The Book of Booker: Booker T tells all about the release of his new autobiography, ‘My Rise to Wrestling Royalty’
Like any king worth his salt, Booker T has quite the story to tell. Such a story, in fact, that it’s taken two books to tell it. Three years after the release of his first autobiography, “Booker T: From Prison to Promise,” the five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time WCW Champion returns to bookshelves with his second tome, “Booker T: My Rise to Wrestling Royalty.”
Covering the entirety of Booker’s extensive career from forming Harlem Heat in WCW to his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2013, the book takes the WWE Universe behind the curtain during the last days of Ted Turner’s enterprise, explains the origins of the notorious Booker-Austin grocery store brawl, and even sheds a little light on some often-rumored urban legends. In advance of the book’s release, WWE.com caught up with the Hall of Famer to get the story on his story, and maybe, just maybe, get one secret out of him the book didn’t reveal.
WWE.COM: One of the most unique aspects of the book is the running counter of championships that grows as the story goes on. Whose idea was it to include that?
BOOKER T: That was my idea. It’s just something I really didn’t notice until we started going through and chronicling the book. I thought it would be something really unique to make a note of every championship, because most people really don’t look at my career like that. I don’t really look at it like that, [but] to see it all on paper, I thought that would really be a cool deal.
Booker T's Hall of Fame profile | Watch his acceptance speech
WWE.COM: What was it like to see everything laid out like that when all was said and done?
BOOKER: I thought it was pretty remarkable.… The one thing I’ve always said throughout my career is that the fans put me in a position to have a title around my waist. From the beginning of my career, when I first started on the independent circuit, when I went to Global Wrestling Federation in Dallas and then to WCW, all the way through it seems like titles have been around my waist for some reason, and I always give credit to the fans.
WWE.COM: Was there anything you wrote about that you had initially forgotten and were surprised to find you had done?
I always give credit to the fans.BOOKER: Definitely there was stuff I had forgotten, and that was the really cool part as well, to go back and say, “Ah, I remember that! I had forgotten all about that!” Going back and seeing myself and my brother in the middle of the ring with The Road Warriors. I remember having such a really, really bitter taste in my mouth back in the day because my brother and I never got a chance do that big run with The Road Warriors. We always wanted to go out there and see exactly how good we really were. So I kind of put that one match we had out of my whole memory, and then when I went back watched it I was like, “Ah, man, that was pretty cool!” But the ending didn’t play out like I wanted to remember it.
WWE Network: Harlem Heat battle The Road Warriors on Nitro
WWE.COM: What was your favorite story to write about in the book?
BOOKER: You know, it would have to probably be — so many stories, man, that’s a whole lot of stuff — I guess the stuff I like talking about the most was how me and my brother got started with Sherri Martel. She helped me out so much. She was like my big sister, she was like my mom, she was like a girl I always had a crush on when I was a kid coming up, you know? And I was there when she passed on and made sure she had a proper burial like the queen she was. I think that story for me is probably the most touching, the most memorable.
WWE.COM: You write a lot about friends who passed on too soon. What’s one philosophy you want readers to take away from your book?
BOOKER: Don’t take for granted one day to the next. I smile every day. I make sure I’m smiling every day, I’m laughing every day, no matter how sore or achy I am or whatever. I still walk straight up with pride, my head high and my shoulders back. The day before I go, I’m going to be smiling, whenever that day comes. Don’t take day to day for granted. Tell your kids you love them as much as you possibly can, because you’re not promised one second to the next.
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WWE.COM: Your story specifically has been getting a lot of play, between this book and the “WWE 24” special on WWE Network. What makes your life so timely for the WWE Universe?
BOOKER: For me what makes it unique was I was a kid who had a whole lot of obstacles thrown in front of him and I overcame it somehow. Statistically, I’m not supposed to be where I am and who I am today. I’m not supposed to be here. But I had a higher calling in life to put me in this position and I took advantage of it as well, first and foremost. A lot of guys don’t take advantage of it. The people that helped me along the way, I really appreciate those guys who offered me that hand and said, “I’m willing to help you.” And now I’m just willing to pay it back, however I have to get it done. But my story’s totally unique and different than most wrestlers’, because this was not my dream, to be a wrestler in life. My dream was to make it in life. I didn’t know how it was going to be. My brother guided me toward a wrestling ring and I gravitated to it very quickly. It seemed like déjà vu for me, and I said, “Wow, I think this might be it.”
Watch: The coronation of King Booker | Booker T battles Triple H at WrestleMania
WWE.COM: You were very private about aspects of your story for a long time. Was it difficult to write about some of the personal stuff in this book?
WWE.COM: Last question. We get the origin of the term “Spinarooni” in this book, but we do not find out how “Shucky Ducky Quack Quack” came about. Will we get that in book three?
BOOKER T: [Laughs] You know, you probably will. I’ve been getting a little more serious on my commentating; I had to put “Shucky Ducky Quack Quack” to the side for a minute. On the Pre-Show, I got a chance to have my “Shucky Ducky Quack Quack” Moment of the Week every show. But I can tell the fans, because I want to give credit where credit is due: Shucky Ducky was a comedian back in the ’80s. He did the Apollo and a lot of different shows back in the day. He was an up-and-coming comedian, but he ended up bombing on one show, really, really bad and it killed his career. But I still let people know that “Shucky Ducky Quack Quack” is still alive and out there through me. So if you’re out there, Shucky Ducky, big ups to you, brother, but I stole it and now it’s mine!
"Booker T: My Rise to Wrestling Royalty" is available wherever books are sold.
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