On a recent episode of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer, Booker T, candidly reflected on his journey of becoming the champion of the WWE King of the Ring tournament and the profound impact it had made on his career trajectory.
Here are some excerpts from that interactive session:
Discussing the struggle for King of the Ring winners to outshine their predecessors, Booker T said, “I recall Xavier [Woods] expressing his desire to win the King of the Ring tournament, something that had been his goal for a long time. When I personally won the tournament, it was like a perfectly timed storm. All the stars were aligned for me to reign over the Smackdown world. But, pulling that off is not something everyone can do. Being the greatest and most majestic king of all requires a challenging weekly commitment. Participating in the tournament and winning the King of the Ring is cool, but being the king is an entirely different experience.”
On the subject of being the lone King of the Ring champion in the King gimmick, he confidently said, “Trust me, guys, that’s not a coincidence. It occurred only because they had no other option but King Booker, thanks to my exceptional skills. It thrust the rocket into the machine behind him, because he was majestic and, in my opinion, the greatest king of all.”
Regarding his revolutionary role in the tournament, Booker T said, “I genuinely predicted when I began doing the King of the Ring that after my stint as King Booker, no one else would stand a chance to follow my lead. The King of the Ring victory is one thing, being the actual king is an entirely different affair. I had a clear idea of what I had to do as king, thanks to my upbringing and passion for movies. But more than that, I was fully aware of how I had to perform in the ring as the king. Because a king doesn’t become a king by people liking him. He’s dictatorial and stern; it was a fantastic moment in my career, definitely the best. And the team of Sharmell, Finlay, and [William] Regal – that’s a legendary faction right there. If we had stayed together a bit longer, we should have made history.”