Booker T on Why He Was Happy He Was Sent to SmackDown During the WWE Draft in 2004

– On this week’s Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T was asked in a fan question on if he was really upset about being drafted to the SmackDown roster in 2004, or if he was just selling the disappointment for a heel turn. According to Booker T, he was happy for the move since SmackDown was easier to deal since the show was still taped at the time, and it gave him more of an opportunity to get TV time focused on himself. He stated the following:

“I wasn’t upset [Laughs]. I was just playing my role, man. I knew going over to SmackDown, for me, I loved it. I was actually really, really happy when I got drafted to SmackDown. I don’t know if I even got drafted. I might’ve been traded. I’m serious, but I knew going to SmackDown was going to give me a chance to be at ease. Being on live television every week on Monday Night Raw, it is very stressful to have to go out there every weekend and nail it. It was the hardest position to be in. Back then, SmackDown was taped, and if you made a mistake, they could fix it. So, it had a much more laid back feel, as well as, I didn’t have to compete with all the main major players on Raw who wanted that TV time, who wanted that live time, who craved being front of the camera like that. For me, it wasn’t really about that. I just wanted to be able to — just like for instance when The Radicalz left WCW, a door opened for me. Some of the biggest stars man, they just stepped away. Me going over to SmackDown, I knew the major players, Triple H and those guys, were going to be over there on Raw. So, I could create my own thing right here on SmackDown. There was born the SmackDown Kingdom. The SmackDown King Booker.”

If using the above quotes, please credit Booker T’s Hall of Fame, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.