"It's really hard for me to criticize" – WWE Hall of Famer defends Tony Khan and AEW over diversity issues
Diversity issues in AEW have been a major topic of discussion for weeks now. WWE Hall of Famer Booker T weighed in on the ongoing discussion and defended Tony Khan.
The issue of diversity in AEW was first raised publicly by Big Swole in an interview where the former AEW star mentioned other issues within the company, like the booking and structural issues.
Everybody posting the AEW Who We Are album they received in the mail today. https://t.co/8uPW1Hvt7F
Speaking to Forbes, the multi-time world champion defended Tony Khan. Booker T said it was hard for him to criticize a company just three years into its existence:
“I’ve heard [concerns on diversity issues] about AEW, and me personally, it’s really hard for me to criticize a company that’s only been in existence for three years. One thing about this sport, just being real, it’s always been dominated – as far as wrestling talent goes – by white guys. White girls. I always have this argument with people as far as when I was doing it. I was one of the few black guys who was in this sport and doing it at a certain level.”
After defending AEW, Booker T spoke about his professional wrestling career
Booker T was a generational performer who transcended wrestling and entered the mainstream. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion spoke about his career and how it proved to be an inspiration to others:
“I kind of slipped on a banana peel and found professional wrestling. When I found it, I tried to open doors for the Big E’s and Bobby Lashley’s of the world. When you come from the neighborhood, especially back in the day, professional wrestling is the last form of entertainment as far as our way out. It’s gonna be football, it’s gonna be basketball, it’s gonna be rapping, it’s gonna be something other than professional wrestling. But when kids saw Booker T doing it, they thought “man, this might be the way out, so we’re gonna start gravitating toward professional wrestling.”
Booker T is part of an esteemed set of panelists, including the likes of Diamond Dallas Page, Rob Van Dam, Bill Apter, Vince Russo, Renee Paquette, and more, who'll determine the winners of the Sportskeeda Wrestling Awards for 2021.
Watch Booker T name his winners here: