WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has addressed the circulating photo that led many to believe he had fallen asleep during the recent WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. Speaking on his “Hall of Fame” podcast, Booker T vehemently denied the accusations, explaining that his posture was due to a moment of solemn reflection, not slumber.
He stated, “I want to let everybody know that the photo that’s circulating around, I was not asleep. I mean, you could tell my head was straight up. It wasn’t tilted to the left or right. It was down because it was a somber moment, and I was praying, and really, really, thinking about that, being in the moment.”
Booker T emphasized the emotional weight of the Hall of Fame ceremony, highlighting the contrast between moments of levity and the need for serious contemplation. “I mean, it’s one thing about situations like that, and having that Hall of Fame speech and that Hall of Fame moment. At certain times it’s going to be laughter, but certain times you gotta really, really take it seriously about what’s being said, and at that point, I was definitely in tune. Let’s just say that I was in tune, but sleeping, no, I was not sleeping. Okay, let’s just say that.”
To further solidify his denial, Booker T pointed out the presence of his wife, Sharmell, beside him, suggesting she would have certainly alerted him if he had nodded off. “Sharmell was sitting right by me. If I was asleep, she would’ve let me know. Not one time throughout the night did Sharmell poke me.”
The two-time Hall of Famer (as an individual and as part of Harlem Heat) then provided context for the specific moment the photo might have captured, referencing the emotional speech of fellow inductee Fred Ottman, also known as Typhoon.
“As a peer to Fred Otman, and I mean, at the end of his speech, he said, ‘This was for you, brother.’ Do you remember that? I mean, that right there, that was a somber moment. That was a moment that, if you’re from this zone, it touches you in a certain place. I think that’s when you saw that moment. That might have been the moment that photo was captured, because I feel the same way right now. You just want to put the head in a certain position because you’re calculating your thoughts.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Hall of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
