Earlier this week, Booker T came under fire for a comment he made on Monday’s episode of Raw. In case you missed it, he and JBL were discussing King of the Ring tournament participant Neville’s nickname as “The Man Gravity Forgot,” saying he could be the first high-flying King of the Ring. When JBL brought up Owen Hart, a high-flyer in his own right, Booker T said that Owen “couldn’t defy gravity.” This is bad because, you know, Owen Hart fell from the rafters of the Kemper Arena during a stunt at WWF’s Over the Edge pay-per-view in 1999.
It wasn’t intended as a jab at Hart’s death — it was clearly to put over Neville and his nickname — but Booker apologized. Unfortunately, that apology was not enough for everyone.
Owen’s brother Bruce Hart let Booker know on Facebook that his apology was not accepted, that he should be ashamed of himself and that Neville’s a terrible wrestler. Here’s Bruce:
“At least Booker T has publically apologized for his remarks about my brother Owen and at least WWE saw fit to edit his comments out of all RAW replays, however myself and other members of the Hart family were offended by Booker Ts ill chosen comments. As Owens brother Booker I found no humour and was deeply offended and disappointed by the remarks on RAW and don’t know why you be that insensitive and indescreet. Frankly Booker T you should be ashamed of yourself. By the way Neville is not half the worker Owen was. I rest my case”
The image of Booker T trying his best to write and perform a public joke at Owen Hart’s expense almost 20 years later in the middle of a match in the middle of Raw is pretty funny. Scribbling “the last thing Owen saw before he died was The Ring” and cackling to himself, then getting worried his joke is too discreet.
Besides, if Booker’s going to feel ashamed and have to apologize for something, it should everything else he says on commentary.
