It’s the WWE Backstage Main Event!
Ron Simmons, The Rock, Booker T, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston. Just some of the names in a lineage of Black world champions in WWE. Black History Month is almost over, so Henry and Booker discuss their own journeys in this business. “Book, here we are.” Two men who made it to this level. They loved the journey, but there were others, like Ernie Ladd, who told Henry that he did great, and the company was doing great things with African American talent. Just don’t mess it up for everyone after him. Booker says Henry the Olympic caliber athlete had that going for him, but Booker was “just a kid from South Park.” Booker was sneaking to the other side of town, acting like a wrestler.
Booker remembers Ox Baker telling him, “Kid, can I talk to you?” He saw Booker’s talent, but told him there’d be a lot of obstacles. Booker didn’t need to be told those obstacles, and Baker told him to find ways over, under and around those obstacles. “But with your talent, I think you can do it.” Ox set Booker straight, as did Tiger Conway. “You gotta know how to be a champion in the ring, as well as out of the ring, all the time.” Henry also remembers meeting Conway. You are to make it known to the promoter that you’re going to be on time all the time, that you are reliable. Because when the promoter knows that, they’ll put you in the segments and moments that matter, the moments that make you better.
Henry says he was fortunate enough to be in the Nation of Domination. He had Ron Simmons and The Godfather, these veterans, who taught Henry, D’Lo Brown and The Rock things. Because of those teachings and blessings, those three rose up to be their own individual star stronger than before NOD. Booker notes having his brother, Stevie Ray, watching his back. Winning the world championship was never a thought in Booker’s mind, even as Stevie was telling Booker he was “prolific.” Booker wasn’t even sure what that word meant, but Stevie kept talking him up. Someone else told Booker that he’d be a future world champion, and Booker still didn’t think about it. Booker just wanted to be the best guy in the locker room, to be the best role model for young Black kids watching wrestling. And in the end, that led him to the world championship.
Henry knows that blessings and support systems are great. He’s done his best to be a support system in the WWE Performance Center and NXT. WWE Backstage puts up a great picture of all the young and developing African American talent, both in and out of the ring, at NXT currently. Keith Lee, The Street Profits, Bianca Belair, Mia Yim, even “Wrestle & Flow” Josiah Williams, have all come and gone through the developmental system. Such a system wasn’t even a thing during the days Booker T and Mark Henry were coming up. In fact, there was only a handful of Black wrestlers in WWE or WCW at the time, for maybe eight total. Now, the future looks bright, with Bianca leading the way.
Booker wants Henry to pat himself on the back for that. They surely inspired this generation to do it, and that is thanks to exposure. Exposure on screen, exposure backstage with the ability to go talk and share and mentor. If you’re willing to work hard, come in early and go home late, be reliable, Henry will vouch for you. Booker says that your word is your rep. If you can’t live up to that, you can’t be here. Booker’s Reality of Wrestling gives half a chance to so many, because once you get your foot in the door, it’s on you to carry it the rest of the way. That is all Booker wanted when he started, to show how good he could possibly be.
Henry says they could go on and on all night, the past grooming them for the future. But they thank Fox, WWE and WWE Backstage for this opportunity.
