Wrestling fans certainly know Booker T, the legendary veteran of WCW, WWE, and Impact Wrestling, who’s not only a multi-time tag team champion but also a multi-time world champion. While he certainly hit new levels of his career in WWE, he got his start in WCW as part of the tag team Harlem Heat before establishing himself as a singles star.
Booker T’s WCW career lasted from 1993 all the way to 2001, and that’s a good chunk of time for many aspects of his run with the company to go forgotten. Let’s take a look at those eight years and see what fans may have forgotten about Booker T’s time in World Championship Wrestling, particularly as part of Harlem Heat.
10 Originally Named Kole
Starting out, Booker T and his brother Stevie Ray would wrestle under team names like “The Ebony Experience” in smaller promotions. It was only when they signed with WCW in 1993 that they were given the tag team Harlem Heat, despite being from Texas. On top of that, they also received new individual ring names, with Booker T becoming Kole and Stevie Ray becoming Kane. However, the name change would only last about a year, with Kole and Kane reverting to Booker T and Stevie Ray in the summer of 1994.
9 The “Slavery Gimmick” Incident
Initially, Harlem Heat was meant to be presented as ex-cons who came to the ring wearing chains as a reference to chain gangs and to represent the bondage the pair were breaking with their in-ring accomplishments, according to Stevie Ray. However, when they initially tried out the concept at a WCW house show, they were given Col. Robert Parker as a manager, whose “Southern gentleman” persona paired with the image of Black men in chains inadvertently created the effect of the whole thing being a slavery gimmick.
8 Took Part In WarGames (And Lost It For His Team)
Fans look back fondly on WCW’s War Games matches featuring The Four Horsemen and even the New World Order, but it’s important to remember that Harlem Heat took part in one War Games bout, too. It was in 1993 when Booker T and Stevie Ray joined Big Van Vader and Sid Vicious in taking on Sting, Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes, and the infamous Shockmaster, whose legendary spill to the floor Harlem Heat were present for.
The big WarGames match happened at Fall Brawl ‘93, and by the time “the Match Beyond” happened, it was Booker T (as Kole) who lost the match on the bad guys’ behalf, submitting to a bearhug applied by The Shockmaster.
7 Feuded With Colonel Robert Parker
While Col. Robert Parker was there for Harlem Heat’s initial gimmick, that wouldn’t be the end of Booker T’s relationship with the heel manager. Booker and Stevie feuded with Parker’s clients in his Stud Stable faction, Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater for the World Tag Team Championship, initially losing the belts to the villains but then winning them back at Fall Brawl ‘94. However, eventually, romance became the focus of the rivalry as Parker was revealed to be having an affair with Harlem Heat’s manager, Sister Sherri.
6 Had Several Different Managers As Part Of Harlem Heat
Col. Robert Parker served as Harlem Heat’s original manager when they debuted in WCW, but soon they dumped him in favor of Sister Sherri. When the managerial romance angle ensued, Parker eventually ditched his own clients in favor of co-managing Harlem Heat with Sherri. However, soon Booker T and Stevie Ray would turn completely babyface, firing Parker and later Sherri and adopting Jacqueline as their manager until he departed for WWE. In 1999, the duo gained a new manager in Midnight, who served to be the catalyst for Harlem Heat’s breakup (see below).
5 Took Part In A Best Of Seven Series For The Television Title
After Stevie Ray got injured, Booker T began to branch out into singles competition, capturing the World Television Championship in late 1997. By the spring, Booker T ended up in a rivalry with Chris Benoit, who ultimately interfered in one of Booker’s title defenses, causing him to lose the belt to Fit Finlay. From there, Booker and Benoit clashed in a Best of Seven series of matches in order to determine who would challenge Finlay next. The two tied up, with Booker T winning the seventh match by DQ before going on to win back the TV Title at The Great American Bash ‘98.
4 Lost The T In His Ring Name
After the addition of Midnight to Harlem Heat, Stevie Ray would end up not only betraying Booker T but also forming his own version of Harlem Heat in the process. As Harlem Heat 2000, Stevie Ray was not only joined by Big T (formerly WWE’s Ahmed Johnson), but also a manager in J. Biggs (formerly WWE’s Clarence Mason).
Booker T lost to Big T at SuperBrawl 2000 in a match for not only the Harlem Heat trademark but also the T in his name, forcing him to perform for a spell as just “Booker.”
3 Became G.I. Bro Of The Misfits In Action
By the spring of 2000, WCW started a major storyline with the veteran-focused Millionaire’s Club taking on the younger New Blood faction, though not everyone picked a side in the conflict. Booker T and a group of others were targeted by WCW boss Eric Bischoff for not backing up the New Blood, and ultimately (kayfabe) fired them in the process. In response, the group adopted new military-themed ring names and returned to WCW as the Misfits In Action, with Booker T becoming G.I. Bro.
2 Lost The World Title To Vince Russo
At Bash at the Beach 2000, Booker T reached the top of WCW by winning his first WCW World Title by defeating Jeff Jarrett. But this was the Vince Russo era of WCW, so as a result of his erratic booking, Booker won and lost the title a couple of times before defending the belt against Russo himself. Their bout was a steel cage match on Nitro that ended with Goldberg delivering a spear to Russo that sent him through a cage wall and to the floor, thus winning the belt from Booker T by technically escaping the cage.
1 Wrestled On The Final Episode Of Nitro
The final episode of Monday Nitro, dubbed “Night of Champions,” was an emotional swan song for WCW, with pretty much every title on the line and a main event bout between WCW icons Sting and Ric Flair. But Booker T was also on that show, challenging Scott Steiner for the World Title after losing it to him at Mayhem 2000. Already a United States Champion, Booker successfully dethroned Big Poppa Pump at the last Nitro to become the final WCW World Champion.