Booker T's apparent ego issues in TNA

[TEIWCSCSAATBHPHASP]

Apparently, I read some other thread posts claiming that Booker T has an ego problem, but if it's proven to be true that Booker at one point had caught the entitlement disease, I think his entitlement issues could stem from him wanting to leave the wrestling business altogether to back to his hometown of Houston, Texas if he can't be with his wife Sharmell. As it is, I think this was beginning to take fold while he was still working with the WWE under their SmackDown! brand in 2005, so Vince agreed to bring in Sharmell to keep Booker from leaving for the time being. But Booker's ego problems didn't exist just directly because of his desire to be with Sharmell.

In fact, Booker's ego issues were more magnified during his run in TNA where he gets called out for being lazy and not giving it his all in the ring. It's understandable that Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash and Mick Foley have tapered from relevance over the years due to major injuries, but they still proved that they can still work because it is what it is with those guys, especially Steiner and Nash. But Booker's apparent laziness seems shocking to me, because he was a guy who always seemed to be a worker with little gimmick, with the exception of his King Booker gimmick created by WWE in 2006 when he won the King Of The Ring crown that year. Steiner did a good job reversing the trend of his backstage reputation as a locker room cancer, but after his TNA run and basically his mainstream wrestling career was done by 2011-12, it wasn't enough to get him back into the WWE or even the WWE Hall of Fame.

Booker T apparently had the gall to state that TNA tarnished his legacy when in reality, he chose to go there in the first place because he got a WWE Wellness Policy drug violation in 2007 which marked the end of his and Sharmell's tenure with the E, and so they joined TNA together. Plus, TNA was the only other place where the Orlando-based promotion can lighten the workload for Booker where he couldn't handle the grind of 300+ days on the road a year. What did Booker do to repay TNA? Whinging and complaining was how Booker totally re-paid TNA for their endeavours, to the point that instead of the tough guy that took on Batista during a backstage altercation, TNA got an ungrateful floater who can't even be bothered to give his all to the company.

Obviously Booker can't be judged for the misfortunes of Petey Williams because he brought it all on himself, but it had to have been a drain on morale for a mixture of good workers and other aging veterans/former stars to get overlooked or released while a guy who was becoming practically worthless to the company except a name and a bad attitude was given preferential treatment in TV time and "dat' paycheck", not only for himself but for Sharmell as well.

 

[FromGlasgow]

Ive never heard of Booker T having an ego problem or having a reputation for being lazy as he had so many great matches over the years, Do you have any source to his attitude problems? Admittedly Booker T's work in TNA is the part of Booker T's career I enjoy the least and even though I was a fan of Booker T I barely missed him when he left TNA.
Doesn't any wrestlers who have ever reached that main event level need to have some kind of ego

 

[TEIWCSCSAATBHPHASP]

Ive never heard of Booker T having an ego problem or having a reputation for being lazy as he had so many great matches over the years, Do you have any source to his attitude problems? Admittedly Booker T's work in TNA is the part of Booker T's career I enjoy the least and even though I was a fan of Booker T I barely missed him when he left TNA.
Doesn't any wrestlers who have ever reached that main event level need to have some kind of ego

@FromGlasgow Booker T's attitude problems were not directly related to his time in TNA, it happened right near the end of his tenure with WWE during his King Booker era. In fact, I think Booker actually liked his King Booker work, but the issue in WWE was over him threatening to quit the business altogether if he can't spend some time at home with Sharmell so he has to take her with him on the road to appease him.

The problems only magnified which makes 'em more obvious in TNA because he was nothing more than a floater and a self-entitled aging veteran who can't even be bothered to give his all for the Orlando-based wrestling company. He even grew unhappy at the end of his run, and his signing was meant to help a supposedly upcoming wrestling company potentially compete with WWE like WCW tried to do in the Monday Night Wars, but Booker himself caused low morale among his fellow peers in TNA whether they were young and hungry hotshots that smarks liked or the aging veterans who may have lost a lot of steps but can still make up for it in other areas they otherwise would refuse to do in their prime years.

If Booker hadn't imploded like he did near the end of his WWE tenure and his entire time in TNA, maybe I would still respect him for standing up to Batista in the SmackDown! locker room when they had a real-life backstage fistfight in 2006, but because Booker was WAY in over his head, I guess Batista should've won the backstage fight and before people come on and say that Batista got what he deserved, I'm sayin' that Booker was out of line for not putting up with Batista's arrogance. Booker should've known that Batista was one of SD!'s key performers and so Booker and Sharmell should've kept their mouths shut and heads down in shame and disgrace.

 

[therockiswwf]

Here is a quote from Booker about his time in TNA:

Eh, it was like a vacation, like a paid vacation. I didn't do much there and I wasn't in a lot of angles or anything there and they didn't know what to do with me. I really wanted to help the AJ's and the Bobby Roode's and guys like that but they didn't have any direction.

So, for me, I just came to work, did my antics -- I had an African accent there. [Laughs.] So, I'd come to work, do my deal and go home for two weeks. So, it was easy and I needed the detox, I needed a breather.

And still be on television. I didn't want to not be on television because, like I said, out of sight is out of mind. So, I just wanted to take a break but still be on television to keep people thinking about me. Even though the television exposure was not that relevant, I was still doing my thing. I was still in the mix and wrestling on a fairly regular basis. So, I was still in the game, I didn't let the machine get all rusty.

But, like I said, taking a break was something that I needed. I had been going strong for about 17 years straight without a break. Thank little bit of a break was something that I needed just to re-energize myself.

This sounds very similar to Christian's reasoning for going to TNA (burned out, lived close, easy schedule).

Booker was also running a wrestling school (and still is) during his time in TNA. I looked around for anything about people saying Booker was being lazy and found nothing. Not sure why you think this. He wanted to work with the young guys. They told him no.

Also a veteran guy wanting to be with his wife more isn't a bad thing. That is an acceptable thing to ask WWE for and an acceptable thing to retire from WWE for if they refuse. No issues with it.

 

[Navi]

All wrestler's should have a bit of an ego. Not to the point where it's detrimental to yourself and others, but when you're out there in front of 1000's of people, having faith in one's self always helps.

Didn't the main page report recently that Booker T is thinking of running for mayor of Houston in the next election anyway. So if he does that and wins, he won't be on WWE TV too much, he'll be helping to run a huge city.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The only time I can recall hearing anything regarding Booker's ego came about during the tryout the Young Bucks had in WWE several years back. Their side of the story was that Book had a big ego and didn't like them while Book's side of things involved the Bucks being entitled, having the big ego and behaving as though they were already mega stars.

I'm sure Booker has a bit of an ego and he probably should because he's had one helluva career. Booker's a 16 time World Tag Team Champion in WCW, WWE & TNA combined, 6 time World Champion in WCW & WWE combined, 6 time WCW World Television Champion, 4 time United States Champion in WCW & WWE combined, a run as the WWE Intercontinental Champion and he's an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. Booker's been a big star in the two biggest wrestling promotions in history and something would be screwy if he didn't have something of an ego. However, from what I understand, his ego hasn't been so big that it's a detriment to others and himself; that doesn't mean he hasn't used his stroke and star power backstage from time to time because every significant star in pro wrestling has done, is doing or will do that at some point no matter what company they're wrestling in.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

I don't know if it's an act or what but Booker T acts like King Booker a lot during the pre shows in WWE PPVs. I'm assuming he's just acting like that for the show, but if not, he's a real ego maniac.

 

[LBGetBack]

@FromGlasgow Booker T's attitude problems were not directly related to his time in TNA, it happened right near the end of his tenure with WWE during his King Booker era. In fact, I think Booker actually liked his King Booker work, but the issue in WWE was over him threatening to quit the business altogether if he can't spend some time at home with Sharmell so he has to take her with him on the road to appease him.

The problems only magnified which makes 'em more obvious in TNA because he was nothing more than a floater and a self-entitled aging veteran who can't even be bothered to give his all for the Orlando-based wrestling company. He even grew unhappy at the end of his run, and his signing was meant to help a supposedly upcoming wrestling company potentially compete with WWE like WCW tried to do in the Monday Night Wars, but Booker himself caused low morale among his fellow peers in TNA whether they were young and hungry hotshots that smarks liked or the aging veterans who may have lost a lot of steps but can still make up for it in other areas they otherwise would refuse to do in their prime years.

If Booker hadn't imploded like he did near the end of his WWE tenure and his entire time in TNA, maybe I would still respect him for standing up to Batista in the SmackDown! locker room when they had a real-life backstage fistfight in 2006, but because Booker was WAY in over his head, I guess Batista should've won the backstage fight and before people come on and say that Batista got what he deserved, I'm sayin' that Booker was out of line for not putting up with Batista's arrogance. Booker should've known that Batista was one of SD!'s key performers and so Booker and Sharmell should've kept their mouths shut and heads down in shame and disgrace.

SMH, you need to stop pretending like you know these guys personally or were in the locker room with them. Just enjoy the shows, my man.

 

[sikkbones]

SMH, you need to stop pretending like you know these guys personally or were in the locker room with them. Just enjoy the shows, my man.

Either that or pass around whatever drugs he's been smoking... I would love to be high on whatever's he's on.

 

[New Hot Fed]

Yea I wasn't impressed by his work in TNA. It showed that he didn't gave a shit. We were all talking about this at the time.

Also I heard he didn't want to put anybody over. He refused to job to Matt Morgan.

Then when TNA was about to reform the MEM to feud against Hogan's Immortal, he stabbed them in the back just so he could appear in the Royal Rumble. Making the whole storyline obsolete.