Booker T Addresses 'Inaccurate' Remarks On Infamous WWE Match With Buff Bagwell

It's commonly agreed upon by most longtime wrestling fans that WWE's integration of WCW in the early 2000s did not go very well. One notable moment of the transition saw Booker T face Buff Bagwell in the main event of "WWE Raw" in 2001, with Bagwell stating numerous times that he believes they were set up to fail that night.

From Bagwell's point of view, they weren't given direction by WWE officials on what kind of match to have, leading to the company becoming disappointed when they put on a "WCW style" bout. Additionally, Bagwell said it would have been better for both men to hold the match in Atlanta, Georgia, the following week. Because it was seen as the home of WCW, the men would've received a better reaction. Speaking on "The Hall of Fame," Booker T took issue with Bagwell's interpretation of the matter.

"I've avoided talking about it on purpose because a lot of it is inaccurate," Booker said, revealing that he's heard Bagwell tell the story many times before. "We weren't in [WWE] to be endeared. They didn't care about making us look good."

Despite coming into WWE as WCW's World Heavyweight Champion, Booker was instantly aware that he was going to have to prove himself to his new employers. Additionally, Booker knew ahead of time that the match against Bagwell wouldn't work out, because the two had just wrestled on a live event and it had not gone well. Though he asked to have the match postponed, the idea was shut down.

"I know that night I was ready to perform at the highest level, and that night I did not perform at my highest level," Booker continued. "That was one of the only nights that I could not go out and will that match into existence, and I can say this: it wasn't my fault."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Hall of Fame" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.