Vic Joseph Defends Booker T’s WWE NXT Commentary Style After Fan Backlash

Vic Joseph has been part of the NXT commentary team alongside Booker T for quite a while now, and he is more than used to how Booker T operates. Booker T also has his fair share of critics who feel his commentary is just not appropriate for NXT, and now, Vic Joseph has come to Booker T’s defense.

While speaking on the Getting Over podcast, Vic Joseph was asked about Booker T and his role in wrestling commentary. It was pointed out that fans don’t like Booker’s style, saying he has too much fun and isn’t always serious. Others loved Vic’s past teams with Wade Barrett and Beth Phoenix so much that they didn’t want a change.

Vic Joseph admitted it was hard at first working with Booker T. He had worked with Wade, Beth, Jerry Lawler, and Aiden English, so he was used to a certain way of calling matches. When Cody Rhodes told him they were going with Booker and to “let Booker be Booker,” Vic wasn’t sure how to do that. He was used to a more structured style with Wade and Beth and then, the production team told him to try something different.

“Yes, it was challenging because I came into this having worked with Wade, Beth, Jerry Lawler, and Aiden English. Cody Rhodes said, ‘Hey, we’re going with Booker. Let Booker be Booker. Just let him be Booker.’ And I didn’t know how to do that because I was so used to Wade and Beth—where we had a defined dynamic, straight down the middle. Then Lee Fitting and the team came in and said, ‘Hey, try something new. Be different.’”

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Vic Joseph admitted he was unsure at first but then he and Booker had a talk and decided to just call matches like two friends watching wrestling. He pointed out that Shawn Michaels and Triple H always said commentary should feel natural, like two buddies sitting on a couch talking about what’s happening.

Joseph defended Booker T against fans who don’t like his commentary, stating that once he and Booker T embraced that particular style of commentary, things simply worked out.

“You take all of that, mix it together, and suddenly you’re looking at this new formula, wondering, ‘What am I going to do?’ So the first few weeks, I was a little timid. Then Booker and I had a conversation, and it was like, ‘You know what, dude? Let’s just go out there, be two guys, and call some wrestling.’

Shawn and Triple H always said, ‘Just be two friends on the couch.’ That’s the approach we took. People don’t realize that when you’re sitting at home watching the show, thinking, ‘I don’t like this,’ or ‘Why would they do that?’—that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re just two friends on a couch watching wrestling, but in a WWE-molded way. Once we figured out that formula, that’s why Booker said, ‘I’m coming back for another year.’ It’s too fun. You can’t have the Vic and Booker style on Raw or SmackDown, but SmackDown also isn’t what you hear on Raw. Each brand has a different style.”

More than anything Vic Joseph said working with Booker T changed everything for him. Even though he covered big sports events like the NBA Finals and the World Series, he thinks Booker is the best broadcast partner he’s ever had. Booker gave him confidence and helped him improve. Before, Vic Joseph struggled with handling production cues and graphics, but now thanks to Booker T he can manage everything easily.

Booker also reminded him that wrestling should be fun. One week Booker was freestyling to a song in the middle of the show and Vic Joseph had to figure out how to keep up. He learned to just go with it. Letting “Book be Book” made him a better commentator and their partnership keeps getting stronger.

“I’ll also say this, and this is no BS—it’s not me blowing smoke. Of everything I’ve done—covering the NBA Finals, the World Series, working with CBS and Sirius—Booker T is the best broadcast partner I’ve ever had. I put that on my father. That is not a company line. Booker T is the best partner I’ve ever had because he helped me find who I was.

Working with Booker showed me that I really could do this job. He helped me go from one level to the next. Because of him, I have all the confidence in the world. There are graphics, production notes, and so much happening, but if you go back and watch Raw, I had to split all of that up—I couldn’t handle it. Now I can, and it’s because of Booker.

He’s pushed me, tested me, and made me better, but he’s also reminded me that at the end of the day, professional wrestling is supposed to be fun. One week, he’s freestyling to Sexyy Red, standing up, and I’m just trying to call a match. How do you adjust to that? You learn. That’s why I let Book be Book, and it’s only made me better.”

Working with Booker T has definitely changed how Vic Joseph does commentary. Some fans might not like Booker’s style, but Joseph believes it makes NXT more fun and exciting, and that’s truly all that matters to him in the end.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.