Booker T took to his Hall Of Fame Podcast with Brad Gilmore to talk about the Jordan Myles t-shirt situation with WWE. He starts off his take by saying that no matter which company he was in, whether it was WWE or WCW, Booker always knew exactly what the design was going to look like.
“I’ve had several t-shirts and every time I’ve had a t-shirt all the way up until the Hall Of Fame which was the last one they made, I think, they came to me and they have given me several different designs as far as, ‘I don’t like this one, I don’t like this one, I don’t like this one.’ Even going back to WCW, every time I had a t-shirt I was part of the process, every time I knew exactly what it was gonna look like, so therefore I don’t know how this t-shirt got out without him actually knowing about it first and foremost.”
Booker says that his name along with Mark Henry’s name has been thrown in mix regarding this controversy and he addresses that matter.
“It’s not our job to step up and defend Jordan Myles over his t-shirt, okay? Now one thing I can say about the t-shirt, it’s not a good looking t-shirt, alright? It’s an ugly shirt. I can say that. The t-shirt has a black background to it, now 90% of the t-shirts that are made got a black background to it, okay? Did it look like blackface? Maybe some people on social media say it’s that. There’s a lot of negative people on social media that is looking for anything that they can possibly find to make racial, okay? First and foremost, it happens all the time.
“So therefore, is it a racially driven concept of a t-shirt? Me personally, in 2019 I cannot think that the guys actually went into it thinking, ‘let’s make a racial shirt about Jordan Myles.’ Me personally, a lot of people may think that, but I just don’t think that the firestorm is not worth going through this. It’s just not. So therefore, is it something that should have been discussed? Is it something that should’ve been talked about? Yes, but this social media crap is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. You could be working at Jack-In-The-Box and if something happened, you want to go to social media and talk about it? Your job is your business with that company. It’s not for the world to come in – I don’t know when the last time somebody on social media signed my check, okay? Alright? Now you say, ‘Okay, just because people on social media don’t sign your check, they shouldn’t know what you’re doing?’ You damn right! That’s why! They have no reason to be in my life from a business aspect, okay? And I’m venting a little bit right now because I’m a little hot about it because my name has been thrown in it, first and foremost.”
Booker very much doesn’t like how Myles’ grievances were aired on social media for all to see and believes that matters involved with your job should stay behind closed doors between the individual and the company. Booker also makes it clear that he’s addressed any racially charged situation that has been directed his way in the same matter and is sure to not let anything fly past him.
“Something like this, if it does come up, it should be handled and it should be handled behind closed doors. Now I say that because I have had many of racial issues that I have dealt with in this business and not have one of them have ever been on social media. I’ve never complained to social media about any racial situation that I’ve been in and I’m gonna tell you right now, if anybody knows me, anybody in this wrestling business knows Booker T, they know exactly what I’ve gone through and how I have handled every situation. There has never been a racial issue that has gone over my head or I have swept under the rug. Every single time I someone has said anything racial around me, I’ve handled it!”
Booker goes on to defend Jay Lethal and takes great exception to the “Uncle Tom” line that was delivered by Myles in a now-deleted Tweet.
“And to hear this “Uncle Tom” crap, I heard Jay Lethal’s name. I know Jay Lethal, Jay Lethal’s put in almost 20 years in this business, he’s no Uncle Tom. I’ve heard people call me an Uncle Tom and if they do it, I wish they would do it to my face. Don’t do it behind those characters, don’t do it behind social media, don’t do it behind a cloak of amenity, do it in my face, okay? Because I’ll show you what an Uncle Tom really looks like, okay, if you do it out in public.”
Booker closes it out by reiterating the trouble mixing social media with work can cultivate. He also wants his name out of the equation now that he’s addressed it and if people want to talk to him about it, he’s an easy man to reach.
“Social media and your business, they don’t go together, okay? That’s just my opinion on that and leave my name out of this crap. ‘Stand with you,’ ‘stand behind you,’ I’m standing way back on this one, alright? Because I tell you, this could have been handled a whole lot differently…this is not a Colin Kaepernick moment, okay? Let’s just get that straight, first and foremost.”
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone)
You can watch the entire clip of Booker T’s take below:
