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Booker T explains major difference between working under Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels

Posted: Oct 2nd 2026 By: Shounak Chakribarti

Booker T has described the difference between working under Shawn Michaels and the “Vince regime.”

In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, WWE veteran Booker T opened up about his experience doing commentary under both Michaels and Vince McMahon.

“A lot of it had to do, like, with, uh, I always tell the story of, like, when I was doing commentary my first time around under the Vince [McMahon] regime and he came into my ear and he goes, ‘Book, say much to his chagrin.’ Much to his chagrin? And I go, I’m from the hood. I didn’t even know what that meant.

“Because I just knew if I said that all my street cred would have been [gone]. So I couldn’t really be myself, you know, Raw, SmackDown,” Booker T said while reflecting on his main roster work with McMahon.

However, he added that when he joined NXT, Shawn Michaels gave him the liberty to do whatever he wanted to do.

“And I remember after the first night I did commentary in NXT, and I came back through, Shawn goes, ‘Man, I don’t know what you were saying, but I liked it.’

“So I was like, ‘Oh man, I love this.’ You know, so being able to be down there in NXT, it’s so refreshing to be myself. But it’s really, really cool also because I used to be one of those kids, and I know about making mistakes, and when I see them make mistakes, I can call it out,” Booker T shared.

Since 2014, Booker T has been a regular part of WWE’s commentary team.