JBL Recalls Vince McMahon’s Booker T Headset Mix-Up

JBL says Vince McMahon once ordered Booker T to apologize for an on-air joke that McMahon himself had supplied. The former WWE commentator recalled the headset mix-up on Something to Wrestle.

JBL said McMahon generally treated wrestlers serving as color commentators differently from play-by-play announcers. Across hundreds of shows, he could not remember McMahon yelling at him, Booker T or Jerry Lawler in the same way he sometimes addressed other voices.

The Booker story was the exception. McMahon fed him what JBL described as a potentially offensive dad joke. After Booker repeated it, someone backstage complained to McMahon without realizing where the line originated.

“Vince had forgotten he fed it to him, so Booker apologizes for the joke that Vince had fed.”

JBL said Booker offered the apology without arguing. McMahon then thanked him, and Booker simply replied that it was no problem.

The anecdote came during a detailed discussion of WWE’s commentary system. JBL said he trusted McMahon enough as a producer to repeat instructions only one word behind him. He also recalled that McMahon was simultaneously rewriting shows, overseeing cameras and producing the broadcast team from Gorilla position.

JBL’s recent wrestling appearances also prompted questions about what his cross-promotional clothesline run was meant to build toward.

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Something to Wrestle, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.