![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzdgyka53D7ENA8sZBAk4jwrKqA5nWbaNNSoK_WCgNLGTfWrJlvbwA8VfBn32zXX5RtXt0VpEdxYb2cceclYuX3KggpMNsjMZMgOaLvXPWsEJXnSFa-fe7iHCNb8nY20n1ZTd2rY9eTg/s400/bookert.jpg)
Billed height 6 foot 3 in (1.92 m)
Billed weight 256 lb (116 kg)
Born March 1, 1965,Houston, Texas
Billed from Harlem, New York
Houston, Texas
Trained by Scott Casey
Pro Wrestling Debut March 1, 1990
Booker Robert Tio Huffman (born March 1, 1965), better known by his wrestling persona Booker T, is an American professional wrestler. He is owner of Pro Wrestling Alliance and currently signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown! brand. Huffman changed his name to King Booker upon winning WWE's King of the Ring tournament in mid-2006. Booker T is a five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and a six time World Champion overall
Booker was working for a storage company with a young son of his own when the wrestling world came calling. His brother Lane suggested that he and Booker check out a new wrestling school being opened, run by former WWF star Ivan Putski, in conjunction with his Western Wrestling Alliance organization.
His boss from the storage company loaned him the $3,000 to pay for the wrestling lessons and Booker began training under another former wrestling star Scott Casey, who helped to turn Booker's background in drama and dance into "sports entertainment", teaching the newcomer ring psychology and ring generalship.
Eight weeks later, Booker debuted as G.I. Bro on Putski's Western Wrestling Alliance Live! program. The character, a tie-in to the raging Gulf War and the WWF's Sgt. Slaughter angle, would return in years to come when Booker traveled to WCW. Even though the WWA would meet its demise some time later, Booker continued to wrestle on the Texas indy circuit, often with his brother Stevie Ray. During one such show, they were spotted by Skandor Akbar who hired them to work for the Global Wrestling Federation, which he and Eddie Gilbert were involved in. Gilbert, soon to be fired from the GWF, did one thing before he left: he teamed Stevie Ray and Booker T together as the Ebony Experience.
He and his brother Lane wrestled in the Texas-based Global Wrestling Federation as The Ebony Experience, with Booker known as Booker T and with Lane known as "Stevie Ray". The Ebony Experience held the GWF Tag Team Championship on three occasions, despite Booker taking time off to recover from a knee injury.