Booker T addressed his past public criticisms of Naomi and her recent, more aggressive heel persona, stating emphatically that he is proud of her evolution. On his “Hall of Fame” podcast, the NXT commentator explained that what he was asking for from her years ago is exactly what she is delivering now.
The topic came up when co-host Brad Gilmore mentioned the online backlash Booker T had previously received from “Black Twitter” regarding his comments on Naomi. “My people was coming after me,” Booker T acknowledged. “And the thing is, I look at Naomi now, Miss Money in the Bank… the only thing that I was asking for then… was the same thing that I was asking for back then.”
Booker T’s past commentary often focused on wanting to see a different, more serious side of Naomi’s character. He now feels vindicated and sees her current success as a direct result of her character shift. “And I look at her now, man, and am I proud of her? You damn right, damn right,” he declared. “Maybe that, that time, you know, away, going to TNA and you know, getting away, getting out of that bubble. You know, you never know what’s gonna what’s gonna click.”
He emphasized that he and Naomi have never had any personal animosity, despite how their interactions may have been perceived online. “I know when I see her every time… we still dab it up. You know what I mean? We’ve never had any animosity, no matter what Twitter has tried to make it to be,” he said. “I think, you know, at the end of the day, she know I’m right, riding with her to win.”
His comments frame Naomi’s current successful run as “Miss Money in the Bank” and her acclaimed heel persona as the culmination of a long journey of character development, one that he had been calling for publicly.
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.
