"That Was His Drug of Choice": Batista & Booker T Brawl gets a surprising new perspective by Ex-WWE star

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Mar 31, 2025, 10:54 IST

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In 2006, Batista and Booker T were involved in a backstage brawl, which a former WWE star attributes to Batista's behavior with women, causing tension among wrestlers' wives. This strained relationship led to a high-profile feud in 2007 over the World Heavyweight Championship.

"That Was His Drug of Choice": Batista & Booker T Brawl gets a surprising new perspective by Ex-WWE star

Image via WWE

A former WWE superstar, who witnessed the real-life fight between Batista and Booker T backstage, gave his take on the reason behind it.
The WWE locker room of Friday Night SmackDown had one of the most stacked and remarkable rosters of all time. Among them, two of the biggest stars were the five-time WCW Champion Booker T and the face of the brand, Batista. However, it was reported that the duo did not get along much and were once even involved in a real-life backstage brawl. Years after that incident, a former WWE superstar gave his take on the possible reason behind that fight.

Batista and Booker T had a real-life fight back in 2006

Speaking on the recent edition of the Cafe de Rene podcast, ex-WWE star Mr. Kennedy brought up the real-life backstage fight between Batista and Booker T in 2006. Kennedy believed that the reason behind the fight was Dave's inclination towards women, which Kennedy called 'his drug of choice.' Kennedy further added that wives of superstars, including Booker's own wife, Sharmell, would suspect their partners after seeing Batista's behavior with women.
Kennedy said,“I think Dave liked women a lot. That was his drug of choice. He’s really open about it. Ithink the heat was that, like, there were sometimes these women in the locker room or around, and so he, like—Booker’s there with his wife. Other guys’ wives come around and they go like, ‘Oh, is this what happens when I’m not around?’ You know, kind of thing? So it was like, you get the shrapnel heat. I think that’s ultimately what it was about.”

Mr. Kennedy on REAL FIGHT Between Batista & Booker T

The tensions between Batista and Booker T had been prevalent and well documented. This even translated into a high-profile feud between them over the World Heavyweight Championship in 2007, when Booker was the champion. This saw Batista dethrone Booker T for the title at the Survivor Series event to reclaim the title he had vacated a year prior due to his triceps injury.
The Animal wrestled his final match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 and retired from wrestling. Booker T is still working with WWE as a commentator in NXT and a mentor on WWE LFG scouting the talent of the next generation.
Also read: Surprise WWE return about to happen? Former star spoke frankly

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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