Booker T Reflects On His Controversial Hulk Hogan Promo
Booker T recently spoke about his controversial promo towards Hulk Hogan during the latest Hall Of Fame podcast. Booker dropped the n-word during WCW's Spring Stampede back in 1997, and he admits it was a learning moment for him personally.
"Yeah, it was definitely a learning moment, and I'm glad that you took it and used it, as opposed to taking it and using it. Just because I feel like I did make a huge mistake because I looked at myself as a role model. And a lot of young people followed my lead back then," he said. "If they felt like it was if I was cool with saying it, you know it was cool for them to do it too.
"I always talk about young people and being able to change your levels. Of course, when you're in the hood, you are going to talk a certain way around your boys when you're at the ballpark, you know what I mean? It's all fair game. But in certain places, you've got to know how to change your levels, and I was in that place."
Booker T admitted he used to think about everything he did before it happened. He confessed to just slipping up that day. However, now the two-time Hall Of Famer likes to use it as an educational situation.
"I had always thought about everything before I would do it. And that one moment, that one moment in time, I don't know. I can't tell you what happened or anything like that. But I slipped," he admitted. "But, none of my peers had ever heard me use that word before, and none of them have ever heard me use it after.
"You know, so I just felt like it was definitely a moment for me that I wish I could take back. But every time I have the chance to talk about it, I try to use it as an educational moment. Say, 'hey man, we're people understandably, but we've got to be able to change our levels, man.'"
At the time there was no social media, and that is something Booker T is thankful about. The Harlem Heat star believes he could have ended up being fired if that was the case back then.
"I'm so glad we didn't have social media when the anniversary of the Hulk Hogan situation happened," he said. "Just because people would have ridiculed me to the point to where I would have had to listen to it. People would have been trying to cancel me, and whatnot. You know what, I probably would have lost my job, you know what I mean? So many things could have happened living in this social media life, I get it. But you've gotta embrace the hate.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Hall Of Fame podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.