Booker T announced as WWE Hall of Fame 2013 inductee

On Saturday, April 6, 2013, one of the most decorated competitors in the history of sports-entertainment, most notably as a five-time (five-time, five-time ...) WCW Champion, Booker T, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden. The current SmackDown General Manager rounds out perhaps the most star-studded inductee class ever alongside Bruno Sammartino, Mick Foley, Bob Backlund, Trish Stratus and celebrity honoree Donald Trump.

A 20-year-plus veteran of the ring, Booker T Spinaroonied his way to nearly every championship there is to win. In addition to accumulating his famous five WCW Titles, Booker is also a former World Heavyweight Champion, Intercontinental Champion, four-time United States Champion, six-time WCW Television Champion, two-time Hardcore Champion and won a total of 14 different tag team titles.

A longtime wrestling fan and Houston native, Booker and his brother Stevie Ray were trained by WWE Hall of Famer Ivan Putski. When the siblings joined WCW in 1993, the team known as Harlem Heat took the Atlanta-based organization by storm. Over the following six years, the charismatic brothers won the WCW Tag Team Championships on a record 10 occasions.

After splitting from Stevie Ray, Booker achieved tremendous success as a singles performer. At Bash at the Beach 2000, Booker won the WCW Championship to become the second African-American to win that title, following in the footsteps of WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons. On the final edition of Nitro, Booker won the WCW Title for the fourth time while also holding the United States ChampionshipIn total, Booker won 21 titles in World Championship Wrestling, more than any other single person in the history of that company.

Upon arriving in WWE in 2001, Booker made an immediate impact by attacking “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at King of the Ring as one of the leaders of the invading Alliance faction. The lynchpin of WCW’s dying days, Booker engaged in memorable rivalries with the biggest stars in WWE, including The Rock, Edge and Triple H, but it was his unique partnership with Goldust that made for some of the most entertaining moments of Booker’s career.

After winning the King of the Ring Tournament in 2006, Booker made an unforgettably significant transformation. Adopting a crown, a robe and a bizarre British accent, King Booker held his pinky high en route to winning the World Heavyweight Championship

Booker left active full-time competition in WWE in 2007, but made a memorable return in the 2011 Royal Rumble Match. Having spent time as both color commentator and General Manager of SmackDown, Booker T has proven he can talk the talk as much as he can walk (or scissor kick) the walk. And now Booker is a WWE Hall of Famer. Now can you dig that?

Want to be in attendance when Booker T joins the WWE Hall of Fame? Limited tickets for the Induction Ceremony are available at the MSG box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, various Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Ticket prices range from $50 to $150.