Booker T Announces Reality Of Wrestling Expansion With Two New Shows

Former WWE star and two-time Hall Of Famer Booker T is expanding his Reality of Wrestling promotion. Booker T created Reality of Wrestling in 2005 with his wife, Sharmell, as a new avenue for up and coming professional wrestlers to find a pathway into the industry and to train under some of the greatest superstars of their generation.

According to the official announcement, Reality of Wrestling has run weekly since 2012, will be rebranded as Reality of Wrestling Platinum to highlight the prestige and legacy built throughout ROW’s history. Platinum will continue to be led by Brad Gilmore, analyst Chris Russo, and color commentator Carolina Teague.

In an exclusive conversation with ScreenRant, Booker T and Brad Gilmore announced that the expansion of ROW's programming on their YouTube channel beginning in April, including two brand-new shows, Glory, and Up, which will air to ROW's almost one million subscribers. The show will be hosted by wrestling historian Kirby Carreon as the lead play-by-play commentator, with Sammy Kiss providing color analysis.

Booker T's Reality of Wrestling Is Growing

"When You Get Too Big, You Got To Expand."

Let's just jump right into it here. The big news is that Reality of Wrestling is expanding its programming with two new television programs and the expansion of the flagship program. First, let's talk about Reality of Wrestling: Platinum. What changes can we expect to see with the flagship program?

Brad Gilmore: Obviously, we are one of the longest running wrestling shows at our level, being on television and on our YouTube channel, which just passed 841,000 as we march closer to a million. We just wanted to solidify what we feel is our number one status in the professional wrestling television world at our level, and that is indicated by platinum. You sell a million copies, you're platinum. So Reality of Wrestling: Platinum is premier.

Booker T: I like the sound of that, man. But for me, Reality of Wrestling has been under construction since 2005, pretty much. It's been changing, pretty much every year, every season. We've been trying to get better and better and better. Reality of Wrestling has gotten to a point now where Reality of Wrestling is the top. It really is. It's the top wrestling promotion in the company as far as I'm concerned. A lot of other people, I think, feel that way. But we've gotten so big now in the show as broad and so we got to expand. It's just like anything else. When you get too big, you got to expand. You get too many kids in the house, you got to expand. Right now-You feel me?

Listen, I know that. I know that, man, trust me!

Booker T: Right now, we got so many kids, so many talented kids out there, men and women that's dying to get their spot. They're chomping at the bit to just get a shot, just get a springboard. That's what we're doing with our two shows, Platinum and Glory. Those shows are going to be like Raw. It's going to be like SmackDown. It's going to be competing. Those shows are going to be competing against each other at the end of the day, and then we got ROW: Up to where our young guys that's trying to get their feet wet, that those tadpoles that are just getting into it. We got a spot. We got a spot for them, too, because those shining lights sometimes, man, they just come out of nowhere. You know what I mean? We are definitely looking to expand that department as well. It's awesome where actually I've gotten this for. I know I'm long-winded, but man, I'm excited.

Gentlemen, I could have you here all day if I had my way. This is fantastic. Brad, you're the showrunner of the main Reality of Wrestling show, which is soon to be Platinum, as we meant. What excites you the most about the expansion and the growth of this program?

Brad Gilmore: I think to piggyback on what Booker said is just the overwhelming abundance of talent that we have. It's actually really incredible to see over the years where now it's hard to put a show together because there are so many people. It's like, how do we get everybody involved? How do we have something compelling for everyone? That led us to launching a second television taping every single month. Then that was getting sold out. Then that had too many people on it. It was like, Wait, what are we going to do now? What's exciting me, though, is just seeing, again, what Booker said, is just seeing how fast talent is coming to reality wrestling and how fast they're getting out of reality wrestling. We come through, we shine them up, we get them ready for the main roster, and then boom, next thing you know, Roxanne Perez is at Elimination Chamber. I was like, 'Wait a minute, weren't you just 17? Now you're at this huge PLE with some of the best of all time.' That's what it continues to drive me at Reality of Wrestling is to continue to see the development of young talent and continue to grow and now having platinum, glory, and row up. That's more experience that they have. That's more reps that they have an opportunity to have and working in that television style, which reality wrestling does better than anybody else. We had a few students down here from the WWEID program, and one of the gentlemen said to Booker, I think it was, he remarked, I wish there was a row in every single city so they could get that experience. There's only one row, and there's a reason why, too.

Another addition, like we mentioned, is a couple of programs that are going to be released here. I believe it's in April is what's coming up is Reality of Wrestling Glory, which is going to be separate from Platinum. Booker, you mentioned that it's going to be cut the Raw and SmackDown type of setup. What would you say in a little bit more detail are the major differences between the programs overall?

Booker T: Of course, we're going to have to try to do the same thing that everybody else is doing and doing it a little bit different. Racing is very, very tricky. I've said that since day one, but what we try to do at Reality of Wrestling is we try to keep it as young as we possibly can. As for the differences between the two shows, it's not going to be a huge difference. You're going to have your story lines on both shows. But I think to be able to intertwine those two shows at certain times is going to be really cool. To be able to have our own draft, perhaps one day, could be really cool as well. And I think it's more so of the visual of what we are trying to do at Reality of Wrestling, and that is give young people a platform to actually learn television wrestling from day one. We talk about the NIL program and why it has been so successful. It's because these college athletes are coming into the program. They're already athletes. They already got the bodies in shape. They got that part down, and then they're coming into a system where they're learning television wrestling and television wrestling only. That right there gives them a springboard like no other, and now we're in that position to get these young kids out there on that independent circuit, where I think they're actually a step behind the NIL guys because they've learned that independent I think they want to work television. I think they want to be at WrestleMania one day. I think that's what the glory as well as platinum is going to bring to the table as far as getting these guys in the system, getting these story eyes going, making Reality of Wrestling truly the Triple A of all of professional wrestling. Oh, yes.

Brad Gilmore: And just to add to that, we also have so many students who are at our facility. I mean, dozens and dozens of students who are training Monday through Friday, trying to get on to Reality of Wrestling. Some of them have been mainstays on reality wrestling programming for years. But also so many people, Booker can attest to this, on a road show day, they're traveling from out of town. People are coming from all over the country, even all over the United States. We had some people from Malaysia just come into Reality of Wrestling a couple of weeks ago. We had someone from Australia show up trying to get an opportunity just to get on the show. That's what having more television programming is going to allow us to do, is to accommodate those requests and be able to be a beacon, to be that lighthouse in the wrestling ocean. That is the beacon for people to travel to if they really want to learn the best ways to do it. Booker says there's no wrong way to do it as long as you do it right. At Reality of Wrestling, we only teach right.

Reality of Wrestling: Up Will Showcase New Talent

"That's Going To Be Almost Like Our Reality Show Side Of The Branch"

We talked a little bit about the up and coming talent. Reality of Wrestling: Up, which is going to showcase the brand new talents that are coming in to ROW. Tell me more about some of the new talent that you've already seen come in to the program. What do you think this program is going to teach them overall as they get ready to transition into Platinum and Glory?

Booker T: Well, let me give you an overlay of what I think grow up is from my perspective. We got so many young kids that want to be on television. They're thriving. They actually just put their boots on. It's almost like when I was a kid, you see your dad cutting the grass. You're that kid. Dad, go out every two weeks and he cut the grass. It looks cool. It looks real cool. You say, I can't wait to cut the grass one time. Then you cut it one time. You say, What the hell was I thinking? That's what Row Up is all about. This is that birthing period. This is these kids being baptized into the business, live in a living color in front of a live audience. The crowds aren't going to be as big for the ROW: Up shows because those shows are for the guys that are really trying to get their feet wet. We want to give everybody a platform that want to actually get out there and do this. We got those moms, those grandmas, grandpas. They want to see what their grandsons doing. They're going to come out and they're going to come out and they're going to support it. Those shows are to get those guys ready to actually be in front of a crowd as well as see, because this is real as it could possibly be. To see if this is something that is really for you. You got to really understand that. I think grow up is definitely going to be something special as well. That's going to be almost like our reality show side of the branch.

Reality of Wrestling Is Presenting Something Different

'When You Watch It For The Very First Time, You Understand That You're Seeing Something That's Different"

What's one thing that you want folks tuning in, potentially for the first time to Reality of Wrestling, to know about the promotion?

Brad Gilmore: Look, I think that when you tune into Reality of Wrestling, the show speaks for itself. We have a production that really highlights the athletes from a commentator's perspective, where we have several commentators, myself, Chris Russo, Carolina Teague, Kirby Kareon, Sammie Kiss, Emily Mae, Emily Truitt, Eliana. We have a full announced team. We have a great production staff, held by our director, Kevin Bernhardt. Also, big shout out to Roman and David and everybody who makes the show happen on a basis. When you come into Reality of Wrestling, when you watch it for the very first time, you understand that you're seeing something that's different. You're seeing something that's real, you're seeing something that's authentic, and you're seeing something that is well thought out in placing these athletes, men and women alike, in the best possible light that they can be, accentuating all their positives, trying to hide the negatives as best as we can, but understand that we're still learning along the way. Every single time we go out there and do it, man, I'm always impressed by the fact that we pulled it off. We got a rumble this weekend. We have the last stand rumble this weekend. You know what? Every time we do one of these, I'm like, Can we do it? I'm like, We pulled it off again. I think that when you tune into the show and you see the dynamic characters, too, not only can you still can see Booker T on the show every so often. You see guys like Fly Def, Edge Stone, our champion Gaspar Hernández. Zilla Fatu, who obviously is a homebred star and is making a lot of noise out there in the wrestling world. You see, really, the stars before you see them on WWE or AEW television.

Booker T: When I was just talking to Brad about this earlier today, and I was like, Man, I got to wean myself off the show. I shouldn't be on Reality of Wrestling. That's the one thing that's going to stand out. It's going to glare more so than anything. Brad just gave you an overlay of so many guys that play a role at Reality of Wrestling. All of those guys, all of my kids, everybody's really young more than anything. That's what we he catered to at Reality of Racing. It's hard to aspire to be Booker T because Booker T is 60. Booker T had 35 world championships. It's hard to aspire to be that, but it's easy to aspire to be the reality of wrestling champion, such as Roxanne Perez, a 13-year-old Roxanne Perez said, One day, I'm going to be the Reality of Wrestling champion. And at 16 years old, boom. She was the Reality of Wrestling champion, and that right there, it means something to so many young people that's watching the show. We cater to young people watching the show because those young people could aspire to be a talent one day on Reality of Wrestling. We get so many tweets on Twitter saying, 'Man, one day, one day, I'm going to be at Reality of Wrestling. My journey is starting someday soon to Reality of Wrestling.' That's what I think Reality of Wrestling is all about.

Brad Gilmore: One of his students once upon a time was Joe Hendry. Joe Hendry used to tell his mom, overseas, 'I can't wait to get to Reality of Wrestling one day.' That's amazing. In 2024, he was able to do that.

Booker T: That's unbelievable.

Reality of Wrestling is WWE ID Designated School

"It's Been A Hell Of A Relationship"

Reality of Wrestling has recently been given the WWE ID designation as an official developmental program, so congratulations on that as well. How would you say that that partnership has helped ROW, and what would you say is the most positive aspect of the partnership?

Booker T: It's helped tremendously in a lot of ways, but I got to pat myself on the back. We're helping because I think that's what the ID program is all about. It was four designated schools for the ID program. For these young people that's trying to make it to the next level, they're going to need people like me, whether they realize it or not. I'm the one that's going to be given that type of approval. I'm the one that's going to be the vouch for those guys and say, Hey, man, this guy, this girl, she perhaps are ready to be put in the program right now. Let's pull the trigger. For me, for those ones who aren't ready to be on television right now that doesn't quite know what television wrestling is all about, opposed to looking at the camera, opposed to not looking at the camera when it's the hard [camera]. Teaching that stuff and telling them, 'Hey, man, look, you got to learn X, Y, Z if you plan on getting to the next level. If you want to stand out at a tryout where it's 40 guys, you need to do this.' For me, that's what I'm here for. I'm here for every one of the ID guys, every one of the ID girls, to teach them and mentor them to actually give them those tools. Something I heard Bryan Keith, The Bad Apple, talk about. I gave them those tools to go in your toolbox, know what tools to use, and go out there and get the job done. That's what it's going to be about with me, working with every one of the ID talent. Trust me, I'm loving it so far. It's been a hell of a relationship.

WWE Evolve is a new television program that's coming soon, again, inside this massive WWE training system. I'm sure we'll see some reality wrestling talent on that broadcast. But have you discussed hosting any future WWE Evolve tapings at the Reality of Wrestling venue itself?

Booker T: You know I have it, but I tell you what, that's going to be the best cure for the show. Do all the tapings in Reality of Wrestling. I like the sound of it. No, just because it will be a hodgepodge of so much talent that you would actually be able to use for that show. You could create a whole... I mean, Evolve could really evolve into something that could become a freaking monster. It really could. So for me, I'm all in with doing something like that, as well as it wouldn't hurt to get Reality of Wrestling, one of them Tubi deals as well. So you know, I'm just saying. I'm just throwing it out there in the air.

Booker T on WWE LFG And The Best Piece Of Advice

"It Created My 99/100"

I know that you've been involved with LFG recently, the brand new show on A&E. I spoke to Bubba Ray Dudley a few weeks back for ScreenRant. I wanted to ask you the same question since I have you here. What was the best piece of advice that you were given when you were coming up in the industry?

Booker T: Best piece of advice I got was from a guy by the name of Ox Baker. It was my first match in the Sam Houston Coliseum. I was green as green could possibly be. I was literally two months out of the wrestling school, and I was on television. I went out and I performed this one night. And Ox Baker, I looked up to him for many, many years. He was on the movie 'Escape from New York.' He played a hell of a role in that movie. He was a hell of a heel back in the day. He came up to me after my match, and he told me that 'You got a lot of talent. You can make a lot of money in this business.' He said, 'But you're going to come up against a lot of obstacles.' He didn't say what those obstacles were, but I think I knew what he was talking about. He said, 'You're going to come up against a lot of obstacles, and you're going to have to figure a way over, around, under.' He said, 'But sometimes, you got to go straight through that obstacle.' That was the best advice I ever could have got. It created my '99/100.' When you're 99%, you keep your mouth shut. But when you're 100%, you speak up 100% of the time.