10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE SmackDown From 2001
7. Booker T = Year End MVP
Some of Booker’s performances were unreal.
That match vs. Kurt Angle is a great example. His general freshness and vibe added so much to the product. A well-worked supermarket brawl with Austin on the 13 December episode became one of the most cherished skits in SmackDown history, but the second half of Book’s 2001 was more than that.
He turned in some MVP showings on the blue brand, and that deserves more recognition. It didn't matter whether the promotion asked Booker to wrestle epic matches or make people laugh - he could do all of it. That range helped him quickly bed in when other ex-WCW stars floundered. It cannot have been easy given all the upheaval.
It's important to applaud Book for matching the WWF's top names. Working with the likes of Angle, The Rock and 'Stone Cold' must've been a real thrill for someone who had been turned back into GI Bro on WCW television the year prior.