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Wrestler Booker T will be one of many WWE stars who'll tear up the MCI Center on Monday Date published: 2/23/2006
By BILL ALTMAN For THE FREE LANCE-STAR OBERT TIO HUFFMAN never dreamed of performing Shakespeare or of be-coming a professional wrestler. Huffman, known in World Wrestling Entertainment circles as "Booker T," wanted mainly to escape the streets of Houston. At 6 foot 3 and 215 pounds, his physical prowess was a given, but it was his then-undiscovered theatrical skill that would send him on a strange journey to the bright lights and even brighter tights of professional wrestling. That journey continues Monday as Huffman and other grapplers descend on the MCI Center for the WWE Supershow. WWE's Smackdown will kick off the night with the likes of new World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle. The Raw SuperShow, aired live with Edge, Lita, John Cena, Triple H and a host of favorite WWE superstars, will follow. Featured wrestlers are subject to change. At 17, after serving 19 months for robbing a Wendy's, Huffman probably didn't dream he'd one day be performing in the nation's capital. He seemed destined to follow up his rough childhood with an even rougher adulthood. But on the advice of his brother, he enrolled in a local wrestling school owned and operated by former World Wrestling Federation star Ivan Putski. Huffman was still a long way from the big time, but he had seemingly found his calling. "Walking into the ring felt like dejà vu like I had been there all my life," he said in a phone interview. "This is what I was meant to do." Six months later, Huffman would debut professionally as GI BRO for a small Houston wrestling company. After toiling on the minor-league Texas independent wrestling scene for three years, Huffman and his brother, Lane, signed with Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. They were transformed into the tag team Harlem Heat. Even though the brothers aren't really from Harlem, they added in-ring ability to the racially stereotyped gimmick and found stardom. Harlem Heat's popularity in a predominately white sport was staggering. Booker T and "Stevie Ray" started to headline sold-out wrestling cards up and down the East Coast. In 2000, Booker T became only the second black man to win a wrestling world championship. It was an affirmation of Huffman's mainstream popularity--one he never expected.
Date published: 2/23/2006
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