Being Asked To Carry Steve Austin’s Bags Was One Of Booker T’s First WWE Experiences


These days, Booker T is spending his life apart from being a WWE commentator focused on running his wrestling school and promotion, writing comic books and NOT doing the Spinaroonie, but all of that is a big, BIG step up from the first major request WWE had for him way back when he started with the company in 2001.

On the latest episode of Heated Conversations with Booker T, Bruce Prichard (AKA Brother Love) stopped by the program. He recalled the time that Booker T broke Steve Austin’s hand during his WWE debut, and the bizarre request that he had to relay from WWE to Booker immediately afterward.

“I remember calling Booker late at night. I had gotten a phone call from our owner, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, who suggested that I call Book to suggest to Book that he should call Steve [and] make sure Steve is alright and he should be at Steve’s door to carry Steve’s bags the next day at the airport. And so, I’m like, ‘let me get this straight. You want a fat white guy to call the new black guy and ask him to meet the star white guy and carry his bags through the airport? Okay.’ So obviously, that went over like a fart in church … I was straight up with Book and I just didn’t pull any punches and I just told him how it was, man, and where it was coming from and why. And he said, ‘okay, great. I ain’t carrying nobody’s bag.’ And he didn’t and I respect him for that. And he respects me for being the one to have to make the call and do my job.”

Booker T remembers the incident well, and offered his own take on the “trial by fire” slash weird possible hazing ritual.

“My debut in WWE, where I had to make my debut coming over the rail and dropping ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin on the table. I find out later that Austin supposedly had broken his hand. Bruce Prichard calls me and tells me that, ‘hey man, you broke Steve Austin’s hand your first night out.’ I’m like, ‘oh, what? You’re kidding me. You’re not serious, are you?’ ‘You broke his hand, you know?’ ‘Give me his phone number. Let me give him a call and apologize. I didn’t mean to do that.’ ‘No, maybe you should just meet him in his hotel in the morning and pack his bags to the arena.’

“Maybe it was a test. Do you know what I mean? Maybe it was a test. Do you know what I mean? I passed it, obviously, with flying colors because I ain’t packing nobody’s bags. You can forget about that. 100% of the time, you speak up. 99%, you keep your mouth shut. We ain’t packing no bags, 100%. Do you feel me? So I’m glad I was able to step up and stand up for myself. I saw Steve Austin the following couple of days and he didn’t say nothing to me about it. A bunch of them suckers were scared of me anyway, man. They didn’t want no trouble.”

Everything ended up working out okay for Booker in WWE, of course. Well, after WrestleMania XIX, anyway. That, uh … that one could probably have gone better. But still! King Booker! The Hall of Fame! All’s well that ends well, right?

Just remember, folks: never carry anyone’s bags. Except, like, your mom, if you pick her up at the airport. Don’t be a jerk.

(h/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription)

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