Despite many fans believing he should have won in 2003, Booker T has admitted that winning the title at WrestleMania 19 was never discussed.
The two-time Hall of Famer challenged Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at the biggest show of the year. The build-up to the match was controversial due to comments made in Triple H’s promos. Triple H brought up Booker’s criminal past, as well as using racially insensitive language and referring to Booker as “people like you.” Although this appeared to set up a babyface win for the 5-time WCW Champion, The Game was the one who walked out with the gold.
To add insult to injury, Triple H took an extended period of time to cover Booker after hitting the Pedigree. More than 20 years later, there is a belief among fans that Booker should have been the winner in that match given what happened previously.
“I’m In The Main Event Of WrestleMania, That’s A Win!”: Booker T
While being interviewed by Chris Van Vliet, the Mania match was brought up. Van Vliet noted that when the question is asked of which match would fans changed the finish to, the 2003 contest ranks highly. Booker was then asked if there was ever talk of him winning in Seattle:
“You know, to answer that first part, that would be the only match in my career that I could honestly say, maybe if I could change that finish, I would change it. But no, there was never any talk about me winning that match from the beginning; I never went into that match thinking I was winning. But there again, I’ve never gone into any match thinking that. I just never got involved in that side of it. I know so many people wanted me to win, and I love those people for it. I always said when I got in the business, I just hope I’m in the main event at WrestleMania one day. Then I got in the main event and I didn’t win. I go, man, I should have wished I would have won too.
It’s one of those types of things, but the story was a great story, and anyway you look at it, I always looked at it was stories that was as real as it possibly could be for me, and most people wouldn’t understand it. Most people wouldn’t understand it. I get it, because it’s something that’s fictional to them, but it’s real to me. When I say that, I lost my dad when I was 10 months old, and I lost my mom when I was 14, quit school and got locked up in prison.”
Continuing, the Hall of Famer spoke about his past and how he made it to one of the biggest matches on the Mania card. While he did not win on paper, Booker T still believes he was a winner that night:
“Then I come out and find myself in the main event at WrestleMania. I think that’s a win. Any kid that’s looking at it, I needed them to understand I’m that kid that went through all that trial and tribulation, but yeah, found myself being one of the best wrestlers in the world, in the main event at WrestleMania, I came that close to winning my sixth world title. I had five before that, but came close to winning my sixth world title at WrestleMania.”
Featured image: WWE
