Booker T On How The NWO Almost Ruined The Business, Why He Turned Down Invite To Join The Group
On episode 173 of Sam Roberts' Wrestling Podcast, pro wrestling podcaster and radio personality Sam Roberts spoke with Booker T on a number of topics including the nWo's impact on the pro wrestling business, Hulk Hogan wanting to get cheered as a heel, and turning down Kevin Nash's offer of nWo membership.
According to Booker T, the nWo almost ruined the pro wrestling business by wanting to be cheered as heels and shared that "they totally messed up the flavor of what wrestling truly is."
"I had a match with a good friend of mine, we're really close, a partner of mine in the Main Event Mafia, big Kevin Nash," Booker recalled. "I had a match with Kevin Nash and it was my first match in Canada, in Toronto, Canada. He had been there many, many times before and people loved him as Diesel. And now, he's coming back in WCW and he's still Diesel to those fans over there in Canada. He went out there with nWo and he gave everyone the nWo kiss, the little kiss sign that they would do. 'nWo in the house!' Everybody in the crowd erupted. And I'm back in the back listening to all of this like, 'he's the bad guy!' I walked out of the curtain and they played my music, and I walked out of the curtain, and they booed the crap out of me. That's when I knew the nWo, the bad guys, [were] killing the business because they didn't want the heat. They wanted the adulation. The nWo almost singlehandedly ruined the business as far as good guys, bad guys, cowboys, and Indians. You don't want to mess that up."
Along these lines, Booker argued that Hogan's heel turn was problematic because he was still acting like a babyface and getting positive crowd reactions.
"The thing was with WCW, the big thing was turning Hulk Hogan heel." Booker said, "Hulk Hogan being a bad guy. We shouldn't do this. People don't want to see Hulk Hogan as the bad guy. Hulk Hogan is the ultimate good guy. So we say, 'okay, we're going to turn him into the bad guy.' We turned Hulk Hogan into the bad guy with the nWo and Hulk Hogan, but is still the good guy! That made no sense to me! And I was right in the middle of it, watching it, and I was like, 'wait a minute! He's still going out there and doing the same thing! People love him! He's not a bad guy! What's going on here?'"
Apparently, Nash offered Booker nWo membership as the group needed "some color". Booker refused.
"Kevin Nash came to me, he goes, 'Book, hey, Book, man, you know this nWo thing is getting real hot, bro. And, man, we need some color, man.' I swear to God, that's how he said it! 'We need some color, bro.' He goes, 'we want to bring you in.' I go, 'man, thanks, but no thanks. No way.' I said, 'I'm a solo act, man.'"
Click here to check out the interview. If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit Sam Roberts' Wrestling Podcast with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: Sam Roberts' Wrestling Podcast