Booker T recently revealed that Tatum Paxley finally convinced him of the long-term potential of her character following her performance at NXT Vengeance Day.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Hall of Fame Podcast, Booker T admitted he had previously questioned whether Paxley’s unusual persona could translate successfully to the main roster.
“I didn’t know if this character had any sustainability. I didn’t think it was something that you could actually put on the main roster and people would buy it,” Booker T said. “But she finally got me. I finally bought in to what Tatum Paxley has been trying to do for so long.”
Booker T, who regularly provides commentary for WWE NXT, said the turning point came during a particular moment in Paxley’s match against Izzy Moreno.
“When she did the one move where she turned to offense – did the Undertaker almost sit up, but standing up – I said, okay, now she finally got me. I got goosebumps talking about it,” he said.
The WWE Hall of Famer explained that one of the biggest challenges for character-driven wrestlers is making their persona believable once the bell rings. In his view, Paxley managed to solve that problem during the match.
“When you got a character like that, you got to be able to figure out how to make it translate and make the people really want it,” Booker T said. “It’s like Bray Wyatt. Bray Wyatt had something to make the fans go into that supernatural world that he was living in. And I really feel like Tatum Paxley has figured it out.”
Booker T praised Paxley for maintaining her character throughout the match while still delivering strong in-ring work.
“Her work was extraordinary. But then being able to incorporate the character at the same time where it was still believable – that’s what professional wrestling truly is,” he said.
Co-host Brad Gilmore added that many wrestlers struggle to carry their gimmick into the psychology of a match, noting that Paxley appears to have found the balance.
“Sometimes what you see in certain wrestlers, when they have a specific character or gimmick, the gimmick kind of goes away when the bell rings. They don’t always have a way to incorporate it into the match psychologically,” Gilmore said. “It seems as though she has figured out how to incorporate the character in the work itself.”
Booker T agreed, emphasizing that what happens inside the ring ultimately determines a wrestler’s success.
“Being able to carry it in the ring – that’s the only thing that matters. That’s where the rubber meets the road. That’s where you really start paying the bills, inside that square circle,” he said.
He also acknowledged the performance of Izzy, noting that both competitors contributed to the success of the match.
“Izzy did a great job too. But Tatum really went out there and really became her own,” Booker T said.
