On a recent edition of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T discussed the incident between Grayson Waller and an Australian TV anchor last week when one of the hosts asked LA Knight to demonstrate his signature move.
Knight declined the request and instead offered the opportunity to Waller who made it clear that he wouldn’t fake a punch.
Instead, Waller warned that the police might need to be called to the studio because he was about to deliver a real punch.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the Grayson Waller incident: “Hey, that’s what you get. I mean, he handled that properly, I mean, he wasn’t gonna give a guy fake punch. He was gonna whack the guy who’s gonna give him, he was gonna hit him in the jaw. And that’s what he would have deserved if [he] want[s] to see how wrestlers do it. Because I’ve hit guys with [a] so-called fake punch, like Steve Austin. [laughs] And it’s the hardest punch he’s gotten hit with. So that’s the way this guy would have gotten if I would have been hitting him. As well as you just — people want to look at wrestling like it’s lowbrow. Like it’s not something worthy of being on television, or being called a sport or whatever, however they want to look at it. You might not want to have certain people on the show because — just like the guy, when he had Mike Tyson on the show. And Mike Tyson just gave him the riot act.
“I mean, I remember Stuttering John caught me in the middle of New York City. And I wanted to kill him, just because I’m like, ‘Bro, this is not the time to be playing around me because, you know, stop playing, stop playing.’ I don’t know if you remember the time when ‘Taker and Vader on that show in Saudi [Arabia], yeah. And yeah, Vader snatched the guy up. And it really gave him the same right, as well as David Schultz. I remember Hogan being on a Richard Belzer’s show and choked him out. Drop him and his head hit the floor, bang! And I think Belzer got $20,000 out of that from a lawsuit or something like that, which might have been more, from that mistake. But stuff like that happens man, and they need to — you might want to check yourself if you’re bringing some wrestlers on your program, because it could go wrong if you disrespect wrestling and disrespect a wrestler right in his face. That’s the hard part, disrespecting the wrestler right in his face.”
On how Waller reacted: “You can tell immediately that Grayson Waller wasn’t feeling it. You can see it in seen his face from the beginning, like ‘Where is this going?’ You know, I like Grayson Waller. You remember when I said that this guy is mature enough to go to the main roster and make it? And I really, truly believe that. Just in that situation right there, he definitely made the boys look good. So I give him big props… Just from that situation right there, I don’t think he did anything wrong at all.”
On Waller giving the person a warning, unlike David Schultz’s incident: “Hey man, that’s giving you fair warning. ‘If you still want to do this,’ you know that’s not like David Schultz? ‘Giving you fair warning, bro. If you’re gonna let me punch you, I‘m gonna punch you.’ Okay, fine. But if the guy’s stupid enough to come from back there doing this stuff, you know, I would have hit him so hard, he’d have had a broken jaw when he left that freaking stage? Seriously.”
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The recent incident involving Grayson Waller and an Australian TV anchor has sparked a discussion within the wrestling community. On a recent episode of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T shared his thoughts on the situation.
During the TV segment, LA Knight was asked to demonstrate his signature move, but he declined and offered the opportunity to Waller instead. Waller made it clear that he wouldn’t fake a punch and warned that he might deliver a real punch instead. This response caught the attention of Booker T and many others in the wrestling world.
Booker T commended Waller for his reaction, stating that he handled the situation properly. He emphasized that wrestlers shouldn’t be expected to fake their moves and that if someone wants to see how wrestlers do it, they should be prepared for the real deal. Booker T even shared a personal experience of hitting Steve Austin with a so-called fake punch, which turned out to be one of the hardest punches Austin had ever received.
The incident also brought up the issue of disrespect towards wrestlers. Booker T mentioned previous incidents where wrestlers had confronted disrespectful individuals, such as Mike Tyson giving a TV host the “riot act” and Vader snatching up a host during a show in Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that if someone disrespects a wrestler right in their face, they should be prepared for the consequences.
Booker T praised Waller for his maturity and handling of the situation. He had previously expressed his belief that Waller is ready to move up to the main roster and succeed. This incident further showcased Waller’s professionalism and ability to make the wrestling community proud.
Comparing Waller’s warning to David Schultz’s incident, Booker T highlighted the difference in approach. Waller gave fair warning to the person involved, stating that if they still wanted to proceed, he would deliver a punch. In contrast, Schultz famously slapped a reporter who questioned the legitimacy of wrestling without any warning. Booker T stated that if someone had acted as foolishly as the person in Waller’s incident, he would have hit them so hard that they would have left with a broken jaw.
The incident has sparked a conversation about the respect and understanding that should be given to wrestlers. Booker T’s comments shed light on the importance of treating wrestlers with dignity and recognizing the physicality and skill involved in their craft.
In conclusion, the incident involving Grayson Waller and the Australian TV anchor has brought attention to the issue of respect towards wrestlers. Booker T’s comments on his podcast highlight the importance of understanding and appreciating the physicality and skill involved in professional wrestling. Waller’s handling of the situation showcased his professionalism and maturity, further solidifying Booker T’s belief in his potential for success on the main roster.