Booker T On NWA Samhain’s Cocaine Spot, Why He Wouldn’t Do Such an Angle

On the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T talked about the controversial moment during the NWA Samhain pay-per-view that reportedly put the NWA’s TV deal with The CW Network in jeopardy, which was when Jim Mitchel was at a table with women around him drinking alcohol, and it looked like Mitchell was snorting cocaine off the table before passing it around to everyone around him. You can check out some highlights below:

On the cocaine segment during the NWA Samhain PPV: “You actually see it? Wow… Hey man, you gotta know — I mean, being a promoter is not easy. Putting on shows is not easy. Trying to fit into what’s going on now. I always talk about if you don’t know how to change with the times, the times will pass you by. Everything now is like shock TV. It’s just like jumping off something, taking a bump and the fans going, ‘This is awesome. This is awesome.’ Everybody’s looking for that instant coffee, that one thing that’s going to make their show pop more so than the next show. But what city was that in? Well, I just want to let — just in case CW is listening, we got a small little show called Reality of Wrestling that would love that spot. And we ain’t doing no cocaine angles.”

On Billy Corgan pushing for the angle: “I don’t know Billy Corgan personally or anything like that. But for him to want to push an angle like that makes me think that he hasn’t been that far from removed from you know, partaking in an angle like that once or twice. But look here bro, you ain’t gonna want to do an angle like that if you haven’t partake[n] here and now, once and again, time and time. You’re just not. Because me personally, I’m never going to do a cocaine angle, okay? Just because I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, bro.’ I’ve been around people who have done cocaine, and I’ve seen the effects of what cocaine can do to you, especially crack cocaine. I’ve seen it break individuals, people that never you never think in a million years take one hit, boom. So for me, I know I’m not going to be doing that kind of an angle. But for the person to want to do that, have been around it, seen it, maybe have done it, and know the effects of it. It makes you feel good. And I’ve said that about drugs. Remember, I’ve told you the story about me going to the hospital and getting Dilaudid in the drip. And had a hallucination to where I felt like I was on the in playing in the PGA, in one of the major golf tournaments. Hit a beautiful shot, the sky was a beautiful bright blue. The sun was shining. And I woke up, and Sharmell was sitting there, and I’m like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ It was a dream. And I told that doctor, ‘Please, doc, never give me that ever again.’ So I know the effect — if it’s good and you like it, hey, you have no problem with it.”

On his refusal to run similar angles: “There again, I’m conscious of not just what I like, but perhaps what other people might like. As well as [a] spitting angle, it might be cool at an ECW show, where the fans are off into gore and whatnot. Blood, whatnot. But for me, I am catering to a certain audience, and I’ve got to make sure I stay within the guidelines of the television rights and whatnot, just because I don’t want to lose my spot. I don’t want to have any problems with the network. So that’s the first thing that I’m thinking about as a promoter, even a small independent company like Reality of Wrestling. Even being on CW from a smaller scale, that’s the first thing that I think about when we put together a show is whether they are going to like or not. It just seems like the first thing you should be — or if they’re going to approve of something or not. And of course, rules are to be bent. Sometimes you try to push the envelope a little bit further. Just like, say for instance, with the girls. So I get it. But sometimes it seems like you would think a little bit better in a situation like that.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the Hall of Fame with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.