Booker T was really starting to gain momentum in early-2003. In fact, he was so hot at the time that WWE decided to put him in the World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H at WrestleMania XIX. In the promos leading up to the match - much like he did with Rob Van Dam - Triple H completely dismissed all of Booker T's prior accomplishments in WCW by saying, "We all know that place was a joke". He also threw in what many believed to be racist remarks towards Booker T, telling him, "People like you don't deserve to be World Champion." At the time, Booker T was on brink of super-stardom and all he needed was a victory over Triple H at WrestleMania to counter the pre-match disparagement. Unfortunately, he didn't get it. The match ended after Triple H hit the Pedigree and waited for an age to cover Booker, making him look as weak as possible.
Aaron Sass is a professional writer living in Corvallis, Oregon. He has previously done work with The Inquisitr, Examiner, and The Portland Tribune, covering the NBA, professional wrestling, and mixed-martial-arts.
