Ringside Review: Booker T. worked his way to top
I think it is great that Booker T will take on HHH at “WrestleMania” next month.
Booker is one of the hardest workers in pro wrestling, and the story of him getting started is a tale of strong work ethics and family loyalty leading to success.
Booker T. Huffman was working for American Mini-Storage in Houston, making $6 an hour and raising his son by himself, when his brother Stevie Ray heard that Ivan Putski was opening a pro wrestling school.
It was the price ($3,000) that both of them were worried about. Stevie Ray sold his car for about $3,000, but wouldn’t go without Booker.
Booker says that his boss loaned him the $3,000, and two months later he was a pro wrestler going by the name “G.I. Bro.” In his first match he lost — to Stevie Ray.
Eddie Gilbert then signed the duo to a contract and they became “The Ebony Experience.” Six months later Sid Vicious saw them, and talked them into joining the WCW. After two house matches, their name changed to “Harlem Heat.”
Oh, by the way, he did pay his boss back the $3,000, and gave him a new car for Christmas after signing his first WCW contract.
Booker owns a bookstore in Houston, and will open a clothing store this year.
• Bad news for Edge!
He found out this week that he will need spinal cord fusion surgery, which will keep him out of the ring for a full year.
Dr. Lloyd Youngblood will do the operation on March 10 in San Antonio, Texas, where his C-6 and C-7 vertebra will be fused.
Steve Austin told Edge that he was in the best hands he could be in, and “Stone Cold” should know. Dr. Youngblood is the one who fixed Austin when he had his own neck injury.
• First, the bad news.
I went to Jake’s two weeks ago, and while most of the guys put on a good show, two of the younger guys forgot they were in a wrestling ring.
Most of the time, they acted like two little kids that needed to be put in a time-out corner.
Now, the good news.
Jake will have a new man in charge of the wrestling show beginning tonight.
Texas Pro Wrestling Association and it’s promoter, Stevon Beard, are putting on the show. They have kept the best from the past, and added some new faces. Stevon and Vicious Vandy said the new shows would be more wrestling, and less trash talking.
Bell time is 8 p.m. tonight, and tickets are $7 at the door. Children 10 and under are admitted free.
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