Booker T Clarifies Comments On Top AEW Star After 'Body Shaming' Allegations
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T is facing backlash on social media for his recent comments on AEW star Adam Cole.
On his Reality of Wrestling Podcast last week, Booker suspected that Cole could be dealing with multiple injuries by the virtue of being "bottom light" and lacking in muscle.
"If Adam Cole has to have surgery and he's down for six, nine months and he, you know, lose any more muscle, it's going to be hard on this brother," Booker stressed. "You know what I'm saying? Right now, he's about a buck 60.
"... We gotta get more weight on Adam Cole, you know what I mean? That's his problem, he's light, bottom light. We gotta get some muscle on this kid. That's probably one of the reasons why he's going out there, getting hurt because it can't be the schedule at AEW."
Although Booker's comments were related to Cole's issues with injuries, fans on social media misconstrued it as Booker "body shaming" the leader of The Undisputed Elite. Even Renee Paquette would seemingly call out her former WWE broadcast colleague.
Body shaming is the absolute shits. Wtf is happening right now? Totally thought we were moving past talking about ppl like this. While the focus is normally on women, I've had many men talk to me about body dysmorphia. Piss up a rope.
— Renee Paquette (@ReneePaquette) June 20, 2022
Renee also re-tweeted Britt Baker's comment, which seemed like a response to Booker.
What a pair of babes! https://t.co/mHfYMlh5Zv
— Renee Paquette (@ReneePaquette) June 20, 2022
WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg chimed in on the debate as well, as seen below.
I don't think the critique of him being a smaller guy is an illegitimate argument. You'll notice, NO ONE says he can't work. He's a pro and one of the most respectful men I've met
— Brian G. James (@BrianRDJames) June 20, 2022
Later on Monday, Booker responded to the criticism of his comments.
"People want to make it seem like I'm hating on an AEW guy – I'm not," Booker said. "If I didn't like Adam Cole, I wouldn't be saying that we need to get some muscle on him. I'd be saying a whole lot worse than that."
You can see a clip of Booker's follow-up comments on Cole below.
Nothing but love and respect to @AdamColePro. Quotes taken out of context per usual. 👇👇 https://t.co/B6rHWExXdY
— Booker T. Huffman (@BookerT5x) June 21, 2022
In defense of Booker, he has always praised Cole in previous years, going as far as to compare the former NXT Champion to Shawn Michaels. Booker had also made a case for Cole to thrive on WWE's main roster despite his physical attributes.
"'Not to blow Shawn Michaels' horn or anything like that, but he [Cole] seems like that next level Shawn Michaels type guy that can go out there and be that Mr. WrestleMania," Booker T said in July 2020. "This guy literally outshined so much talent on that [NXT] roster that has been there for quite some time. Not to knock these guys or anything like that, but Ricochet, he was there before. Finn Balor was there before Adam Cole. But the one guy I seem to feel that had that star quality and star power to go out there and move some numbers right now is Adam Cole."