Booker T Says Six Years Is Too Long For Anyone To Be In NXT, Talks Duke Hudson’s Release

(Photo Credit: WWE)

Booker T has broken his silence regarding the WWE departure of NXT veteran Duke Hudson, who actually got his start in Booker’s Houston, Texas-based Reality Of Wrestling independent promotion.

The WWE Hall of Fame legend and WWE NXT color-commentator spoke about the subject on the latest episode of his Hall of Fame podcast.

“Duke Hudson started with me at Reality Of Wrestling,” Booker said. “I got a chance to see him make his rise and then make his journey to WWE, to NXT, and the thing is that Duke Hudsonโ€™s been in that system now for six years.”

He continued, “The thing is, six years in the NXT system, thatโ€™s going to be way too long for anyone. I say it all the time, if you donโ€™t change with the times, the times will pass you by. If you donโ€™t know how to actually reinvent yourself and do something and make them look at you differently than theyโ€™ve looked at you before, thatโ€™s not going to be on them, thatโ€™s going to be on you. It could be the smallest little things as perhaps getting your hair cut a certain way, it could be something as big as getting in the gym and really putting in a whole lot of time. Iโ€™m talking about when everyoneโ€™s sleeping, youโ€™re working. Then, when you show up and you just take your shirt off, all of the sudden, somebodyโ€™s eyebrow goes up just a little bit. If you ainโ€™t preparing, you are preparing to fail and thatโ€™s the bottom line to that.”

Check out the complete episode of the “Hall of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore” podcast via the YouTube player embedded below. H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.