Booker T On His Memories Of WCW Bash at the Beach 2000, What Doesn’t Add Up

On the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T talked about the recent Dark Side of the Ring episode covering WCW Bash at the Beach 2000 that saw Hulk Hogan beat Jeff Jarrett, only for Vince Russo to double cross Hogan later in the night after Hogan left the venue after a pre-planned shoot-work angle between. Russo cut a heated promo on Hogan before having Booker T beat Jarrett to win the World Heavyweight Title. You can check out some highlights below:

On Bash at the Beach 2000 episode of Dark Side of the Ring: “We definitely gotta talk about Bash at the Beach 2000, the infamous night that I won the World Heavyweight Championship… And the thing is, I didn’t have anything to do with it [Dark Side of the Ring]. I didn’t give any quotes or anything. I think they reached out to me about what I want to be a part of, and I think I declined it. Just like I’ve declined all of the times that they’ve called me for that, just because I just don’t wanna be a part of anything negative. I don’t wanna be a part of somebody’s downfall or anything like that, somebody’s bad times or anything like that. I think that’s what these shows are pretty much built around. It’s always — I don’t think in the Dark Side of the Ring thing, it’s that there’s never any like bright light at the end of the tunnel.”

On not wanting to be part of Dark Side of the Ring: “For me, even on my my greatest triumph, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, I declined to be a part of that episode. Just because, like I say, just totally leaves a bad taste in the mouth. But the thing is, I wanna talk about it as far as truth, compared to perhaps untruth, just because I was there. And I can only give my perspective on how I felt as far as the situation and everything that was going on.”

On Jeff Jarrett’s role in the episode: “Big props to Jeff Jarrett. Jeff Jarrett says that a lot of the stuff that he didn’t know about, some of the stuff he did know about. Russo told him to go out there and lay down. Other than that, he didn’t know a whole lot about it. You remember Jeff and I talked about that night. And Jeff said, ‘Man, yeah, I knew just as little as you did.’ And that’s true. I didn’t know a whole lot about it going into it. I’m just thinking about body language and stuff like that. Jeff was told to go in there and lay down for Hulk Hogan because Hulk Hogan pulled his creative control card.

Booker T on what doesn’t add up for him: “Now, Vince Russo said they had talked about this whole thing before the show even went off. It was written this way as far as him going out cutting the promo on Hulk Hogan, throwing the belt at Hulk winning and leaving, whatnot. All of that was in the script. Hogan knew it. Bischoff knew it. Everybody in the upper echelon, they knew it. Now, Eric said none of that is true. Hulk said none of it is true, to the point Hulk Hogan actually filed a lawsuit against Vince Russo. And and it got thrown out just because of it was based around characters, Hogan, Vince Russo, all characters under the wrestling banner, whatnot.

“A lot of that seems very, very sketchy as far as I’m concerned. One thing that really intrigued me was — this is something that I wouldn’t imagine had happened. Eric said that after Hulk Hogan won the belt from Jeff Jarrett, they left the building because everybody was supposed to know. And then again, Eric said they didn’t know. Okay this is the point that gets me, Eric said after Hulk Hogan did the deal with Jeff Jarrett, him and Hogan left the building. They went to the bar, and they were toasting some drinks. And then next thing you know, they realize that Vince Russo is cutting his promo. And now that Vince Russo cut this major promo, Jeff and I are now going to wrestle for the championship. Now, I’ve never seen the boss leave the building before the lights go off. That’s just something that just really, really makes, makes me wonder, is that true or not? That Eric and Hogan left the building with Russo still there with a hot mic? That part right there makes no sense.”

Booker T on if he would have become WCW World Heavyweight Champion if Vince Russo didn’t do what he did: “I watched Hulk Hogan when that thing happened in the middle of the ring, all right? The look on his face, there’s no way Hulk Hogan knew what was going on. It’s no way. He’s not that good of an actor. It’s no way. And then to hear Vince Russo tell that story that everybody knew. I’m gonna tell you, I didn’t know anything. So and the thing is, to this day, that secret has been kept as far as everybody knew about it. It’s no way a story like that could be kept this many years in professional wrestling. It’s no freaking way.

“So, from my perspective, as far as you know, did Vince Russo go into business for himself that night? Perhaps, perhaps, yes. Me personally, I’m glad he won the business for himself. I’m not mad at him or anything for going into the business for himself. Because I won the world title that night. If it wasn’t for Vince Russo going into the business for himself that night, I wouldn’t have won the World Championship. I found out many years later that Hulk Hogan was supposed to win the championship and then come back at Halloween Havoc, and they were gonna do whatever they did with it. Eric was on board with that 100%. Now this is my thing also. I’ve given Eric a lot of props over the years. but I found out now if Vince Russo wouldn’t have done what he did, I wouldn’t have won the World Championship, and perhaps I wouldn’t have never won it, ever. That’s how, that’s how you know close and how big this thing really is, for me. And the thing is, Eric Bischoff, he was one of those guys that were hanging out and partying had become friends with guys like Hogan, the NWO, and all those guys. So I could see that happening, you know, 100%. But if it wasn’t for that, I still give Vince Russo all the credit in the world for being the guy to pull the trigger, because I said it here on the show, I said, ‘There could be 12 guys in the room, and they could get polled who should win the championship. And it could be unanimous that Booker T. Without Vince Russo in the room; they would’ve given it to somebody else.’ Same exact scenario. They did a poll, my name came up, and Eric Bischoff still woulda gave the title to Hulk Hogan. That’s the sad part about it. That’s really the sad part about that whole thing. A lot of cowards, man. A lot of cowards in the room back then.”

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.