WWE News: Booker T Talks Almost Being Fired From WCW, Possibly Wrestling Again

After being involved in the professional wrestling industry for the past four decades, Booker T has achieved an impressive list of accolades. He was a champion in the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the WWE, and various other promotions.

However, it almost didn’t happen as his career almost ended before it ever really began.

In a new interview on the This Is Awesome Wrestling Show, Booker T revealed that he was almost fired from WCW shortly after making his debut. The Houston, Texas, native said that former WCW champion Sid Vicious brought him and his brother into the company.

“Sid has this great idea. And Sid wanted to be an office guy too. Sid wanted to actually be in the office. We were his first project for WCW. If we make it, we make Sid look good. And Sid would say, ‘We got a guy, we are going to put you with Colonel Robert Parker. And we will make you guys the Chi-town Heat. Two brothers that just got out of prison.”

Booker T described the lack of logic with the gimmick, saying that usually inmates are given “getting out of prison” clothes. In their case, the story was that Booker T and his brother Stevie Ray were brought straight from prison to WCW and that Robert Parker (Fuller) was the owner of the plantation where they worked.

In Booker T’s mind, it was the “craziest gimmick you could have ever imagined.” Once people got news of their gimmick, Booker T admits that their future looked bleak.

“Man, Human Resources, the powers that be, the dirt sheets back then, which was Meltzer, and man, they wrote about this stuff. Next thing you know, they brought us in the office. Ole Anderson, he tells me, ‘First thing I think I should send guys back to Texas.'”

It wasn’t until another professional wrestling legend stepped in helped Booker T and his brother settle into the company.

“Dusty Rhodes, God rest his soul, revamped us. Came up with the name Harlem Heat. Took the Kane and Kole off of us and gave us our old names back, which was Booker T and Stevie Ray, that ‘Hot Stuff’ Eddie Gilbert had started us with back in the Global Wrestling Federation.”

Booker T went on to have a legendary career with WCW, winning the World Heavyweight championship (five times), United States championship (once), Television championship (six times), and the Tag Team championships (10 times). Those 10 reigns with his brother led the Harlem Heat to legendary status in professional wrestling.

Once WCW went out of business, Booker T enjoyed a solid run with the WWE from 2001-2007, capturing all of the company’s major championships aside from the WWE championship. After taking a near four-year hiatus from WWE to wrestle for Total Nonstop Action (TNA), Booker T returned to the WWE in early 2011 and has been with the company since.

In 2013, Booker T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Having enjoyed such a great career, Booker T does not see himself wrestling ever again. He admits to enjoying the crowd reactions but is content with everything he’s accomplished in the industry. Booker T also runs his own wrestling school and promotion in Texas, Reality of Wrestling. There are some talented prospects in the school, including former NFL player Brennan Williams, who recently had a WWE tryout.

“As far as getting back in the ring and performing, you know, we got a lot of young guys at NXT, we got a lot of young guys on the roster. Going out there doing their thing, man. It’s their time. It’s their time to fulfill their dreams. Their time to perform at WrestleManias, the grandest stage of them all. Their time to live their Hall of Fame dreams.

“I’ve done it. I have nothing to prove in the business anymore at all. And it’s up to me to give those guys the reins and let them go.”

[Featured Image via WWE]