3. He Was Suspended For Drugs, Which Led To His Release In 2007
wikipediaWhen it's time to go a lot of wrestlers know it. For Booker T, it was time for him to get out of WWE in 2007 after a very good six year run in the company. He had a fun run as a King of the Ring, which led to a World Title win on the Smackdown brand, but after that was over things didn't go great for him. He was stuck in the midcard. Since he was in his early 40s by that point it was unlikely that WWE was ever going to push him that hard again. Booker's name showed up on a list of wrestlers that were apparently using Signature Pharmacy to obtain performance enhancing drugs. He had to face a 30 day suspension for violating WWE's Wellness Policy. He denied taking anything. It upset him so much that he asked for his release. That was granted to him. In a 2007 interview with
Slam Wresting he claimed that they made a mistake: "I had nothing to do with Signature Pharmacy, and I knew I hadn't ordered anything online. I wasn't a part of that, and I relayed that to the company, and I wasn't protected -- they didn't step up for me." He also claimed that he tried to WWE's doctor in charge of the testing, but his calls were never returned. If WWE really wanted to use him they likely wouldn't have granted him it because there have been others that have asked for a release that didn't get them. Just because somebody asks to be let go doesn't mean WWE will do it. They have that person under contract so they can do what they want. It would be over three years until we heard "can you dig it sucka?" again as Booker made his surprise return at the 2011 Royal Rumble. He wrestled a bit upon his return, but has settled in as a pre and post show commentator these days. It's a role that suits him well. What WWE won't tell you is that his 2007 release was due to a drug suspension.