Booker T: I Don’t Think WWE Is Truly Selling Wrestling, They’re Selling Entertainment

Booker T highlights a key difference he sees between WWE and AEW.

Booker T highlights a key difference he sees between WWE and AEW.

Booker T has had a successful career in the wrestling world; he has been featured in WCW, WWE, and TNA. The former world champion has been renowned for his skills in the ring and as an entertainer. He has lived through plenty of wrestling history, as he became a key member of the WCW roster during the Monday Night Wars. With that in mind, Booker T has seen some heated competition between wrestling companies in the past. Likewise, the competition between WWE and AEW continues to generate buzz, long after WCW went under.

Speaking on The Hall of Fame with Booker T and Brad Gilmore, the WWE Hall of Famer and NXT Commentator was asked whether he thinks WWE will sign CM Punk, Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone, or Giulia in response to AEW signing Will Ospreay and re-signing Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).

“I really don’t think WWE is gonna start making moves because of AEW’s signings. I just don’t think that’s gonna happen. The reason why I don’t think it’s gonna happen is, that wasn’t the blueprint when WCW started hiring guys. They just help WCW hire everybody out there. They didn’t care. They had those core guys, and they were gonna ride on those core guys, and those guys were good enough to ride on. I think WWE right now, the talent in WWE, I think we got good enough talent to actually ride on and compete against any wrestling company in the world. I could be wrong, but I don’t think WWE is selling wrestling matches. I just don’t. The wrestling matches are the means to an end, the payoff. But I don’t think WWE is truly selling wrestling. WWE is selling entertainment every week, and hopefully will wise up and realize that this is the entertainment business. Of course, wrestling is on the marquee, but the real wrestlers are in the UFC. The real wrestlers are those collegiate guys, NCAA, all that kind of stuff. What we do is performing art, and I really would implore those guys to understand, to make it to that next level, you gotta be entertaining,” Booker T said.

Booker T continued by highlighting his own experience as an example. He also pointed to Kurt Angle as an example of a wrestler who learned how to become a great entertainer. Booker T stated that making it to the next level requires a performer to adapt to being an entertainer.

“I say that because when I came from WCW, I was a wrestler. I could do anything in the middle of that ring, but I wasn’t an entertainment guy. But once I started learning how to do it, that’s when I started going over. That’s when I started really making money. Everybody that has made it to that level has been able to entertain. I look at Kurt Angle, and what I always think about I Kurt Angle with that little cowboy hat and that ukelele, and this an Olympic gold medalist who won with a broken freaking neck. So my thing is, if you don’t adapt to being an entertainer in this business, you’re not gonna last very long,” he said.

During the podcast, Booker T stated that he thinks NXT should get another women’s championship. Check out his comments here.

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