Booker wrestled for TNA from 2007 to 2010, and reflecting back, he wishes he had put in more effort during his tenure. He believes that a major reason for this was the company’s lack of clear guidance.
On the podcast Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Booker revealed that the African accent he adopted during his time in TNA was inspired after watching the film The Last King of Scotland, featuring Forest Whitaker.
“When I joined TNA, I had big ambitions. I genuinely wanted to change how the company was perceived and had plenty of young talent to help do that,” Booker explained.
However, he felt ignored by the company, and he never consulted anyone about using the accent.
“So I thought, since no one was giving me any direction, I might as well invent something. After watching that movie, I decided to speak with an African accent. I never asked anyone’s approval, just wanted to see how long it’d take for someone to react. No one ever said a word. I thought, what kind of operation is this? If it were my company, I’d say, ‘Book, drop the accent,’” he recalled.
“I was just amusing myself, like playing around backstage,” he added.
Looking back, Booker admits he has some regrets about that phase of his career.
“Many people liked it, but I always wish I had given more effort, really pushed myself. I’m not sure why, but I wish I could change that part of my career,” he said.
When asked if his lack of motivation stemmed from the company’s apparent disinterest, Booker answered, “I’m 100% sure that’s it. There was no direction from anyone.”
He also addressed rumors of laziness during his TNA time, disagreeing with Dutch Mantell’s criticism. Booker mentioned he brought this up with his Hall of Fame podcast co-host Brad Gilmore.
“Dutch was among those running things, but he never once told me to stop with the accent. Later, Dutch apologized and agreed that no one gave me any guidance in the company,” Booker said.
Eventually, Booker chose to simply enjoy his work, highlighting the impressive wrestlers he teamed with.
“At some point, I just decided to have fun at work. I got to do great stuff with AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode—all wrestlers I really wanted to work with. Look where all of them ended up,” Booker noted.
“All of them made it to WWE,” he added.
Fan Take: This insight from Booker T highlights how critical leadership and creative direction are in wrestling organizations. For fighting fans, it’s a reminder that even legendary talents can struggle without proper support, and it emphasizes the importance of strong guidance to help athletes reach their full potential and drive the sport forward.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
