Booker T says Dixie Carter’s heart was in the right place but it was a bad idea to have the boss start mingling with talent.
Booker T and Brad Gilmore addressed Carter’s tenure in TNA / IMPACT Wrestling on the Hall Of Fame podcast after a fan asked a question about how involved Dixie was with the writing and production of the show. Booker says he’s not sure what Dixie was doing most of the time but he does know that she was making herself a little too accessible to talent.
“I don’t know what Dixie was doing half the time. I know she was hanging out in the bar, hanging out with the boys. When you are hanging out with the boys, the ‘water might get hot.’ You understand what I’m saying? I don’t know what Dixie was doing but she seemed like she was living out her MILF’s dream.”
“I’m serious man! Dixie was getting busy around there! I’m not going to say what she was doing but Dixie was definitely, how do you say it back in the day? ‘Hot to trot.’ I don’t know, man. She had the makeup and everything on. I don’t know how much writing she was doing for the show.”
Booker went on to explain that Dixie would throw parties for no other reason than to celebrate the television tapings being over and it was a bad look in hindsight. He said that he never felt like Dixie wanted to party, but it was more of a case of her wanting to give the talent something more. Booker says that she was trying to do a great thing for others but she was ultimately in over her head and her run in TNA didn’t work out.
“I’m just keeping it real. This is the real deal. I remember one time Dixie set up a huge party. I can’t remember the name of the bar but it was this huge party. The celebration was, it was just after the show. There was no real reason to have a party and we’re having a party just because the show is over with. ‘Hey, let’s go have a party!’ That’s when I knew, brother, you get your paper because this ship is going to sink real soon. When the boss starts mingling with the talent—and I don’t know what kind of mingling they were doing—but, when the boss starts hanging around the talent having parties, hanging out and doing that kind of stuff, it’s a bad message and a huge mistake.”
“Business is definitely secondary. You can count how many parties that we’ve had for Reality of Wrestling with my guys. It’s been here at the house because those two things just don’t go together. Business and pleasure just do not go together. I’m the first one to say Dixie Carter was trying to do one of the greatest things one can ever do for the boys, just making sure and securing guy’s jobs. That company definitely had a chance to do that, but Dixie Carter being in that position and not knowing if she was in shark-infested waters or what type of sharks they were, she just didn’t know that. She didn’t know if it was a great white or one of the sand sharks. She didn’t know and that’s where the mistakes happen I think with TNA, her being one of those people who had a big heart. I’m not saying she was having the parties because she wanted a party. She was having the parties because she wanted to give the guys something, a little bit. I’m about joking and having fun on the front end but I think she was trying to do a great thing. It just didn’t work out.”
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