WWE HOFer Booker T Addresses Commentary Complaints

Similar to the WWE Slammys and "NXT" Year-End Awards, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently revealed its own yearly award winners, as determined by its readers voting on the best and worst pro wrestling events of 2025. For WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, the outcome of the Worst Television Announcer award particularly stood out as the top four first-place vote-getters were himself and three WWE colleagues, Pat McAfee, Michael Cole, and Vic Joseph.

On the "Hall of Fame" podcast, Booker shared his candid reaction to the results, which circled him as the worst of all, and his "NXT" broadcast partner Vic Joseph as the fourth worst. "In my humble opinion, there's no way Vic Joseph should be on any list like that whatsoever. I don't get that at all," Booker said. "Of course, you can put Michael Cole on the list because he's been around for 30 years. Okay, he can get repetitive because he's been saying it for many, many years, but that's no slight on him as far as doing his job. He's the best in the business as far as being able to control that situation.

"Most people don't have an inkling of an idea of what being in that situation is really all about on live TV, having to steer traffic. Like with Vic Joseph, he does all the reads. He does a lot of the play-by-play, as far as replays and stuff like that. It's a hell of a job. For an award like this to even be out there, it's asinine."

Regarding his own placement in the WON awards, Booker stated that he doesn't see it as a legitimate knock to his work as a commentator. Instead, Booker believes it is a reflection of the personal beef between he and Dave Meltzer, which admittedly included Booker cornering the journalist on the Jericho Cruise and warning that he'd "rip his ears right off." Nevertheless, Booker insists that he doesn't hate Meltzer.

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