• Booker T Says nWo Almost Ruined The Wrestling Business, Says Kevin Nash Asked Him To Join nWo Because They Needed “Some Color”
During a recent appearance on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T said that nWo almost single-handedly ruined the pro wrestling business, not liking Hulk Hogan’s heel turn, and turning down Kevin Nash’s invitation (‘We need SOME COLOR, bro’) to join nWo.
Below are the highlights:
On claiming that nWo almost singlehandedly ruined the pro wrestling business:
“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. 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 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 single-handedly ruined the business as far as good guys, bad guys, cowboys, and Indians. You don’t want to mess that up.”
On not liking Hulk Hogan’s heel turn:
“The thing was with WCW, the big thing was turning Hulk Hogan heel. 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?'”
On turning down Kevin Nash’s invitation (‘We need SOME COLOR, bro’) to join nWo:
“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.'”
• WWE Hall of Famer Committed Suicide 31 Years Ago Today
On this day in Pro Wrestling history on April 12, 1987, Mike Von Erich committed suicide. He was only 23 years old. He was the son of longtime Texas wrestler and wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich and a member of the famous Von Erich family.
Mike made his pro-wrestling debut in 1983 in WCCW and defeated Skander Akbar. Mike died when he intentionally overdosed himself with Placidyl & Alcohol. He was found dead four days later.
As seen in the above video, Mike left a note in his car that read: “I’m in a better place. I’ll be watching you.”
During his career, he won the NWA American Heavyweight Title, NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship 4 times, and the WCCW Middle Eastern Championship. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 along with The Von Erichs.
