On the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T addressed the recent online backlash to his comments about Jade Cargill’s experience level and issued an open challenge to any wrestler who disagreed with him. Booker T stood by his original point that Cargill is still very new to the business and that her learning on a global stage is a difficult task that many critics, particularly those outside the ring, do not understand.
“I want to debate about my post,” Booker T began, referencing the social media controversy. “It’s about these journalists just writing these stories. And the thing is, none of these guys have ever taken one bump. Have never taken one wrestling class. And if they would like to take a wrestling class, I would say, come to my fantasy camp and see what a five-hour day consists of, and how you make it out of that five-hour day. Trust me, I promise you, you’re going to be saying, ‘I wish I wouldn’t have never thought about doing something like this.'”
Booker T reiterated his position on Cargill, who has been in the business for about four years and has had fewer than 150 total matches. “I want to talk about the two years in the business… being on an active roster, and how hard it is to go out and perform in front of 20, 30, 50, 100,000 people being that young in the business,” he said. He gave Cargill credit for her willingness to perform at that level, stating, “I give her a lot of credit, to be able to walk out in front of those people not having the experience of a Charlotte Flair, not having the experience of a Bayley… but still say, ‘Man, I’m willing to step in the middle of the frying pan and cook as good as I possibly can.'”
He then directly challenged any of his peers who were “baffled” by his comments to a debate. “WWE wrestlers, TNA wrestlers, as well as AEW, what name one wrestler that has snapped back on me and said Booker T is wrong? Name one,” he stated emphatically. “I want to see the one wrestler because I think the wrestlers in the business know exactly what I’m talking about… I’m willing to talk and debate with anyone that’s in this business, to debate with me about what two years is, because I know what two years in the business is. What I knew, which was very, very little.”
Booker T argued that the only other wrestlers to achieve a main event level so early in their careers were Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle, and that they all had the benefit of working with seasoned veterans to guide them. “Think about the guys that Kurt Angle was working with that was able to go out there and lead him and guide him… I was one of those guys,” Booker said. “Think about the people that Brock Lesnar worked with… I was one of those guys. Think about Goldberg and the guys he had to work with. I was one of those guys. So I know what it’s like working with someone that’s got that kind of experience, and knowing what I have to do to go out there and make that person look like they have been there and done that for many, many years.”
He contrasted this with Cargill’s early career. “I can almost guarantee you that her first two years, Jade’s first two years, she didn’t work with anyone like Dusty Wolfe,” Booker T stated, before telling a story about asking the veteran Wolfe to lead him in a match when he was just starting out. “I said, ‘Mr. Wolfe, I would appreciate it if you could lead me and guide me through this match.’ And I was winning the match… and I learned so much in that match listening to Dusty Wolfe… That’s what being in the business is, at that stage. If you ain’t got your ears open, learning from someone like a Dusty Wolfe, you’re going to be swimming upstream.”
Note: Bryan Danielson was among those who helped Cargill when she was in AEW. The full, passionate discussion is available on the Hall of Fame podcast, which can be found on all major podcast platforms and on YouTube.
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.
