Booker T issues response to Swerve Strickland saying “F*ck Booker T” after AEW Dynasty
Last week, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T said he was “disappointed” in Swerve Strickland and felt that Swerve “got played” by media outlet Vlad TV. Booker T said the following…
“I don’t know if these guys think racism stopped in 1990 when I got in the business, but it didn’t. You may not hear about a lot of racial issues with Booker T because I handled racial issues handfirst. I opened doors, I broke down barriers for people like Swerve Strickland. Swerve Strickland would perhaps not even be here if it wasn’t for me.”
After the 2025 AEW Dynasty PPV event went off the air, Swerve said “F*ck Booker T” to the fans in attendance. While speaking on his podcast, Booker T issued a response…
“Woke up this morning and I wondered, why is my name trending? I see the video of Swerve Strickland saying, ‘F Booker T’ at the end of Dynasty. I’m not gonna even get upset about it. I’m going to give Swerve Strickland a little bit of advice, just a little bit. That advice would be, don’t be talking about something other than the pay-per-view at the end of the night. That’s the main event and the last thing people are going to remember. The last thing people are going to remember is me, my name being said. I’m sure Tony Khan don’t appreciate the news, the headline not being what happened at Dynasty with all the matches. They’re talking about Booker T. That was a bad move. He’s got a lot of energy at the end of the show. I’m not that type. I’m from that school, if you got something to say to somebody, say it to their face. I’m gonna leave it at that. Hopefully, Swerve Strickland has a hell of a career, and he’ll do very well in this business. I’m going to keep stressing what I’ve talked about for a long time, go out there and get it on your talent and merit. Nobody will ever be able to say you got it because of, only for your talent. I’m gonna keep advocating for the young guys to go out there and perform at the highest level. Take what you want. It’s not gonna be given to you. You gotta take it. The only way to take it is through your performance and how good you really are inside the squared circle. That’s as much as I’m gonna say on that issue as far as Swerve Strickland goes.”
“The only one laughing is Vlad TV. He got all this stuff started and stirred up. I thought this thing was over with, I really did. The last thing I thought about was waking up this morning to a ‘F You.’ This generation, man. I’m an advocate for all young black talent to get into this business, but I’m an advocate for so many more young kids than just black kids. I’m an advocate for anybody who has the talent to actually make it to the next level. I’ll put a word in for them. I think my reputation has been solid. I don’t publicize a lot of things. The guys out there, they know. They know if I’ve been on the side of righteousness. They know what Booker T has done behind the scenes. I don’t have to talk about it on social media. I’m not trying to get extra brownie points for anything I’ve done, but they know. People like Swerve, we come from a different cloth, a totally different cloth. I wish nothing but the best for this dude. I want to see them succeed. Would I ever say anything positive about him, ever again? Probably not. Would I ever put him over as far as being a good worker and perhaps transform this business? I probably won’t do that again. I’ve learned my lesson. I ain’t gonna bring a personal beef to my job.” (quotes courtesy of Jeremy Lambert)