WWE Hall of Famer Booker T spoke on the latest “Hall of Fame” podcast about the Roman Reigns-Cody Rhodes segment from SmackDown, which was filmed on the Georgia Tech football field. The segment received high praise from both fans and industry professionals.
Booker stated, “I think it goes back to what I said a couple weeks ago as far as I was talking about the differences between WWE and AEW, as far as what WWE is doing, as far as creating stars and AEW having good wrestling matches, per say, good wrestling matches. Being able to create a show, an overall show, to where you watch it for more than just the wrestling. I think that’s what that brought to the table. That right there is what WWE has always been so good at for so, so many years, and that’s making you feel like something’s happening and that you gotta be a part of it. It’s just like back in the day when a new character would show up, but before they showed up, they would do a package on them for four to six weeks. You didn’t even know who that guy was, but by the time he got here, you couldn’t wait to see him.”
On Giovanni Vinci being repackaged and losing his first two matches:
“I’ve been watching the new packages on Giovanni. Man, I thought this guy had a great look and I thought his work was not bad either. I really think coming in with the Imperium, putting him in that group thing, it kind of maybe lost him in the shuffle a little bit because anytime you’re playing second to Gunther, you’re going to be playing second. So trying to repackage him and trying to get him back out there again, I see that. I understand because he is a guy that you do want to get in the mix, and I just don’t think it was a good thing him actually being a part of Imperium when he first came in.”
“It’s just like Ludwig. Same thing with him. He’s trying to figure out how to not be Gunther’s second. He’s really good. He’s got a good character, but he’s got to figure out how to go out and figure out who he is, opposed to just being Gunther’s second.”
You can check out the complete podcast below:
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)