WWE Hall of Famer Booker T talked about various topics during a recent edition of his podcast, Heated Conversations. Here are the highlights (h/t WrestleZone):
On TNA Schedule:
“TNA was like a vacation. You know what I mean? That’s why I don’t give it a whole lot of props, man, because it was like a vacation man. It wasn’t like I was really working for that money, man. You know what I mean? I was only working like 50 days a year. I had a two-year contract, you know what I mean. It was in Disney. You know, we went to do the tapings down there, so, I was on the rides half the time when I was supposed to be working. You know what I’m saying. So, it was a nice, nice vacation… It was cool working for TNA. It was great.”
On TNA not being very accommodating:
“I remember doing a pay-per-view right here in my own hometown. I was working Samoa Joe, and they wanted me to do media. Go around to all the television stations. I was like, man, I don’t mind doing that. And I remember one of the reps, I ain’t gonna say his name, he called me and he said, ‘Booker. You ready to do the media?’ And I go, ‘Yeah. I’m ready. I’ll text you my address.’ He goes, ‘No, just meet me at this hotel.’ It was right off the southwest freeway. And I live in Friendswood, so he wanted me to drive out there, about a 45-minute drive.
“He wanted me [to] meet him, and we go on all the media tour. I go ‘What you driving?’ and he goes, ‘I have a rental car.’ And I go, ‘I ain’t going nowhere in no rental car, and I ain’t gonna come out there when it should be a rental car coming to my house and pick me up!’ I say, that’s not gonna happen, so he goes, ‘Let me make a phone call.’
“So he calls the office, the office calls me. They say ‘Book. What’s going on? I heard you don’t want to go do the media.’ [I told them], ‘I don’t mind going to do the media, but I’m not driving.’ I said someone should come pick me up. The guys goes, ‘Well, you got some nice cars, don’t you?’ I go, ‘Yeah I got some nice cars. I got five of them. And a Winnebago. And they all gonna stay at home.’ I say, come on man. Every time I had a talent from TNA come to Reality of Wrestling, the flagship of Texas Wrestling, every time I’ve had one come down, they’ve all got limo treatment.
“Picked up at the airport. Brought to the arena. Took back to the hotel, they got a basket in the room. With all kind of fruits and Red Bulls and all kind of stuff in it. And you guys are a major company and you want me to drive myself around? I’m like, come on. Come on. That’s not the way you do business. And I really think that’s one of the reasons why TNA is in the dire straits that they are [now].”
