Why Booker T Said Roxanne Perez Was The Ideal WWE Developmental Talent [Exclusive]

Perez trained under Booker T starting at 16 years old.
Roxanne Perez received high praise from Booker T.
Roxanne Perez received high praise from Booker T. | WWE.com

Booker T is showcasing his coaching prowess as a member of the "WWE LFG" coaching crew alongside the likes of The Undertaker, Bubba Ray Dudley, and Mickie James. But Booker may have a bit of an upper hand in the competition, as he has been coaching for more than a decade at his Reality of Wrestling school in Texas.

One of the top names to come through the ranks of his school is WWE Superstar Roxanne Perez. She's only 23 years old, but started training with the WWE Hall of Famer when she was just 16. She would wrestle for Ring of Honor for a couple of years before ultimately signing with WWE developmental in 2022.

Speaking with The Takedown on SI, Booker T claimed Perez is the ideal mold for what WWE looks for in developmental talent from the independent circuit, coming prepared to the big stage.


"She's exactly what we're striving for, as far as coming in and picking it up," he said. "But Roxanne Perez, who started learning television wrestling at 16 years old. She's, that's all she's known, is working television. She's, I mean, she worked out there on the independent scene for a second. But all she's known is television wrestling, and I think that's why she's had such a great rise in WWE is because, you know, I watch her and just the small, little bitty things that her and I have talked about so many times."

Booker noted that while Perez frequently still asks for feedback, she has reached the point where she has mastered TV wrestling and serves as a great example for others to follow.

"And it is kind of crazy because, she comes back to me, or she would come back to be on a weekly basis and go, you know, 'what did you see?' And I go, 'man, I couldn't see anything. Let's try next week.' She'd come again, and I didn't see anything. So she's gotten to the point where I can't find the weaknesses, the bad spots, you know," Booker said. "So that's what, I think what we're trying to work with and get to the point with these young guys to where they can learn it, get comfortable with it because it is very technical. It is very difficult."

Perez recently qualified for the Women's Elimination Chamber match and appears to be a main roster member at this point.

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Jon Alba
JON ALBA

Jon Alba is an Emmy Award and SPJ Award-winning journalist who has broken some of pro wrestling's biggest stories. In addition to writing for The Takedown on SI, he is the host of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast, and a host and contributor for Sportsnet New York. Additionally, he has been on beats for teams across MLB, the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS during more than a decade in the sports media sphere. Jon is a graduate of Quinnipiac University with a B.A. degree in Journalism.

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