WWE Hall Of Famer & former 5-time WCW Champion Booker T, recently spoke with ESPN and reflected on his wrestling career & provided a look at what’s next for Booker T. He spoke on running for mayor of Houston, his wrestling career and being able to achieve great things has made him want to give back to his community along with much more.
Here are the highlights: (if you are going to use any of the quotes below, please give credit to ESPN with an H/T to eWrestlingNews for the transcriptions)
Booker T On Still Being A Part Of The Wrestling Business:
“You know, it’s gratifying to be able to change my levels in life. You don’t want to be in one place forever and for me, I had a chance to move to the next stage of life. So many of us wrestlers get caught in one place. For me, I went at 30 years old and knew how well it felt to retire and see what was like on the other side, enjoy the fruits of the labor and now doing commentary is awesome and in my wrestling school, I still have a chance to live vicariously through my wrestling students.”
Helping The Youth:
“I have an obligation more than anything. I was young like a lot of people are tight now, making mistakes. I was young once upon a time looking for that person to look up to. Muhammad Ali was my idol and I always say, if Muhammad Ali had told me the exact same thing my mother, the principal, the security guard, my brothers, you know, the same thing they were telling me that I didn’t listen to, I would have listened, just because it came from Muhammad Ali.”
“Now I’m in that same position, kids walking in the same shoes I was walking once upon a time. Take it a little bit different coming from someone like myself. Their dad telling them is a little bit different than Booker T, telling them and hopefully I’ll be that beacon of life, hopefully I’ll be that Muhammad Ali for that one kid out there.”
Working With Stevie Ray:
“Oh man, first part of my career was awesome. Having my big brother Steve Ray, he’s my blood brother, my real brother, having him watch my back for nearly 10 years in WCW.”
Being Influenced By WWE Hall Of Famer Sheri Martell:
“It was a great ride. Ten-time world tag team champion with my brother and then to work with Sheri Martell back in the days, you know, a dream come true. I always say that Sheri Martell was that one thing that put Harlem Heat on the map, made us a legitimate tag team. We took it from there, after that, the singles career.”
Being Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame:
“Getting the ring, the Hall of Fame ring, going to the trenches, you know, we are like soldiers, we are bruised, battered and torn. For me, going to the trenches; WCW, WWE, seeing it all now being able to give back, you know, becoming a Hall of Famer, thanking the fans for this long ride as well as my wife for being a big, big part of it. I think that’s been my biggest and better achievement. Perhaps, 20 years from now, a lot of young people are going to be making decisions as how the landscape is going to look like as opposed to young people being a part of the problem. I want to be a part of the solution.”
