On a recent edition of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T discussed Paul Heyman’s upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction at Friday’s ceremony.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Paul Heyman saying he will wing his Hall of Fame speech and his own approach: “I had my bullet points. Actually, I didn’t do the [telepromter] or anything like that. I just went out and just felt the room, felt the vibe and tried to just deliver. Had really no real direction, other than my finish. And it’s almost like a match. [laughs] You know, you start from the finish and work your way back. And so I pretty much kind of took that approach. I knew exactly my finish was gonna be all about Sharmell more than anything. And it was gonna be wrapped up after that. You know, we was gonna go home?
“So no, a lot of guys go out and read that prompter and I feel like that’s gotta be hard. Much harder than actually going out there and feeling it. I would imagine that it has to be much harder than going out there and just feeling it… I can read a ticker a whole lot better than a prompter. Going across the bottom, I mean, those are so easy for me compared to actually doing prompter. I can actually feel it a whole lot more on the ticker. So anytime I’m working, and if I can just like get — you know, WWE Biographies or something, if they a prompter, I was like, “Man, can you can you guys work the ticker? We can work that a whole lot better. [laughs]”
On what makes for a good referee: “A good ref, you’re not going to know he’s in the ring. You know, he’s always gonna be on his job, but you’re not going to really notice he’s there. He’s not going to be in your way ever. For me, the referee for me that probably reffed 85% of my matches was Nick Patrick. Nick Patrick in WCW. Then when he came to WWE, he reffed a lot of my matches too. But he was a guy that I could always go to. He was a guy that I could always trust. You know, when you’re in the ring — of course, it takes two to tango. But you really need three to really be able to get the job done. And for me, I would use Nick Patrick so much in so many different ways in the matchup.
“I remember Nick Patrick, he took the bump in my championship match against Rey Mysterio. And he did the biggest bump in that match. He hit out, went out, rolled, and then turned to flip and laid there until he had to make the three count. And everyone over on that side was looking at Nick Patrick because of the performance he pulled out. But that’s what I look for in a referee, a guy that can actually go out there and be seen but unseen at the same time.”
Paul Heyman, the legendary wrestling promoter and manager, is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This news has generated a lot of excitement among wrestling fans and industry insiders alike. On a recent episode of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T shared his thoughts on Heyman’s upcoming induction and discussed various aspects of the wrestling business.
One topic Booker T touched upon was Heyman’s approach to his Hall of Fame speech. Heyman has reportedly stated that he plans to “wing it” and not rely on a teleprompter or scripted lines. Booker T reflected on his own experience and mentioned that he had bullet points for his speech but ultimately relied on feeling the room and delivering from the heart. He compared the process to a wrestling match, where you start from the finish and work your way back. Booker T emphasized the importance of connecting with the audience and being able to feel the moment rather than simply reading from a prompter.
The conversation then shifted to the role of referees in professional wrestling. Booker T highlighted the qualities that make a good referee, stating that they should be almost invisible in the ring. A good referee is always on their job, ensuring that the match runs smoothly, but they should never be a distraction or get in the way of the action. Booker T mentioned Nick Patrick, a referee who officiated many of his matches in WCW and WWE, as someone he trusted and relied on. He praised Patrick’s ability to enhance the storytelling in a match, citing an instance where Patrick took a dramatic bump during one of Booker T’s championship matches.
The podcast episode also featured a video embed of a countdown to WrestleMania, showcasing Jade Cargill’s SmackDown debut and WWE’s top 50 greatest ever moments. This addition provided additional content for listeners to engage with and further immerse themselves in the world of professional wrestling.
Overall, Booker T’s discussion on Paul Heyman’s upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction offered insights into the art of delivering a memorable speech and the importance of referees in creating compelling wrestling matches. It provided fans with a behind-the-scenes perspective and added to the anticipation surrounding Heyman’s induction. As the wrestling community eagerly awaits the Hall of Fame ceremony, this podcast episode served as a platform for reflection and appreciation of the contributions made by Heyman and other key figures in the industry.