Booker T heaps praise on 25-year-old star who transitioned to WWE from another sport: "She's the real deal"
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T had nothing but praise for a 25-year-old NXT star for her transition to professional wrestling. The star in question, Lola Vice, started as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter before signing with WWE in 2022.
Booker and his co-host Brad Gilmore discussed Vice's rise in the NXT women's division over the past year while speaking on their Hall of Fame podcast. The wrestling legend liked what he saw from the Miami native and called her one of his favorite stars on the developmental roster.
"She's a damn good entertainer. She's a damn good performer. Big Ups, she's the real deal. That's what I love about Lola. She's definitely made this transition as for really taking it serious, going out there and really thinking about the in ring IQ. Lola Vice is definitely one of my favorite. I love working with Lola on a weekly basis," Booker T said. [6:10 - 6:41]
Before becoming a WWE superstar, Lola Vice pursued MMA and made her debut at the age of 19 for Bellator. She fought several times for the promotion, earning a record of 4-1 with two knockouts. Her last fight was a split decision victory over Taylor Turner on November 12, 2021.
Vice began training to become a wrestler in 2022 at the WWE Performance Center. She made her debut later that year and quickly ascended within the developmental system. She won the 2023 NXT Women's Breakout Tournament to earn a future shot at the NXT Women's Championship.
Even though she failed to win the NXT Women's Championship from Lyra Valkyria, she remains one of the top stars in the brand.
Booker T's comments following Lola Vice's failed cash-in of her Breakout Tournament contract
After Lola Vice failed to win the NXT Women's Championship in a triple threat match against then-champion Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez, Booker T gave his thoughts on the matter in an episode of the Hall of Fame podcast.
"Lola, she's got the spice. She's got the song. She's got the latte that she needs to get on. With it, just get on, Lola, to add on top of it. But now it's a bad choice, just a bad choice. Bad choice but I gotta get my girl Roxanne Perez, big ups as well, as well as Valkyria. She came along in December of last year, and I watched her grow the whole year that I was there," Booker T said. (H/T Wrestling Headlines)
Lola Vice is currently in a feud with Shayna Baszler and they will face each other at NXT Battleground in an NXT Underground Match. Both Vice and Baszler transitioned from Mixed Martial Arts to professional wrestling.