Booker T has shared his thoughts on the recent allegations of racism directed at WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, offering a different perspective while acknowledging that experiences can vary widely.
As previously reported, D-Von Dudley has accused Ross of making racist remarks during D-Von’s time with WWE, which began in 1999 when he and Bully Ray joined the company. D-Von has claimed that Ross took issue with him being black and allegedly made that clear to Bully Ray during a conversation at a WWE restaurant.
Speaking on a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T addressed the situation and suggested that if Ross did make the alleged comments, he may not remember them due to alcohol use at the time.
“Not to throw JR under the bus or anything, but back in the day, JR would drink a little bit. Maybe he forgot he said it. Maybe he said it as a joke.”
Booker T later reflected on his own long history working with Ross, while making it clear that his personal experiences should not be viewed as universal.
“Maybe he really doesn’t remember it… I’ve had interactions with JR my whole wrestling career from WWE on… I’m not saying that to save JR, but then again I’ve had a lot of experiences that are very different for people of color in this business.”
That distinction stood out.
Booker emphasized that while he never personally experienced racism from Ross, he understands that other Black wrestlers may have had very different encounters behind the scenes.
For his part, Jim Ross has firmly denied the allegations, stating that he was never racist toward D-Von Dudley or any other Black wrestler during his time in WWE.
