Booker T had a tough childhood, having lost his parents by 13 years of age, and later having to
live with his older sister and brother. He was also sent to prison for robbery and served 19
months in jail.
Booker T took up wrestling lessons with his brother, Stevie Ray, and the two wrestled in the
indie scene in Texas for a few years, before they were signed by World Championship
Wrestling.
The brothers tag teamed together in WCW and were named Harlem Heat, and the duo went on
to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, where they had great feuds with The Steiner
Brothers, and held the belt for a mind-boggling ten times.
Following a successful tag team career, Booker T embarked on a singles run where he became
the most successful WCW star, winning 21 titles in total, including the WCW World Heavyweight
Championship, WCW World Television Championship, WCW World Tag Team Championship,
and the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.
Booker T had great feuds with Jeff Jarrett, Chris Benoit, and Scott Steiner on WCW television,
before WWE acquired the rival promotion where Booker T went next.
Booker T had more success in WWE in 2001, where he had a memorable feud with Stone Cold
Steve Austin, as a heel, and then went on to feud with the likes of Kurt Angle and The Rock.
After winning the Royal Rumble, Booker T then feuded against Triple H, and the two had a
match at WrestleMania XIX, where Booker T lost.
He then won the Intercontinental Championship and then the United States Championship, and
in 2006, he won the World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Rey Mysterio.
Booker T was released by the WWE in 2007, following which he moved to rival promotion, Total
Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he faced off against foes, while teaming up with Scott Steiner -
against whom he had put up phenomenal matches back in WCW - to win the TNA World Tag
Team Championship.
Booker T returned to the WWE in 2011 and had a few matches, but was mainly restricted to a
commentary role. In 2013, Booker T was inducted by his brother Stevie Ray, into the WWE Hall
of Fame.
