Booker T says he takes pride in seeing Trick Williams succeed in WWE, especially knowing he has played a role in helping guide the rising star along the way.
Williams recently credited Booker T as a mentor dating back to his time in WWE NXT. The two time WWE Hall of Famer responded to that praise during a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast.
“It make me feel good,” Booker T said when discussing Williams acknowledging his mentorship. “Like I always say, to stay relevant these days, it may take somebody else, some young cat that’s out there shining.”
Booker said Williams has done exactly that by developing his own presence and understanding how to connect with the audience.
“And Trick right now is doing his thing, man,” Booker continued. “He’s doing a hell of a job too, as far as understanding what the business is about.”
According to Booker, one of the most important lessons he shared with Williams early on was that technical wrestling ability is not the only ingredient for success in sports entertainment.
“I told Trick a long time ago, you don’t have to be the best wrestler to be the best wrestler,” Booker said. “And he’s definitely taking that advice and running with it.”
Seeing younger talent build on what previous generations accomplished is something Booker says he finds especially rewarding. He believes it shows that his own work in the industry helped inspire the next wave of performers.
“Getting to see a young guy out there that’s paying homage to the way I did it, but upping the game even more, that’s what I love about it.”
Booker also emphasized that mentoring younger wrestlers is something he considers part of his responsibility in the business. Having experienced the ups and downs of a long career, he hopes to help rising stars avoid the pitfalls that can derail a promising run.
“It just lets me know that I did my job a long time ago,” Booker said. “Now I’m still doing my job trying to guide these young men in the right direction and make them avoid those landmines.”
Booker added that he is proud to see Williams blending elements of classic wrestling psychology with his own personality and style as he continues building his career.
Do you think Trick Williams has what it takes to become one of WWE’s biggest stars in the next few years, or is he still missing something to reach that level?
