Does Booker T Regret Going to TNA Wrestling?

This is a segment from "The Hall of Fame with Booker T and Brad Gilmore" airing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on ESPN 97.5 in Houston, TX and on halloffamepodcast.com/
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[@DJSkandalous]

Wont lie, when Booker arrived...I started looking at TNA as a competitor. Sure you can argue many were past their primes but their roster was stacked. And you still had the young bulls in AJ and Samoa Joe. Booker gave a bit more credibility. Maybe it was bad storylines that doomed it. But their roster was good.

[@OnlyUknow2]

At one point TNA was better then Wwe imo. Great storylines, Great/Huge roster. And when Jeff hardy came to TNA it was over!

[@2yLiteThaTitan]

and x-division was still poppin

[@DarksaberForce]

@@OnlyUknow2 2005-2009 were it's best years.

[@SHANKDAWGBABY]

Back around the black machismo years

[@jonnylyden]

Booker and Kurt gave TNA major credibility 💯

[@AJ-xv7oh]

Main Event Mafia was the best thing in wrestling at that time.

[@OnlyUknow2]

Shit it's probably the best thing that happened in all of wrestling not just at that time.

[@NWOtion]

Better than anything aew has ever done

[@NWOtion]

Bathrobe_Bane yeah but theyll never have people the caliber of angle, booker and sting

[@TheBlackNostalgiaNerd]

@@NWOtion what has AEW really done think about it ALL IN is not AEW so really think about it what has AEW done

[@Musiclover19]

Unknown Source. Really dude? The best thing that’s ever happened in wrestling? Come on, that’s such a stretch.

[@OnlyUknow2]

When Jeff hardy came to TNA it was like damn why should I even watch Wwe anymore.

[@Excalibur2112]

I felt the same when Kurt Angle joined... His matches improved, impact wrestling shows was him giving PPV quality type matches.

[@hasanmungo9096]

chaos fight music tv badass action I remember wondering what happened to Jeff hardy then one day my uncle to me to turn on this show called TNA that what’s his first run and it was him vs Monty brown

[@BrightWendigo]

@Traon Ally no wwE anymore

[@CrazyStevo]

@@BrightWendigo Facts It's About All Elite Wrestling LLC (AEW) ‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@makubegysman6160]

Me too

[@leewalls1714]

Wrestlers are human beings just like us we all need a break good luck to you BOOKER-T love your work

[@sadiki1980]

Booker was dope in Impact!And The Main Event Mafia were a bad azz,underrated stable.

[@PMSSTOOGE]

No matter how much you accomplished, you were still disrespectfully underrated. And even though the booking wasnt the absolute best with either brand (in my opinion) I was too young when you made the jump to WWE, but I was old enough and fully wrapped in the TNA jump. #MainEventMafia

[@eugenedantzler4485]

In my eyes, Booker T is the GOAT!! Pure wrestling ability! Charisma!! He was my hero as a kid!!!! He deserved more!! I'm still mad about WM19!....... Thanks for the memories Book!!!

[@jpalvarez4972]

Very underrated talent. His match with Bret Hart on the February 22, 1999 Nitro is one of the most underappreciated of recent memory.

[@alanguages]

Definitely. Booker T actually respected, gave a lot to the business and his peers. It wasn't for the sake of ego stroking for himself, unlike HHH.

[@aaronfleming4176]

I've always been a fan of The Book

[@AndreEazyAKAMurph]

Booker doing commentary as he was beating on people was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen 😂

[@wrestlingenthusiast113]

When Booker got Drafted to Raw in June of 07 I knew they didn’t have anything grandeur for him to do.

[@pk_1]

Hell no! Booker was great in TNA he was one of the reasons I watched TNA especially when he was in main event mafia

[@chriscornelius2518]

When Dudleys did a promo with Booker saying everyone in TNA is dealing with royalty; it was fantastic.

[@gallonthegreat7036]

Love how real Booker keeping it here right by his kitchen or hallway just chilling doing work at home..thats the goal proud of you Book

[@Willpowerbomb]

Booker’s memory is not correct. He did not take a year off after leaving WWE. He worked a program with Triple H for SummerSlam 2007 and he debuted with TNA in November 2007. He might be thinking of the time between November 2009 and January 2011 when he appeared at the Royal Rumble. Sharmell was not pregnant during her entire time in TNA, so 2010 was probably when she got pregnant.

[@SWyrick366]

Yeah, I'm listening to this and I'm like: "you lying muther fucker, you were in WWE LITERALLY ONE MOMENT AND IN TNA THE NEXT!!!!" Booker, you are one of the greatest of all time, and your style will never be duplicated, but I think you need to do some heavy thinking and looking back over your career history my friend.

[@00ghostcobra]

I don't think that people fully understand the affects that stress can have on the human body and mind.. People are not built to work 24/7.. You simply MUST take time off for self. It is my bet that stress is one of the leading factors as to why pro wrestlers always seems to die so young...well stress and drugs.

[@BrightWendigo]

Could it also be them throwing themselves through tables or slamming into eachother at high speeds?

[@yourgameisstupid]

I wonder how many other wrestlers' careers and lives would have benefited from taking an extended break. Seemed to do wonders for Book and Jericho, for instance. Who knows, maybe CM Punk would still be wrestling had he taken a break in 2012 or 2013.

[@deadlymixx]

This is why it would be good to have seasons. January - mid November.

[@4zafinc]

@@deadlymixx Lucha Underground did that. Although it was a completely different kind of show

[@jerelminter]

Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit would still be alive, too.

[@Sykosisohio]

I disagree about Eddie and Benoit those dudes did so much roids we couldn’t fathom it

[@yourgameisstupid]

@@Sykosisohio I think Benoit's problem was the huge holes in his brain. Eddie seems like a combination of steroids and other drug abuse.

[@stoptimestudio85]

Iove hearing Booker talk about anything. This is very interesting and Im glad Booker is well.

[@arthurhenderson277]

Much respect to you Booker for putting your health and family first. One of my all time favorites. Sucks that WWE didn’t give you a run as WWE Champion, but their lost.

[@andrewjodon1433]

He was the World champion during his King Booker run.

[@arthurhenderson277]

@@andrewjodon1433 The World Title was on SmackDown. I’m talking about the flagship WWE Championship that was on Raw during his tenure with the company.

[@MrWolfchamp-xi3cu]

TNA was the place to be before Hogan, Bishoff, and AJ left. I see people all the time talking about how Hogan and Bishoff ruined it and I don't understand. It was consistently great television week after week. When they left that's probably how it started going downhill to the uninteresting product it is today with the only character I want to see being Rosemary. She's probably the main thing or even the only thing that's kept me interested in the company over the past year or so.

[@thesprock5270]

It was not even close to great television week after week. Hogan and co stripped TNA of its identity, hired/wasted money on ex WWF wrestlers for 0 reason while ruining home grown talent in the process, 7 minutes of in ring action on a two hour wrestling program.. etc etc

[@RealityOfWrestling]

Very good take on it

[@DJSkandalous]

@@thesprock5270 Hogan wanted a WCW 2.0. But very well met the same fate. They had great names. Bigger names than AEW besides Jericho. But they lacked proper building of the youth which AEW is consistently pushing. WCW was the same way. By the time they pushed Kidman, DDP and Booker it was almost too late. However I do wonder how WCW would have looked if they lasted to like 2005. Them pushing Booker was a step into getting behind younger names.

[@livingforgod7693]

I thought TNA was way better before Hogan and Bischoff. I don't think that era was bad though.

[@saytoomuch]

@@thesprock5270 stop the garbage! what ex-wwe stars did they bring in besides nasty boys, val venis, n orlando jordan. all those guys stayed for a cup of coffee and had 0 impact on the product. TNA in 2010 gave us MCMG/Beer Money best of 5 series, they gave us a great ko feud in mickie/tara, they gave us great matches with doug williams, they gave us option c and and gave the x-division an entire ppv. they re-imaged aj styles in2 the dark aj that he's become, they pushed bobby roode and james storm as singles guys simultaneously, pushed bully ray, and pushed austin aries. stop! they extended the identity of the company

[@robertevans5205]

TNA back then was epic the had the big names and class matches Booker on going he stomping on Creed i well never forget

[@georgetaylor2024]

Thank you for sharing Booker T

[@ivan_572]

Damn book I rlly didn't want that interview to end

[@thataaronromano]

TNA was stacked at that point, they just didn’t have the cash to compete with WWE. The soundstage made them look small time and taping 4 weeks of tv instead of being live ruined the good storyline’s. That’s why AEW has a fighting chance. They have the cash to sustain themselves while they build and to be live

[@CP-kb1du]

He took the money though ...failed to mention this ...no matter he is still a Yes man ...Hogan refused to sell Job for him for the Belt and still he supports the WWE and Hogan ... to this day

[@CrazyStevo]

@@CP-kb1du SMFH 🤦🏾‍♂️ Exactly You Said the truth Booker T is a puppet for WWE they buried him along time ago when he first came to WWF an when he was facing Triple H at WrestleMania That was A true burial of BOOKER T's Major Push when Vince Booked BOOKER T to win the match at WRESTLEMANIA but TRIPLE H Conveniced Vince To not Let him Win by saying im not gonna put him over

[@heghqa]

TNA killed themself by signing too many former WWE people. Most with egos who think they were the best. TNA was doing great with wrestlers like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Chris Saben and many others. It went downhill when they started signing former WWE people. I say people, because i don't want to disrespect the term "wrestler". There is always a fangirl who has to bring AEW up when it has nothing to do with this. AEW isn't that good. It lacks many things. It's more of a hype than actually being something. They can have all the money, but without an interesting show, it will still go to shit. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you can take a "superstar" out of WWE, but you can't take WWE out of him.

[@CrazyStevo]

@@heghqa What you just Said is the damn Truth an they don't wanna hear that That's why AEW won't fall out/Go OUT OF BUSINESS LIKE WCW AND TNA BUT AT LEAST TNA DIDN'T GET BOUGHT BY WWE SINCE THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE NAME FROM TNA TO IMPACT WRESTLING AN ON IMPACTS WORSE DAYS ON THERE SHOW IS STILL BETTER THAN RAW AND SMACKDOWN BESIDES NXT

[@heghqa]

@@CrazyStevo i stopped watching AEW after a few episodes. The constant reference to WWE, the Elite getting put over others, signing former WWE people....... It's al mehhh. They're too busy looking at the past instead of building something good.

[@justincortinas3167]

Looking at bookers house in the background just reminds me that he’s very down to earth

[@nickonite]

Booker said he took a year off before he went to TNA. He debuted a month after he was released from his WWE contract.

[@geoortiz9787]

Book is a star put him in the wwf earlier he would have been like Rock or Austin. Better then triple h

[@damaged2810]

Been like the Rock? Booker is a 2x hall of Famer 6x World heavyweight champ 10x WCW tag team champ His wrestling career surpasses the Rock. Dont give me titles dont mean shit talk. He's the most successful African America of all time

[@unlovedsenpai1045]

@@damaged2810 but homie said as a star.... not simply as someone with accomplishments.

[@xxxxxxx235]

Franklin Evans fax if u are black& a fan of the sport of pro wrestling then Booker T has to be on ya top5

[@owenkorando9595]

@@xxxxxxx235 im white he's in my top 5

[@crowns9966]

@@xxxxxxx235 Why do u have to be black to say he is a top 5? lol

[@farleysmoke5130]

Always gotta look after your self and family first not matter what ya job. Great advice. I love this channel and Booker you’re are dope no doubt 😎💯

[@simonvonschniep4981]

I loved Booker T in TNA. I still think they booked him not that good.

[@RealityOfWrestling]

Had some segments that were gold

[@yourgameisstupid]

@Allen Franklin Your opinion on his opinion doesn't matter only Booker t's opinion on his opinion matters

[@travismcdonald6576]

Simon Von Schniep WWE didn’t do much better.

[@Davis84396]

TheBestFighter that was booker t clearly not giving a fuck! Literally just doing whatever the fuck he wanted

[@Ryusuta]

One thing I'll say about his run in TNA: their remix of his theme song was out of this world.

[@ColeVickSheepShearer]

Walking away from wwe was the best thing for me too. I loved TNA wrestling with you on it. And when you came back to the ship, I watched wwe again.

[@keitrasanders1398]

Super Icon right there Booker T ♥️♥️♥️👊😀

[@HEAVYDIAPER]

I love you Book!

[@edwinkirkland8856]

Brother Booker T..god bless you brother, hoping our paths will cross one day..blessings always my brother (you keep shit 100%in the charts,ya feel me?)

[@fillgollinsdergroarticheme8442]

Is there a reason why the WWE schedule has to be so insane? I mean ... House Shows suck! The faces always win, they don't even have fire for Kane's entrance, no title changes, no backstage segments, no tables, 90% jobbers, ...

[@worldoflos660]

Thank you

[@jherikomark]

They don't have fire for Kane's entrances nowadays anyway, but I agree about house shows sucking

[@yoyobear3]

Geschäftsmodell Klimakrise watch aew so refreshing and enjoyable

[@fillgollinsdergroarticheme8442]

@@yoyobear3 I already do. They don't need house shows.

[@DaRealestme]

At that time they did have Kane fire

[@yomi1047]

Hes lying. He was off for 3 months between WWE and TNA. He came back in 2011.

[@Davis84396]

Yes and he also forgot to mention he failed the wellness policy before he left

[@MoniqueFromPlymouth]

@@Davis84396 | Thats what I remember as well... the story I read was Booker failed a drug test and was going to face a long suspension by WWE, so he told Vince to keep that suspension as he's quitting. Booker clearly is still embarrassed by this part today which is why he won't talk about it.

[@adrian-et6zr]

The chicken promo is so funny 🐔😂🐔

[@tiktokgirl007]

"Just like john cena came" you cant see him

[@TheGoman21]

I guess that’s why the video ended right there.

[@blacksavage8396]

Respect!!! 🤣🤣

[@RKOWNEDU]

Ummmm books timings are a bit off when he said he left for a “year straight” Left WWE in August 2007 TNA debut November 2007

[@Rollyboy141]

Hywel E I know right lol! I’m like holdup

[@walruswasrob]

Hmm. That looks like a 90 day No-Compete clause.

[@truuflight1142]

He’s a wwe yes man that’s why

[@awa_iwa]

Legend!!!

[@davidrue5488]

Respect to Book!

[@Howl201]

Book end was a good finishing move lol perfect for him

[@ReeseMan]

I felt like booker T was burn out he needed a break i think if he would have kept going in wwe he would not be here today he did whats best for himself and his family and health much respect

[@Davis84396]

He failed the wellness policy in August 2007 and got pissed off with WWE and asked for his release. Nothing to do with burn out or needing time off! He ended up in TNA as he nowhere else to go, wrestlers talk absolute shit at times and it amazes me people just believe them when there a facts to show they are lying..

[@thefreakyrobber0]

I loved King Booker and the Main Event Mafia!!!

[@Lutessa853]

KING BOOKAH!

[@lacendark]

3:47 😆

[@vasilasenov657]

Yea but we need people like you in the ring

[@nwoprime1]

i remember msin event mafia ehen booker was say"reeeespect"

[@UltimateShadow10]

Remember Black Snow? Best episode of Impact that year.

[@jeffstift]

Keep your head up Booker..I have been telling fam,neighbors this..We have to value our time..There is going to be another day.So we have to spread things out..We may want to do something today where we can do the same thing 3 days later,a week later or whenever.

[@antoniobell6299]

Respect

[@willieholmes1483]

One of my favorite moments on TNA was when Booker was doing a match and did commentary while beating his opponent! 😂

[@Ribbo]

Any time there is a question in the title, the answer is always no. Because if it was yes, they would just have a statement in the title instead.

[@zekea9071]

There should be game management for wrestlers. Crazy!

[@benmaclean5275]

Jim cornete drive thru will tell you allll about tna. Booker t is awesome

[@cocosguesthousekohphiphi5704]

Really Cool youvid

[@MarkusTate1998]

👍👌🤟🤘🤝BookerT

[@SkeetabooTV]

How do you send booker a question?

[@thecryptoendgame]

Play kimbo slice in a movie king 👑

[@MeNoSpeakJibberish]

Lets not forget his amazing African bush accent 😂

[@devionnecarter7747]

TNA was so good when Booker first got there

[@MazzaMedia_]

Booker T: Wrrrrespect.

[@C1R3_]

The 🐐

[@Clymax01]

Booker T just needed time off TNA was the titanic waiting to happen

[@CP-kb1du]

Booker T needed the money why he went there he was paid 600K and the Troll is complaining in 2020 Regretting going he is a joke ....he has no hard feelings Hogan refusing to drop the Belt in WCW ....to him ...

[@scottishdanny2432]

He didn't take a year off, he left WWE in September 2007, and debuted in TNA at Genesis in November 2007.

[@glenn5517]

im dead booker also said he returned to wwe in 2012 when he returned in 2011 and he said he came to tna in 08 or 09

[@fancylance3457]

Yeah I was about to comment about that. But he's always alittle off with dates.

[@HiPHOPx87]

TNA Was GOLD!

[@john94949]

Even _I_ regret his Booker's TNA signing lol

[@yunghurricane35]

Booker T was the most entertaining thing in TNA and made a great feud wit AJ styles and made his own championship “legends” title and was one of the best stars in TNA besides Sting and Kurt Angle

[@crucestown8677]

Yung Hurricane booker t is better then alk them but sorry booker t belongs in wwe

[@AwesomeFilmsify]

Booker T is on my Mount Rushmore

[@RealityOfWrestling]

👏👏👏

[@jamesstewart8377]

Man I thought Booker T was on the announcing team in WWE in 2011. Weird how your mind works.

[@kvinche8120]

That was a good move for Book ..he started to get a lil stale like everybody does after awhile..Even The Rock

[@matthiasrambally1899]

At a certain time TNA was amazing with Austin Aires, bully Ray, suicide masked wrestler angle , the X matches with the X above the ring, aj styles and Samoa joe etc it was Great

[@brandonselitetv1436]

It's called the Ultimate X Match

[@user-bd4we4ef9i]

The mid to lateish 2000s tna was the best wrestling on tv hands down. Amazing while it lasted

[@RealityOfWrestling]

It was there golden era

[@Titantro]

I dont think Booker T damaged his carerer with his TNA run. I have been a big time fan of him ever since I saw him in 2004. He is one of the best

[@ScorpGamma]

I think booker leaving wwe was smart since it was too much. Plus there’s no telling what might of happen with him creatively.

[@MrSpeed-lt8gr]

We would have never had Black Snow if it wasn’t for TNA!

[@PUNSHDRUNKBOXING]

Your very smart. Put health and family first.

[@michaeljennings1933]

Lolz he turned up straight away

[@staticshock4654]

“If It looks like a chicken, and it clucks like a chicken it’s a chicken” - Booker T 🐐 moment!!

[@hotman718]

Say it to the face

[@Excalibur2112]

Bag-gaaack 🐔🐓

[@hotman718]

@@Excalibur2112 ITS ALL ABOUT THEE FIVE

[@Ucey365]

M.E.M. was so damn entertaining. I loved Booker’s character. Especially his interactions with Nash. TNA was dumb for not making him a world champion though. That legends title would have meant more if he had created it after losing the world belt. Claiming he was robbed & this was the true championship to hold.

[@ajwhite3758]

I wanna see Booker T house tour again to see the big difference from 2002 Edit: I mostly wanna to see want them box TVs got upgraded to

[@glenn5517]

i dont think he lives at that house no more

[@ajwhite3758]

Glenn not Glen Fr then I wanna see the difference between the 2 but why he move

[@glenn5517]

@@ajwhite3758 im just guessing as that video was shot in 2003 i think? if you watch a 2012 video of booker t cooking in his house i think its a different house

[@ajwhite3758]

Glenn not Glen it’s was 2002

[@glenn5517]

@@ajwhite3758 what i said still implies though

[@treyoftriphorya]

I think many of the talent leaving for TNA at the time worked. Aside from the burn outs I feel if they didn’t they would just go in another circle. We already saw Booker face HHH, Kane, Undertaker, Cena, Big Show etc since 2001. Same for Kurt we had already seen those matches and unles they were going to let him be a face again it just wouldn’t work. Then it also wouldn’t give others the chance to grow. Randy, Punk, Edge, Jeff, Christian. At a time where something different needed to happen.

[@brucebanner3566]

The main event mafia had the coolest name. It had one of the best rosters and whenever Scott Steiner would call Samoa joe fat and everyone else would try not to laugh when he would say that.

[@doublegtotheg9807]

Booker T did well in TNA, when he left is around the time TNA went downhill...almost dissolved, then you had the whole Billy Corgan scandal which was the darkest few years for the company...and now Impact is very much a sub par promotion....sub par talent, sub par fans (in their hundreds), not even being broadcasted on TV in the UK right now...it's a shambles.

[@samoanjoseph1457]

I suspect most people don't regret going to TNA, so much as they regret either something that happened there or what caused them to leave TNA.

[@ClubAmerica92]

Damn I’m 30 and feel as if I’m 50

[@georgetaylor2024]

I respect that Booker 100%

[@janetchambers5284]

now can you dig that sucker

[@DemiGod410]

His dates are off

[@fryphilip7474]

Easy money for 1/5 of the schedule

[@lordgokublack876]

This is crazy They own your life have your soul

[@Jungletraveler00_12]

TNA was at the time one of the biggest companies in wrestling because of AJ Styles, Sting, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, the different atmosphere with the six sided ring and because of the storytelling. Why would anyone regret going to TNA before the 2010 era !?

[@MrSotero123]

It makes you wonder just how difficult it was for John Cena during the ruthless aggression AND PG era. His former relationship with Nikki Bella suddenly makes so much sense.

[@boomdaddycool4328]

I'm glad Booker doesn't regret leaving for TNA cuz TNA was the up and coming competition imo TNA impact from 2005-2010 was the better brand and with out Book we would have never gotten one of the greatest factions in the history of Pro wrestling The Main Event Mafia 💪🏾🤘🏾

[@christopherhamer9584]

Not true. Booker left in August 2007. He debuted in TNA in December 2007.

[@mmurph]

He got paid decently, and he barely had to wrestle. That sounds like a real good time.

[@ScribblesChannel]

whenever i think of tna i always think of when MEM kicked Christian’s ass out of the ring because he was leaving to the WWE. very underrated promo. that was when tna was at its peak. 2008-2011 was a good time for tna

[@DerrickHolmes2024]

BOOKER T DID THE RIGHT THING

[@dondorian]

did book have a run in 2012? i just rememer the rumble and a few segments.....more like a walk

He got the raw deal in wwe he should had been wwe champion and multiple wwe world heavyweight champion

[@truestdude]

Can u imagine Booker T in the Attitude Era? Bruh!! Shit would've been EPIC!!

[@dantewilliams3441]

He was apart of that era

[@truestdude]

@@dantewilliams3441 I mean from beginning 2 end. By the time he was on the King Booker gimmick his body was ready 2 give out on him. The King Booker gimmick should've lasted way longer than it did. But I understand why he chose 2 walk away

[@dantewilliams3441]

@@truestdude facts