by, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
So for me, it's all about it.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
I quoted, I quoted little Baby last week.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
What you saying.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I don't call myself a goat.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
I leave that up to the people after some more.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
But I'm scared.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
My boy, My boy, he was like, he was like,
you just quoted little Baby. That's hard, man, that's hard.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
And I know the kids that show around in the
youth like I appreciate that though that you can still
be relatable to them too.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You know.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
You know why, man, it ain't about me, it really is.
That's why I love what I do, I love who
I am, I love you know everything about what's going on.
But it ain't about me. Man. I've had my time,
you know, and for me to see the young guys
doing it, but for me to still be here, I
did not expect to still be doing this thirty five
(42:31):
years later.
Speaker 2 (42:31):
I did.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
I thought, you know, fifteen years ago this thing would
have been over with and I would have been doing
something else.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
But for some reason, I'm still here.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
God put me in this position for some reason, and
I'm gonna just keep doing it and keep doing it
to the best of my ability.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
But it's just like working working in the NXT with
Vic Joseph.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Vic Joseph, I'm his right right hand man, I'm his
oh Polly, he's the guy that's that that that's running
running the whole whole board, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
And I'm gonna try to make.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
That dude look as best as I possibly can. That's
my job, you know what I mean. And I appreciate
the young guys man that that that know you know
why I'm here and know what I'm doing, and and
know that I'm here for them one percent, know that
they can come to me for anything. I'm gonna be
there for him. So now, man, like I say this,
(43:30):
this is a great time in my life. Seriously, I
wouldn't changeing for nothing.
Speaker 5 (43:34):
No, I'm tapped in. But I've been watching LFG. Yeah, yeah,
Legends and Future Great. It's the heck of a show.
But like you said, you tapped in with the youth,
and you know, seeing you on that show and how
you relate to the wrestlers, and how the guys really
embrace you.
Speaker 4 (43:50):
Uh, you can tell that you was meant for this.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
You know what that those shows? Man, I love doing LFG.
I bet a perfect for shows like that.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
Working with Bubba A and working with Biggy James Undertaker,
it's been really really cool. But being able to tap
into the to the young guys and really get into
the head to let them understand what this thing is about,
how how big this opportunity really really is, and the
opportunity like this don't come around to offen few and
(44:23):
far between, So take it as serious as you possibly can.
Look at this like it's a job, like you're waking
up in the morning and you're going do your your
nine to five. Because if you're not looking at it
like that, you're slipping, you know what I mean, Because
you know, if you're not preparing, trust me, somebody else
is preparing a little bit harder than you.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
So for me to really tap in on screen as
well as off screen, you know, because those guys they
call me, you know, we do film study, you know
when when nobody's around, you know, because I'm about winning,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (44:58):
I want my team to win another date, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
So no, man, lfg uh is something that has been
you know, Solis to be a part of, and I
can't wait to season two.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
Most definitely listen. Book We appreciate your time and make
some more. It's a booking Tell you one.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
More time, five times, baby, five times. Listen.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
We appreciate y'all for coming out. Shout out to Chime
for making this wonderful event happen. It's Club five to
twenty we'll see y'all next time.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
The volume
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