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Stevie Ray inducted Booker T. The crowd chanted for him and then Harlem Heat. He thanked them but said tonight they are inducting Booker, who in his family is known as Junior as he is the youngest one in the family.
Their father died when Booker was 11 months old. So, growing up they were attached at the hip, always hanging out. Booker would start messing with guys Ray's age because they knew now to mess with him because Stevie was around the corner.
He told a story about Booker trying to go to a party and he wanted to go but was too young. He chased after them but they left him. He laid in the street crying thinking Ray would come back but they didn't come back until after the party and Booker was still in the street waiting.
Stevie talked about their mom dying and noted Booker was incarcerated and Ray blamed himself for not being there. They talked a lot about wrestling when he was in jail, talking about Ernie Ladd and Boyd Pierce. They didn't know it but when Booker got out they hit the gym. They met Ivan Putski and he invited Ray to train. Booker followed him to the school and was a little better than everyone and that's when he knew Booker found his calling.
Stevie got a tryout with Global and he insisted Booker come as well. They met with Eddie Gilbert. Gilbert told them he had an idea for a tag team and he thinks they can do it. They had never tagged and didn't tell anyone they were brothers. But they said they teamed all the time. That was the start for them.
He said after all of what he's been through, Booker overcame the deck stacked against him and became a role model. When you can look into a storm and you are too dedicated to be stopped by it, it's amazing. He said Booker is here on this stage and what more can you say. He introduced Booker.
Booker came out and said, "Wow".
The crowd chanted thank you and he said no thank you. He said he feels like the fans are family. He thanked all his brothers and sisters for coming, learning the game and how to get through life.
He said only one thing can make this night complete and it's not the spinaroonie but his mother...but he's content and happy to have this night and share it with everyone.
He started telling some stories, noting that right after Eddie Gilbert was fired they fired them. He told the story of Gary Michael Cappetta bringing up Mick Foley's ear on Booker's first Germany tour and wondered what the hell he got himself into.
He thanked several from his WCW days...Arn Anderson, Ric Flair and Greg Gagne. He said he wanted to thank Dusty Rhodes. Booker said he was a match once and rocked it and knew it because Dusty told him he wouldn't be put on first anymore.
He said Harlem Heat was off and running was missing something...and that was Sherri Martel. She legitimized Harlem Heat and made them who they were. Sister Sherri made them worldwide.
Once an agent told Stevie that he doesn't work like Booker and his response was that no one in the locker room did that. Booker said he was inspired to do something special and had the chance to win his WCW World TV champ. Rick Martel was supposed to win but didn't have his gear. So Booker went from walking out to winning the belt from Disco Inferno.
He was only supposed to go and drop it to Martel but that was their plan not his. He started the journey and followed in the footsteps of Ron Simmons. He beat Jeff Jarrett and closed WCW going from the bottom to the top.
Then, WWE came calling. He remembers David Penzer asking him if he was sad and had tears in his eyes. Penzer asked Booker what he was going to do. Booker said he didn't know about the rest of these guys but he was going to WWE.
Booker said that he remembers Linda McMahon telling him he finally got him and now he's in the WWE family forever. He thanked Blackjack Lanza, Pat Patterson, Michael Hayes, Johnny Ace and more.
Booker thanked Steve Austin and mentioned the grocery store fight. He thanked Goldust and Boogeyman making him learn and grow as a performer.
Booker thanked Undertaker. His first Wrestlemania, Taker told him to feel the moment and he is right now too.
Booker thanked Jim Ross, the first person to get Booker to tell his story because it could help someone else.
Booker thanked Michael Cole for being there for him and calling his matches and being as a great friend.
Booker said that like WCW he went from the bottom to the top as World champion and the greatest King of all time, King Booker.
Booker thanked the fans for supporting him through 35 years all the way back from raising the roof in the old days through today. The fans chanted for a Spinaroonie and he told them to wait and if they pull a Trish on him, he will whoop all their asses.
He thanked his wife Sharmell and said that he loves her, will come running for her always and will say "I Do" a thousand times over. He said tonight was a toast to their love.
He closed with his trademark Can you dig that sucka? And hit a spinaroonie.
So great.
Huge Booker chant.
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