Booker T has given his thoughts on the controversial match at AEW All Out between Swerve Strickland and Adam Page.
Much like their Texas Death Match at Full Gear 2023, fans knew that the unsanctioned cage match would be a violent affair. Along with the use of a staple gun and a brutal chair shot to the head, the spot that got fans talking the most was the inclusion of a hypodermic needle. Rarely used in mainstream wrestling, many were left uneasy by what they saw and has drawn criticism from the fans for going too far.
Discussing Swerve Strickland on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T stated that he is a fan of the former World Champion, adding that Strickland may have wanted to take part in the violent match while he is still physically able to:
“Before I even say anything, hell of a talent. He’s a hell of a talent. The kid’s incredible, he can do anything in the middle of that freaking square circle, extraordinary talent. It’s just something that, you know, maybe he wants to get off his bucket list, going out and having these kind of matches. One thing about these kind of matches, it’s a young man’s game. You better get them out the way quick because I don’t see that being a long-term deal where you can continuously go out and do that kind of stuff and get over.”
Booker T Admits Violent Match Was Not To His Taste
When discussing the match itself, the WWE Hall of Famer admitted that while it is not the kind of match that he is a fan of, he understands that there is an audience for it:
“Is it my cup of tea? No, it’s not. But there again, there’s an audience for it. Obviously, a lot of the fans in AEW, they get off to that kind of stuff. And I think when you are catering to your people, you’re going to be willing to go out there and do anything. I mean, I think that’s what Tony Khan wants in that company, for these guys to be able to go out there and do things differently than they have done before.
And I said that before, I think AEW is trying to change the landscape of the way fans watch professional wrestling. I could be wrong, but that’s what it seems like to me. And the reason I said that the first time was, the way the tag team division worked. Because they didn’t have to make traditional tags, they can come in the ring and they can stay in the ring for and do three or four spots with the guys, and then before they get it — there was just a lot of shenanigans that was going on that I just did not understand from a tag team perspective.”
“But was I supposed to understand it? Perhaps not. Was I supposed to understand the six-sided ring in TNA when I was there? No, I didn’t need to because it was for the young guys. It was for that generation. Is AEW for this generation of what they’re trying to cater to? Perhaps. But is it my cup of tea? No.
In regards to the divisive needle spot, Booker T stated that it was not something he would let his kids watch due to his own experiences:
“Am I going to let my kids watch, you know, somebody get stuck with a needle? Nah, that’s not — I don’t think I want my kids to see anything as far as hypodermic needles, just because of what I had to see when I was a kid in real life with hypodermic needles. Something that is still embedded in my brain, how many lives it really, really ruined, you know? I mean, so I look at that from a totally different perspective then perhaps they do. They may think it’s cool, ‘It’s just something we’re doing on television.’ But if you’re a parent, it seems like you would think a little bit differently.”
Also on his podcast, Booker T commented on the upcoming WWE NXT move to the CW.
Referencing the AEW All Out controversy, one announcer had a more light-hearted response.
Unhappy with what they saw, a former WWE announcer called out AEW for “laziness.”
H/t to 411 Mania.