10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Jan 12)

3. Booker T Secretly Worried WCW Fans Wouldn't Accept A Black Champion

Booker T WCW Title
WWE.com

WCW had a tradition of appealing to hardcore wrestling fans who had followed the old NWA territory in the deep south. That hadn't changed by 2000, and this made Booker T worry that maybe some fans wouldn't accept him as World Champion. Booker wasn't worried about his in-ring skills or charisma, he was hung up on his skin colour.

That's sad, but it does paint a picture of the way wrestling once was. Black champions were not the norm even at the turn of this millennium. Although Ron Simmons had previously been WCW Champ in 1992, Booker was concerned he'd be treated differently by some. At the same time, he was eternally grateful to Vince Russo for pushing him into that spot.

Booker shared his fears over racism to Sports Illustrated. The interview wasn't only about colour, but that part sent a powerful message; Booker turned out to be wrong about the situation. Fans embraced him as WCW Champion and his career would skyrocket like never before once he moved to the WWF less than a year later.

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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.