Booker T says no one can deny Lana put in the work as an in-ring performer, but he’d like to see her return to the role that is a proven success.
The latest episode of the Hall Of Fame podcast saw Booker T comment on last week’s round of WWE releases, one of which was Lana. Booker first addressed Lana’s recent work as an in-ring performer, noting that he had to give her credit because she was incredibly resilient and gave it her all.
“I’ve got to give props to Lana because throughout all of the bumps in the road, all of the obstacles, so to speak, Lana was willing to go around, over, under and if she had to go through it, she’d go right through it. Lana would take it right on the chin and smile every time,” Booker said, “and I don’t think she ever let the company see her sweat, or anything like that. Even after [Miro] left, she still seemed like that’s when she really kicked it in and said, ‘I’m going to show everybody that I’m going to make this thing work.’ And Lana did a hell of a job trying to make that thing work, I give her props.”
Read More: Lana Comments On Her WWE Release, Thanks Fans For Their Support
Booker said he doesn’t know what the ultimate reason for cutting her was, but he can say that you can tell she put in the work on a weekly basis trying to get better. He said that the result might not have been that she’d become the greatest worker on the roster, but you can’t fault her for working hard and putting in the effort.
“Is Lana a big loss? Not a massive loss, but maybe it’s another pickup for Tony Khan in AEW since her husband is already over there already. He could use a better clique to run around with than the one he is now, I’m just saying. The thing is—the ‘Bulgarian Brute’ and Lana is a proven commodity, alright? It works,” Booker noted, “and I thought that duo is the best thing since King Booker and Queen Sharmell.”
[Miro split up with Kip Sabian in April, and he is currently running solo as the AEW TNT Champion.]
Co-host Brad Gilmore agreed that it was a money act, noting the similarities to Ivan Drago and Ludmilla Vobet Drago from Rocky IV.
“If Tony Khan understands the business, that’s a no-brainer,” Booker replied. “As much work as Lana was putting in in the gym, Lana’s not a wrestler. Lana is—just like my wife, she put in a lot of time down there at WCW at the Power Plant, in WCW, OVW, she went down there—she tried to learn this business and ended up tearing her ACL, ended up having surgery. I remember telling Sharmell, I said, ‘Baby, as beautiful as you are and as athletic as you are, you’re just not a worker.’ But for her to play her role, no one could do it better than [Queen] Sharmell.
“Lana playing her role is not being in the squared circle wrestling. Lana playing her role, there is nobody better than Lana,” Booker stated. “When she’s playing her role and doing what she does best. And I just think again, with Miro, it’d be a great addition if that’s the route we’re going to go.”
