Booker T Continues to Mold Wrestling’s Next Generation of Stars

His Reality of Wrestling promotion will soon hold its first event in Las Vegas, an important step both for the company and the performers.

Booker T returned to prime-time television Friday night. Wearing an Astros jersey, the wrestling icon bodyslammed and used his signature Book End finisher to foreshadow the end for the Red Sox, who Houston eliminated later that evening.

And who better to introduce the Astros, who just competed in their fifth straight American League Championship Series, than Houston’s own five-time champion—yes, five-time—champion?

“It was easy for me to represent my home and do it in grand fashion,” Booker “T” Huffman says. “I’ve got a relationship with Fox from WWE Backstage. I did a video last year for the Buffalo Bills, and this is also a chance for me to continue my rivalry with David Ortiz. It’s a friendly feud, and we’ve been going back-and-forth for a little while now, and the chance to rub elbows with David Ortiz is awesome. Now it’s time to cap this off with another World Series for the city of Houston.”

As much as he respects the baseball diamond, it will never replace Huffman’s affinity for the squared circle. The two-time WWE Hall of Famer is keeping busy with his own promotion, Reality of Wrestling, which continues to gain momentum throughout the industry.

“We don’t want to be WWE or AEW,” Huffman says. “We want to be the Triple A of pro wrestling, the place you need to be in order to make it to that next stop.”

For the first time, Reality of Wrestling is headed to Las Vegas for a show, which will take place on Nov. 19 at the MGM Grand Conference Center Premier Ballroom.

“This is a chance for our talent to showcase what Texas wrestling is all about,” Huffman says. “These are young guys trying to make it to the next level in the business. You might not know who they are now, but we’re hoping that changes after Nov. 19.”

The pandemic has created its own sets of problems, including travel. Huffman fervently believes that pro wrestlers need to travel as often to perform in front of different crowds, which helps make this trip even more exciting for his talent.

“When you’re honing your skills, it’s so important to know how to work in front of a different crowd,” Huffman says. “I remember thinking I was good when I was a young kid in this business, and then I was in for a rude awakening when I went to Philadelphia. I thought I was good, and then I went to New York City. Those crowds let you know how to become better, especially when you have those champagne wishes and caviar dreams. That’s how I became who I am. Our talent needs a piece of that action in order to get to that next level. And the world is going to be surprised how good Reality of Wrestling is.”

Huffman’s goal is to help create the next generation of stars. Will Allday and Cam Cole are set to headline the show in Vegas, which will also stream live on the Reality of Wrestling YouTube channel.

“They started with me as young kids, and now they’re headlining the show as men,” Huffman says. “I am very proud of them for getting to this position, which they did by earning it. They’re going to give the fans a show they’ll remember for a long time.”

Asked whether he will wrestle on the card, Huffman kept his options open.

“I felt so good bodyslamming and Book Ending everyone on that Fox spot that I thought about coming back,” Huffman says. “I was laughing; this business is easy when you don’t have to take a bump. But I’ve been thinking about doing something in Vegas. My friend ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage used to always say, ‘Expect the unexpected.’ That’s what we have here. Maybe I’ll put the boots back on.”

The trip to Vegas represents a massive moment for the Reality of Wrestling, after Huffman spent nearly two decades laying the groundwork.

“We’re on the move,” he says. “We’ve been striving to make this a reality for the past 18 years. My wife, Sharmell, plays such an important role in our success. And we want the world to see us in Vegas on Nov. 19 and come be part of it.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.