5. Had A Major Falling Out With WWE In 2007 Over Drug Testing
By 2007, Booker had changed up his character quite drastically. For years, Booker portrayed the kind of wrestler people could easily identify with, a man who did his best regardless of the circumstances. Winning the 2006 King Of The Ring Tournament morphed the grappler into the egotistical King Booker, a guy who had lost touch with reality and really believed his hype. Generally speaking, the 'King' gimmick rarely works when simply tacked on to a well-known wrestler (Haku, Sheamus etc), but Booker really did his best to make the idea work, completely rethinking how he approached things. It was a successful reinvention, and Booker was an extremely important part of the Smackdown brand as the 'King' from 2006 onwards. In 2007, the man was named on a list outing those who were involved in the Signature Pharmacy scandal, but was later cleared. The damage had been done however, Booker was furious that WWE had shamed him via association with the controversy, and decided to ask for his release from contract.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
