Tag: booker t

Daily Update: Tyrus, Booker T, Dezmond Xavier

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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Thursday Update

WWE

  • Wrestler/political commentator Tyrus (the former Brodus Clay) told TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast that he thinks there’s a good chance President Donald Trump will be at John Cena’s last match this December, which is taking place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday Night’s Main Event:
    • One thousand percent. If he says he’s going, he’s going. And that’s not by no mistake [the show being in Washington, DC]. He might even be in the finish. He might hit a binding resolution in the middle of that match. But, you know, I definitely think if the President says he’s going to be there, he’s going to be there. Because he’s a fan, he loves it.
  • KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York announced that – instead of hosting the January 5 episode of Raw – it will now host the January 2 episode of SmackDown. Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is the new venue for the January 5 Raw.
  • Bayley shared a photo on social media with AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander.
  • Ricky Saints was a guest on Busted Open Radio today.
  • The Undertaker appeared on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast with Tom Segura.
  • WWE posted a video with Jacob Fatu meeting up with The Boogeyman, who helped Fatu when he was on the indie scene.
  • WWE Vault uploaded a found footage video with clips spotlighting wrestling’s most terrifying monsters.

Other Wrestling

  • On his Hall of Fame radio show, Booker T was asked if he’d be interested in having Mercedes Mone challenge for the Women’s Championship in his indie promotion Reality of Wrestling:
    • Yeah, without even a shadow of a doubt. Without even thinking about it. She wants to come to Reality of Wrestling — drop me a line. Shoot, we’ll get you in. You know what I mean? We’ll even put the title on you. Mone wants the Reality of Wrestling titles? Come on down here and get them. Okay. No problem. I’ll sign it right now.
  • Toa Liona is participating in a fundraiser to help find a cure for Type 1 diabetes:
    • Y’all may know me as @AEW Star Toa Liona, but I am also a father to a daughter with Type 1 Diabetes. This Sunday @BreakthroughT1D Walk Fundraiser is happening so we can find a cure to this disease. Donate whatever you can, any amount will go a long way
  • Kyle O’Reilly was the guest on this week’s episode of AEW Unrestricted.
  • Adam Copeland is celebrating his 52nd birthday today.
  • TNA World Champion Mike Santana reflected on visiting an Eddie Guerrero mural in El Paso:
    • When we came to El Paso in March, things were so busy that I didn’t get to come and pay my respects. But this time around, I made sure to make it a priority.
    • As soon as we pulled up and I got out the car, I could feel goosebumps. As we all know, Eddie is a huge inspiration for me. Not just being a Latino in the game and someone that I looked at as a kid and aspired to be. But someone who, like me, brought himself out of the trenches of rock bottom. Put in the work, paid his dues, and proved that he belonged under the brightest lights possible. So he can share with the world the gift that God has blessed him with.
    • I remember being kind of disappointed that I couldn’t make it the last time. But coming here now, AS A WORLD CHAMPION. Meant the absolute world to me. Blessed to be able to be paying tribute while carving my own path in this game.
  • Dezmond Xavier (former NXT wrestler Wes Lee) is now accepting bookings following his WWE release and will be free to work starting on November 11. He is represented by Paragon Talent Group.
  • House of Glory Wrestling will make its Los Angeles debut on January 30, 2026 with a show named City of Angels. It’s being held at the Globe Theatre, which was the home to PWG before that promotion went on its hiatus.
  • Ronda Rousey was a guest on the Bertcast with comedian Bert Kreischer.

Booker T postpones indie event in honor of John Cena’s WWE retirement match

Posted on by Ian Carey

Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling has postponed an event originally scheduled for the same date as John Cena’s retirement match.

ROW Sub Zero was to take place on December 13. However, Booker posted to social media on Wednesday that they are pushing the event back a week so as not to conflict with Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC, that night, which will feature the final match of Cena’s career.

Booker wrote:

“In honor of @JohnCena ’s final match taking place December 13th on Saturday Night’s Main Event, we at  @TheOfficialROW have made the decision to move our annual winter event, #SubZero, to December 20th. Some moments in this business are bigger than any one show — and this is one of them. We want the entire wrestling world to come together to watch, reflect, and honor the greatest of all time as he takes his final bow.”

The pre-sale for tickets to the December 13 show went on sale today, and fans are reporting long waits to purchase tickets online, with some saying over 50,000 potential buyers were ahead of them. The event is being held at the Capital One Center, home to the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics.

As for who Cena will face in his final match, Dave Meltzer reported recently that a tournament will be held with the winner facing Cena on the show, and that Gunther is expected to win. Meltzer’s article is available for subscribers here.

WWE SummerSlam pre-show special to air on ESPN Radio

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: ESPN

WWE is coming to ESPN — in audio form, anyway.

First reported Tuesday night by Sean Ross Sapp, a SummerSlam pre-show audio special hosted by Booker T and Hall of Fame podcast co-host Brad Gilmore will air this Saturday from 1-4 PM Eastern on ESPN Radio. Their show airs on ESPN 97.5 in Houston three nights a week.

For the first time ever, SummerSlam will be held on both Saturday and Sunday, emanating from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this weekend.

WWE SummerSlam night one (Saturday, August 2):

  • WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against CM Punk
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
  • Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
  • Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
  • WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill
  • Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

WWE SummerSlam night two (Saturday, August 2):

  • Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against Cody Rhodes in a street fight
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
  • WWE United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jacob Fatu in a steel cage match
  • WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Lyra Valkyria in a no DQ match (if Lynch retains, Valkyria cannot challenge for the title again while Lynch is champion)
  • WWE Women’s World Champion Naomi defends against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
  • WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against Motor City Machine Guns, The Street Profits, DIY, Fraxiom, and Andrade & Rey Fenix in a six-pack TLC match

Booker T on Swerve Strickland’s AEW Dynasty promo: ‘I’m not even going to get upset about it’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Booker T has responded to Swerve Strickland’s comments following AEW Dynasty.

On his podcast, Booker T said that he wasn’t upset about Strickland saying “F*** Booker T” during a promo that took place after Dynasty went off the air. But he did say that he didn’t think Tony Khan appreciated his statements. 

“I’m not even going to get upset about it. I’m going to give Swerve Strickland a little bit of advice…that advice would be don’t be talking about something other than the pay-per-view at the end of the night. That’s the main event and the last thing people are going to remember….I’m sure Tony Khan don’t appreciate the news, the headline not being what happened at Dynasty with all the matches…they’re talking about Booker T. That was a bad move.”

Booker T further said that he had felt the dispute was over, and didn’t expect to see himself trending on social media Monday morning.

“People like Swerve, we come from a different cloth, a totally different cloth. I wish nothing but the best for this dude, man,” he later added. “I want to see him succeed. Would I ever say anything positive about him ever again? Probably not. Would I ever put him over as far as being a good worker and someone who could perhaps transform this business? I probably would never ever do that again. Because I learned my lesson.”

Strickland and Booker T have traded words for the last year after Strickland was critical of WWE’s treatment of Black wrestlers, with Strickland arguing that the company doesn’t market them fairly. Booker T on his podcast argued otherwise.

On a recent episode of VladTV, Strickland responded by saying that Booker T wasn’t treated fairly when Vince McMahon used a racial slur in front of him at Survivor Series 2005. Booker T responded by accusing DJ Vlad of pitting the two against one another, saying he had turned down an offer to be on Vlad’s show. Vlad later denied those allegations.

Swerve Strickland addresses live crowd after AEW Dynasty: ‘F–k Booker T’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Swerve Strickland had a message for Booker T following AEW Dynasty.

The former AEW World Champion addressed the live crowd in Philadelphia in an unaired segment after his loss to Jon Moxley in the main event. He spoke about representation in wrestling and performing in Philadelphia early in his career before closing with a message for Booker.

Strickland said:

“When I talk about representation, I mean it every single time I f–king speak on it. One year—this kid right here that you supported for these last 12, 13 years—one year, five main event pay-per-views for Swerve Strickland. I don’t just speak about representation—I go out there and prove the f–king thing. And I only make it this far because of you people right here chanting ‘Whose house?’ Every single city, every single arena, every stadium—whether it’s the United States or if it’s in London, in front of 50,000, 80,000, I don’t care if it’s 200—I always want to hear y’all chant ‘Whose house?’ Thank y’all for being here. Thank y’all for the merchandise. Get home safely. And one last thing, just for my amusement: f–k Booker T.”

Swerve Strickland Addresses Crowd after Dynasty Main Event, Curses out WWE Legend
byu/JVG227 inSquaredCircle

Booker T and Strickland have clashed of late regarding Strickland’s criticism of WWE’s treatment of Black wrestlers. Strickland has said that WWE doesn’t market its Black athletes fairly and Booker responded on his podcast saying the company has treated him fairly for 20 years. During an appearance on VladTV, Strickland responded to Booker, saying that WWE didn’t treat him fairly during a 2005 Survivor Series segment when Vince McMahon used a racial slur in front of him.

In response, speaking on his “Hall of Fame” podcast, Booker T revealed that he confronted Strickland about his comments when they encountered each other at an event in Richmond, Virginia, saying he was disappointed in him.

Booker said:

“You may not hear about a lot of racial issues with Booker T because I handled racial issues head first. I opened doors, I broke down barriers for people like Swerve Strickland. Swerve Strickland perhaps would not even be here if it wasn’t for me. I have to apologize for nothing that I’ve done in this business.”

WOL: Tony Khan AEW media call, WWE news, your calls

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

With Bryan Alvarez out playing the role of Cheech The School Bus Driver, Mike Sempervive is back with a solo show and there’s a lot to get into. Josh Nason stops by the show to give a rundown on Tony Khan’s media call today, plus WWE news, thoughts on Booker T’s response to being pictured with Chasyn Rance, your calls and much more. A fun show as always, so check it out~!

Click here for the commercial-free download (subscription required)

Booker T defeats Zilla Fatu at Reality of Wrestling event

Posted on by Ian Carey

Booker T picked up his first win in almost six years this weekend, but he used underhanded tactics to do so. 

Booker defeated Zilla Fatu at Saturday’s Reality of Wrestling Battle to the Bell event in Texas City, Texas. Several wrestlers, including TNA’s AJ Francis, interfered on Booker’s behalf before the 59-year-old hit Fatu with the Book End for the win. It was his first win since defeating Rex Andrews at an ROW event on January 12, 2019.

The event streamed live on the Title Match Network. 

Fatu, son of the late Umaga and a member of the Anoa’i family trained under Booker T and debuted for Reality of Wrestling in July 2023. However, that September, Booker announced that Fatu would no longer appear at Reality of Wrestling events due to “irreconcilable differences.”

“I can’t tell you when you’re going to see Zilla again because he is now no longer a part of Reality of Wrestling due to irreconcilable differences, let’s just put it that way,” Booker said on his podcast. Fatu returned that March. 

Fatu also wrestled in GCW for several months before the promotion announced he was no longer with them in September. Ahead of an event in Philadelphia, GCW wrote, “Zilla Fatu will not be appearing on tonite’s GCW event in Philadelphia or any GCW shows for the foreseeable future. We tried our best to avoid this situation, but we have reached an impasse.We wish him the best. Matt Tremont will now face SLADE tonight at #GCWAura in Philly.”

Fatu has also been wrestling with House of Glory in New York, where he is the current HOG Crown Jewel Champion. 
















Booker T to wrestle Zilla Fatu at upcoming Reality of Wrestling event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Booker T is wrestling once again.

The NXT announcer agreed to a match against Zilla Fatu for an upcoming Reality of Wrestling event on January 11. Footage from Sunday’s Breakout show saw Fatu confront Booker T, challenging him to a match for next month. After asking fans if they wanted to see the match, Booker T agreed, setting up his first match since a Royal Rumble appearance in 2023.

Prior to the Royal Rumble cameo, Booker T wrestled in a ten-man tag team match that took place in July of 2022 for ROW.

Fatu, the son of former WWE star Umaga and part of the Anoa’i family, was trained by Booker T and made his debut for Reality of Wrestling last year. After a brief departure, he made his return to the company where he has since held the promotion’s top title. Fatu also made appearances for GCW, but the promotion announced in September that he would no longer be appearing on their shows.

ROW announced on social media Sunday that they had broken their previous Sunday night attendance record.

Booker T says his WWE contract ‘should be coming up soon’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Booker T says his contract with WWE doesn’t have much time left.

During an appearance at the River City Wrestling Convention on Saturday, Booker implied he’ll be looking to “get a little more” on his next deal, but also said he’s having a lot of fun working in NXT at the moment.

“I think (wrestling) is about having fun more than anything, especially the NXT brand,” Booker said. “If you’re watching it and you’re listening to me, we’re having fun, we’re winning.”

“I think, right now, NXT is hot. Everybody is geared to going out and performing and performing to try and make it to that next level. And if I can have any part in these guys making it to the next level, I’m a have some fun.”

“Contract should be coming up here soon and, you know, like Sexyy Red says, ‘shake it real fast, get a little more,'” he continued

Booker has been the NXT color commentator since October 2022 when WWE shuffled its commentators after Pat McAfee left for ESPN College Gameday. He’s worked various commentating roles for WWE dating back to 2011. The 59-year-old said earlier this year that his appearance in the men’s Royal Rumble in 2023 was his last match.

“I didn’t think I was going to be having this much fun at this stage in my career,” Booker continued. “Like I said, I leave on a flight at 5:20 going to Vegas and I can’t wait to get to Vegas for Battleground tomorrow.”

Booker T doesn’t think Trick Williams is ready for WWE main roster yet

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With the 2024 WWE Draft starting soon, Booker T doesn’t think Trick Williams is ready for a main roster call-up quite yet.

The draft begins on SmackDown this Friday and concludes on Raw next Monday. Before that, Williams will challenge Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship at NXT Spring Breakin’ week one tonight (April 23). The match comes with the stipulation that, if Williams loses, he will have to leave NXT.

NXT commentator Booker T spoke with WrestleRant ahead of Spring Breakin’. During the interview, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer responded to a question about Williams’ in-ring ability:

Man, Trick has had a meteoric rise. It’s one thing about the wrestling, it’s subjective to the person that’s watching it. I never really look at that side of it, because I really wasn’t that great of a wrestler myself — I just act like I was a good wrestler [laughs]. But Trick Williams, he’s done something so captivating and that’s be able to connect with that crowd. That crowd wants to see Trick win. They want to see him come up. Just because that charisma that he displays on a weekly basis. He’s a good dude as well.

His wrestling? That’s going to come. I talk to Trick Williams all the time myself about that aspect of his game, and that’s not something that happens overnight. Trick Williams has had — literally you can count just about on both hands how many matches Trick Williams has had actually in the ring on television. So for me, Trick is a diamond in the rough. But trust me, once we polish him up man, he’s going to shine and he’s going to shine like new money.

And right now, he’s doing a hell of a job as far as creating his aura in NXT. By the time he gets to that next level — I can honestly say this: is Trick Williams ready for the main roster right now? Me personally, I don’t think so. But that’s what NXT is for — to get these young guys ready for that next level, just like Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo’s been grinding in NXT for about the last two years, he’s been grinding. Give Trick Williams that same amount of time and see how this young man develops. He is truly going to be a generational talent in this business that hasn’t come along in a long time.

Williams, a former football player, joined the WWE Performance Center in 2021. He turns 30 years old next month.

Tonight’s Dragunov vs. Williams main event is a rematch from NXT Vengeance Day, where Dragunov defeated Williams to retain the NXT Championship. Williams is coming off two victories against Carmelo Hayes in recent weeks.

Dragunov has already declared for the WWE Draft.

Wrestling Observer Live: Ole Anderson, Booker T returns, RAW, Roman Reigns and Rock, RAW notes

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including Ole Anderson, NXT and AEW this week, the return of Booker T, RAW notes, WrestleMania, Rock and Roman Reigns, ratings, all the news and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Booker T returning to WWE NXT commentary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Starting tonight (February 27), Booker T is returning to his role on the WWE NXT commentary team.

Booker T has been away from the NXT commentary desk since having to miss Vengeance Day earlier this month. Booker T announced that he had undergone a medical procedure and would miss the next couple weeks of NXT. Booker T missed Vengeance Day and three weeks of NXT television following the procedure.

Booker T said last week that he was about one week away from being able to make his return. On Monday’s episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T confirmed that he’ll be back on NXT tonight: 

I’m going back to work. I’m going back to work [Tuesday], guys. Make sure you catch me on NXT. I can’t wait to get back, I’m excited. I’m probably about 98 percent, and I’m good to go.

Booker T hasn’t disclosed the procedure he had done, noting that he doesn’t like to put his business out there. But Booker T said the procedure went very well and he healed up quickly: 

My procedure went very, very well. I healed up pretty quickly. I’m not in any pain or anything right now. So I’m looking forward to getting back to work. I hate being idle, sitting at home not doing a whole lot.

Vic Joseph and Booker T are the commentary team for NXT. At Vengeance Day, Wade Barrett filled in for Booker T. Byron Saxton then filled in for Booker T on the last few weeks of TV.

The lineup for tonight’s NXT can be seen below:

  • NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov & Carmelo Hayes face-to-face
  • Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar defends against a member of No Quarter Catch Crew (Drew Gulak, Damon Kemp, Charlie Dempsey, or Myles Borne)
  • Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade
  • Roxanne Perez vs. Jakara Jackson
  • Von Wagner vs. Lexis King
  • Kiana James vs. Kelani Jordan
  • Dijak vs. Luca Crusifino
  • Ridge Holland speaks

Booker T ‘about one week’ away from WWE NXT return

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Booker T is about one week away from being able to make his WWE NXT commentary return.

Earlier this month, Booker T announced that he had undergone a medical procedure and would be away from NXT for a couple of weeks. Booker T missed NXT Vengeance Day and the past two weeks of NXT television following the procedure.

In an update given on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said he’s feeling good and is back in the gym. Booker T noted that he’ll be back on NXT commentary in about one week. One week from today is the February 27 episode of NXT.

“I’m coming back. I’m coming back strong in about one week,” Booker T said. “I’m about a week out. I had a doctor’s appointment this week just to make sure everything is all clear. Everything’s healing up real good.”

Booker T hasn’t disclosed the medical procedure he had done, stating that he doesn’t like to put his business out there.

Booker T and Vic Joseph are the regular commentary team for NXT. Wade Barrett filled in for Booker T at Vengeance Day. Since then, Byron Saxton has filled in for Booker T on NXT TV.

Tonight’s NXT episode was taped in advance due to key NXT personnel being in Australia for a set of WWE tryouts. The tryouts are taking place in advance of Perth, Australia hosting Elimination Chamber this Saturday.

Spoilers for tonight’s NXT can be found here.

Booker T gives update after missing WWE NXT Vengeance Day

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T gave an update after having to miss WWE NXT Vengeance Day due to a medical procedure.

Booker T announced on Sunday that he underwent a medical procedure and will need to miss the next couple weeks of NXT television. Wade Barrett filled in for Booker T on commentary at Vengeance Day.

While speaking about the procedure on his podcast, the 58-year-old Booker T thanked everyone for the well-wishes they’ve sent him. Booker T reiterated that he’s going to take the next couple of weeks off but will be back as soon as he can. Booker T said he’s doing well.

I know you missed me. But I’m good, guys. First of all, I want to thank everybody for all of the support. All the well-wishes, telling me to get well and get back on track and get back. I’m going to get back as soon as I can. I’m going to take a couple weeks off, but rest assured, I will be back live and in living color, doing it like it’s supposed to be done. But I’m going to take these days off to relax.

Booker T said that, for the last month or so, he hasn’t been able to get in the gym and train like he wants to. After the procedure, he’s now on his way back to being able to do that.

I had a medical procedure. The thing is, I don’t like putting my business out there and stuff. If I was dying, I’ll let you guys know [laughs]. But I ain’t dying, I ain’t dead yet or anything like that. But it is something that’s going to keep me down for a couple of weeks. That’s the thing with me, I’m antsy. I don’t like being down. I like being on the go, working out, that’s been my thing for forever is being able to get up in the morning, get in the gym and train. Before I go to bed at night, get in the gym and train. This last month or so, I haven’t been able to do that. But right now, I’m on my way back to getting to that point. Like I said, I feel good. I’m sore as hell… But I feel good. The only thing, I hate I missed Vengeance Day because the action was action-packed.

Vic Joseph and Booker T are the regular weekly commentary team for NXT. Barrett is part of the SmackDown team alongside Corey Graves. After filling in for Booker T at Vengeance Day, Barrett tweeted:

#VengeanceDay was everything I hoped for & more. Blown away by the future of @WWE. The standard has risen again and people got themselves noticed in a big way tonight.

Thrilling to be back under the bright lights of #WWENXT. Simply the most fun place that exists in our entire industry and I’ll always love returning home. Unbeatable culture.

Even @VicJosephWWE behaved himself admirably. Thanks, jousting partner. We’ll meet again.

Booker T undergoes medical procedure, will miss WWE NXT Vengeance Day

Posted on by Ian Carey

Booker T will not be on commentary for NXT Vengeance Day tonight. 

He posted to X on Sunday announcing he will miss the next couple weeks of television due to having a medical procedure done recently. 

Booker wrote: 

I will not be at #NXTVengenceDay tonight and I’ll be off TV the next couple weeks due to a medical procedure I had to have. But – I’m all good and I’ll be back in action on @WWENXT in no time! Thank you all for your support, couldn’t do it with out the people. Shucky Ducky!

WWE has not announced who will work with Vic Joseph on tonight’s show. 

WWE NXT Vengeance Day, Sunday, February 4, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock/WWE Network —

  • NXT Champion Ilja Dargunov defends against Trick Williams
  • NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria defends against Roxanne Perez
  • NXT North American Champion Oba Femi defends against Dragon Lee
  • Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic finals: Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams vs. Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin
  • No DQ match: Dijak vs. Joe Gacy
  • Six-person mixed tag team match: The Family (Tony D’Angelo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo & Adriana Rizzo) vs. OTM (Lucien Price, Bronco Nima & Jaida Parker)