Bio
Height: 6 foot 3
Weight: 113 kilograms
From: Houston
Signature Move: Scissors Kick, Book-End
Career Highlights: 2006 King of the Ring, World Heavyweight Champion, 4-time United States Champion; 3-time World Tag Team Champion; 5-time WCW Champion; 6-time WCW Television Champion; 11-time WCW Tag Team Champion; Intercontinental Champion
Associates: Sharmell
WWE Debut: June 2001
King Booker (as he became known in 2006) became the self-proclaimed king of the world at The Great American Bash, as the King defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new World Champion, fulfilling the King's quest to Camelot.
The King not only bears gold upon his royal crown and scepter, but also around his majestic waist.
Born and raised in Houston, Booker T overcame a rough childhood to become one of the most charismatic Superstars to ever set foot in the ring.
Once arrested for armed robbery as a teenager, the former WCW star and current SmackDown! Superstar’s credentials speak for themselves. In his career, Booker has 30 different championship reigns to his credit, making him one of the most decorated men in sports-entertainment history.
During his time in WCW, Booker T was a five-time WCW Champion, defeating the likes of Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner. He also held the WCW Television Championship six times, with his reigns highlighted by a fantastic best-of-seven series with Chris Benoit.
Booker is also an accomplished tag-team wrestler, and his success as part of Harlem Heat is equally legendary. With brother Stevie Ray, Booker T was a 10-time WCW Tag Team Champion, defeating such teams as the Nasty Boys, The Steiners & Public Enemy to capture the gold.
It was also in WCW where he developed his trademark “Spin-a-roony,” a break-dancing move that brings the fans to their feet every time.
When WCW closed its doors in March of 2001, Booker T left the company as the World Champion and United States Champion before embarking on his WWE career.
Coming to WWE as part of the WCW/ECW Alliance, he quickly established himself as one of its top Superstars. He even won his coveted WCW Tag Team Championship for a record 11th time when he teamed with Test in September of 2001.
In April of 2002, Booker T was drafted by RAW when WWE divided its two brands. During his two-year stint on RAW, Booker won both the Intercontinental and World Tag Team Championships.
However, in March of 2004, Booker was part of one of the most famous trades in WWE history when he was packaged with the Dudley Boys and sent to SmackDown! to re-acquire Triple H. Originally, Booker was furious with the trade, taking out his frustration on his opponents.
It took Booker just four months to have a major impact on SmackDown!, defeating seven other Superstars to win the vacated United States Championship.
Booker later softened his stance, and battled JBL for the WWE Championship in the main event of the 2004 Survivor Series, as well as in a Fatal Four Way at Armageddon one month later.
In 2005, Booker T married longtime girlfriend and former Miss Black America Sharmell, who began to accompany him to ringside. Booker T welcomed the support of his wife, who quickly found trouble with a perverted Kurt Angle, forcing Booker T to protect his wife in various matches with Angle.
Once Angle was drafted to RAW, Booker T was back in pursuit of gold; however, with his new focus came a change in attitude as well.
During that time, Sharmell began interfering in Booker’s matches, helping him to victory. Finally, on the Oct. 21 edition of Friday Night SmackDown!, Booker defeated Chris Benoit to win the United States Championship, giving Booker championship number 29 in his illustrious career.
The win was marred, however, as Benoit accosted Booker about Sharmell’s interference. Booker denied the allegation, but just weeks later, he attacked his former friend and revealed that he knew Sharmell was helping him all along.
This led to a bitter rivalry with Benoit over the championship. After a controversial finish to a rematch in November 2005, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long held up the United States Championship and ordered a Best-of-Seven Series to determine the undisputed champion.
In the series, Booker took a quick 3-0 lead, but Benoit battled back to win the fourth match at Armageddon. Booker then suffered a groin injury, forcing him to find a substitute to continue the series.
He chose Randy Orton, and after Benoit battled back to tie the series, Orton won the seventh and deciding match on the Jan. 13 edition of SmackDown! to give Booker the championship for the fourth time.
For nearly a month, Booker tried to avoid Benoit by claiming his groin was still hurt. Finally, after Benoit won a No. 1 Contender’s Match, Theodore Long gave Booker an ultimatum: defend the gold against Benoit at No Way Out or forfeit the Championship.
Booker chose the former, but in the end, Benoit regained the gold by making Booker tap out to the Crippler Crossface.
Leading up to WrestleMania 22, Booker & Sharmell had the Boogeyman hot on their tails. For almost two months, Boogeyman seemed to be right behind them at every turn, whether it was filling the trunk of their rental car with worms or costing Booker matches.
Booker was able to get out of their scheduled match at Saturday Night's Main Event thanks to faking an injury, but the match was only rescheduled for WrestleMania.
During the contract signing for the match on March 24, Theodore Long changed the match so that it would be Boogeyman against both Booker T & Sharmell.
Two nights before WrestleMania, Boogeyman kidnapped Sharmell during Booker T's match on SmackDown!, leaving her backstage surrounded by worms.
At WrestleMania, the mind games came into play again, as Boogeyman kissed Sharmell with a mouthful of worms. This caused Sharmell to run from the ring, and a distracted Booker was easy prey for the Boogeyman, who nailed him with a sit-out chokeslam to gain the victory.
The following Friday night on SmackDown!, Booker presented Theodore Long with a restraining order, saying that Boogeyman couldn't come within 100 feet of the couple.
Booker then went out for his match all smiles, but when Boogeyman's music "accidentally" played, it left a distracted Booker easy prey for newcomer Gunner Scott to roll him up for the upset pinfall victory.
With the Boogeyman behind him, Booker T set his sights on the 2006 King of the Ring tournament. After defeating Matt Hardy in the first round, Booker got a bye to the finals when Kurt Angle withdrew due to injury.
In the finals at Judgment Day, Finlay's interference helped defeat Bobby Lashley to become the new King of the Ring. Booker and a proud Sharmell walked up the ramp to his throne, but right after the new King put his cape and crown on, Lashley recovered and speared Booker right off the seat.
While Booker defeated Lashley to become King at Judgment Day, their issue really intensified on the June 2 edition of SmackDown!.
Lashley got a victory over King Booker that night, but Booker got the last laugh. After the match, Finlay and William Regal helped Booker attack Lashley, forcing the United States Champion to kiss the King's royal feet.
However, Lashley got revenge on June 16 by defeating Booker.
Lashley defeated William Regal on June 9 to earn the opportunity, and Booker was none too happy. Before the match was set to begin, Finlay and William Regal ran out to help the King attack Lashley, injuring his knee. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the United States Champion, who overcame the attack to defeat Booker later in the night.
A rematch was set for the following week, and Booker focused his attack on the injured knee of Lashley.
William Regal and Finlay later got involved, and Lashley ended up getting disqualified after nailing them all with a chair. Theodore Long decided to keep the Court at bay, making the Steel Cage rematch later that night much to the King's dismay.
King Booker was royally shamed in a Steel Cage Match with Lashley, who emerged victorious.