10 Most Overpaid WWE Stars Of 2017

7. Booker T

Brock Lesnar Loves It
WWE

RAW became unbearable in 2017. Not "too much Roman" unbearable. Not "it's too long" unbearable". Not "great Wrestler X isn't getting pushed" unbearable. Not "this promo is dragging on a bit" unbearable. Not "we've seen this match a million times already" unbearable.

The entire show, and it is too bloody long, became unbearable on a literally second-to-second basis because Booker T, on commentary, is a form of aural torture far, far more effective than white noise. It would be preferable to endure the collective works of Merzbow than listen to his infuriating descent into insanity. It was funny, for a while. Now, it's genuinely off-putting.

Where to start?

The man is incapable of determining whether he likes Jason Jordan or not, or even whether or not wrestling is real. That's when he's capable of articulation; elsewhere, Book simply makes unintelligible "Mmmm" sounds. "That's what I'm talking about!" is his preferred filibuster of choice, the irony of which is maddening. He doesn't know what he's talking about from one sentence to the next. He can't even work out what "dual entertainer" Elias wears to the ring. He irritates Michael Cole and Corey Graves too, resulting in petty bickering.

A commentator should immerse the audience into and provide insights into the action unfolding in front of them, calling it with an infectious enthusiasm. Booker T is so distracting that he accomplishes the exact opposite of his remit.

It doesn't matter what WWE is paying him. It's too much.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!