WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has responded to being voted Worst Television Announcer in the 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Year-End Awards, making it clear that the result isn't going to change his approach behind the desk.
The WON awards, voted on by subscribers to Dave Meltzer's newsletter, were released on February 13. Booker T received 516 votes in the category, finishing well ahead of Pat McAfee (123), Michael Cole (102), Vic Joseph (45), and Tony Schiavone in the top five.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T didn't direct his frustration at the voters themselves. Instead, he pointed the finger at Meltzer's influence on his readership.
"I don't blame the students. I blame the teachers. I never blame the students, and [Dave] Meltzer got a lot of people that's following him that's listening to him," Booker said.
"When you got people listening, they're willing to agree more than likely to disagree. I understand, but hopefully the people that's listening to me maybe wake up a little bit and go, 'Man, what the hell was I thinking about professional wrestling?' When you take the fun out of professional wrestling, we've lost it. We really truly have."
Booker T has served as the color commentator on NXT alongside Vic Joseph since October 2022, when WWE reshuffled its broadcast teams under Triple H's leadership. What was initially expected to be a short-term role has turned into one of the longest tenures on the current commentary roster.
"For me, I don't give a damn what people say. I was supposed to have had this job for three months. It's going five years now, so I must be doing something right," Booker said. "I'm gonna just keep having fun until they tell me, 'Hey, Book, it's time for you to go.' That's what I'm gonna do."
Booker T Recalls Confronting Dave Meltzer
Booker T also used the podcast to reveal details of a heated face-to-face confrontation with Meltzer that took place on the Chris Jericho cruise before the pandemic. According to Booker, the encounter happened after Ric Flair invited him and his wife Sharmell for drinks, and Meltzer happened to be present.
Booker said he took the opportunity to confront Meltzer about quoting him in the Wrestling Observer without ever having spoken to him directly. The exchange became tense enough that one of Meltzer's companions suggested they leave, though no physical altercation occurred.
"I don't think it's right for a journalist to quote someone when they've never had a conversation with them. He had said negative things before. That was the first time I sat with him, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to say my piece," Booker explained. "But that's all it was — two men airing grievances, and one man was really, really hot about it. No bloodshed, nothing like that. I look a man in the eye — I'm old school. But that was it."
The result has drawn strong reactions from within the wrestling industry. AEW World Champion MJF praised Booker T on social media, calling him "a blueprint" and crediting his impact on Warner TV as a homegrown star. WWE personality Sam Roberts also pushed back on the vote, arguing that Booker's emotional commentary style has helped build NXT talent before they reach the main roster.
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Eric Bischoff weighed in on the broader WON results as well, questioning the credibility of the voting base on his 83 Weeks podcast. The 2025 awards also named WWE as Worst Promotion of the Year, NXT as Worst Television Show, and John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes as Worst Match of the Year.
Beyond his commentary duties, Booker T continues to run Reality of Wrestling, his Texas-based promotion that serves as an official WWE ID partner and recently expanded with three new television programs.
