During a recent episode of his Hall of Fame Podcast, Booker T spoke on Big E’s character work. Here’s what he had to say:
I’m pleased to see Big E as the champion. I told Big E, I said the cream rises to the top, and you’ve got something and your day is gonna come. That day is here because he’s the champion now. I say this also, what he makes out of this moment is gonna be his legacy and what he leaves behind in this business as far as how he ran with the championship and how special was that time. That’s gonna be all up to him now. I was looking at the first week as far as still carrying a lot of the New Day baggage with him as far as still going out and dressing like the New Day, still chanting New Day Rocks, still having the same aura or attitude. But I remember Big E saying when I made the first comment about him maybe needing to change a little bit of something, I don’t know if he said it publicly but he said it to me, he said you became champion as King Booker. I think the character was somewhat over the top and flamboyant and whatnot. That could’ve been taken as a joke, but that’s the one thing I tried that with all the antics outside the ring, he never took any of that inside the ring. It was always king vs. peasant or someone trying to dethrone him. I tried to make that moment as seriously as I possibly could. I notice Big E, that’s one thing he does. Once his matches get going, all the New Day antics pretty much go out the window when he becomes a worker. That part there, I agree with 100 percent. Big E is definitely capable of carrying the company and being that guy.
You can listen HERE.
Credit: Hall of Fame Podcast. H/T 411Mania.