Booker T: I Wish Big E Would Take His Role As WWE Champion A Lot More Serious

While some thought Big E would have to distance himself from his New Day gimmick to become a successful main event talent in WWE, the 35-year-old captured the WWE Championship on September 13 without having to change his character.

Speaking about Big E's world title win on the Hall Of Fame podcast, Booker T admitted he wished the New Day man would take his role as WWE Champion "a lot more serious", similar to the five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion's in-ring work as King Booker in 2006.

"When you call your shot, that's one thing. Did it have the excitement of cashing in the Money in the briefcase from a surprise perspective? I don't think so because all of that was taken away earlier in the day. I said, 'Let me watch and see if this actually happens', then it actually happens. Was it the traditional way of cashing in? No, it wasn’t. Am I pleased to see Big E the champion? I am because I told Big E, 'The cream rises to the top.' I said, 'Man, you got something. Your day is going to come.'  That day is here, he's the champion now. I say this also. I say what he makes out of this moment is going to be his legacy, and what he leaves behind in this business as far as when he ran with the championship, and how special was that time. It's going to be all up to him now," Booker said.

"As far as he's still carrying a lot of The New Day baggage with him, as far as still going out there dressing like The New Day, still chanting, 'New Day rocks', still having the same aura and attitude, but I remember Big E saying regarding him needing to change, I think he said to me, 'You became champion as King Booker.' I think the characters were somewhat over the top and flamboyant. It could have been taken as a joke, but that's the one thing I tried to make sure that all of the antics King Booker had outside of the ring, he never took any of that inside of the ring. It was always King vs. a peasant. King vs. someone who was trying to dethrone him, so I tried to make that moment as serious as I possibly can. I notice Big E, once his matches get going, all of The New Day antics pretty much go out of the window and he becomes a worker. That part right there, I agree with 100%. I wish Big E would take this role a lot more serious and make that championship mean, but then again, this is wrestling. People can look at it from so many different ways. That's the beauty of professional wrestling. I'm just saying from my perspective, my taste, I wish Big E had a little bit more dirt to his gimmick," he continued.

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