WWE Hall of Famer believes AEW's recent steps are "a good thing"
A WWE Hall of Famer believes that AEW's recently introduced rules and protocols are a good thing.
It was recently reported that the Jacksonville-based promotion issued new safety norms which banned the execution of several moves, like the buckle bomb, unprotected chair shots to the head, and more. In addition, bleeding in crowds and throwing objects into crowds like chairs were also banned. Several other maneuvers now require permission beforehand, like intentional bleeding, ladder spots, weapon usage, etc.
Speaking on the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said these bans AEW implemented are positive as they ensure proper checks and balances.
“I mean, like I say, anytime you get checks and balances, it’s a good thing.” (H/T - PWMania)
During the same podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer talked about the lack of structure in TNA and how it was sometimes easy to forget who was running things.
“It’s one thing I said about, you know, being in TNA. It was like no structure. I didn’t know who was , running things sometimes, No one really came and told me, Hey, look, just like I said, talking in the British accent or the African accent, no one came and told me, ‘Hey man, look, don’t do that.’ You know, even though people were wondering why he was doing it? That type of stuff."
Comparing the work culture in TNA to that of WWE, Booker T implied that there are proper checks and balances in place in the sports entertainment giant.
"So when you have somebody in charge, um, and that’s the one thing that’s been different, my whole career about WWE opposed to WCW and whatnot. When I got to WCW, it was, you know, great. It was so loose. When I got to WWE f it was like, oh, man, I remember Dave…., ‘Hey Dave, I need some tickets for the night of the show.’ And he goes, ‘How many do you need?’ I said, um, ’10.’ He goes, ‘We sell tickets here, bro.’ ‘Okay, can I get two?’ So checks and balances make a lot of sense because somebody might come and say they need a hundred tickets. You Feel, you feel me? I understand that totally. I get it."
In his pro wrestling career spanning over two decades, Booker T has worked in multiple promotions. He is well known for his work in WWE and WCW, where he has won several championships and accolades.
Having won all the major titles in WWE, Booker T is a former world champion and a two-time Hall of Famer. He also spent a few years in TNA and won the TNA Legends Championship and tag team titles.
MJF's interaction with a fan could have played a role in AEW enforcing a rule
At the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, MJF had a controversial interaction with a fan. He snatched a drink from a mother and poured it over her son's head who was standing with her.
In pro wrestling, crowd interactions play a massive role in establishing a character. Babyfaces usually greet and interact positively with the fans, while heels may trash talk or get on the fans' bad side without getting physical.
AEW DONE BANNED MJF’S SIGNATURE MOVE pic.twitter.com/7MrPFLXl22
MJF is a well-established heel in AEW and has done great work in that role. However, he went a bit too far in his interaction with the fan at Revolution. Such incidents could have played a role in crowd interaction being banned by AEW.