Booker T sparked widespread reactions with his recent Booker T Jade Cargill remarks concerning her performance during last Friday’s SmackDown main event. The match, involving Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax, and Jade Cargill, ran into trouble as Cargill suffered a severe cut and the finish was marred by miscommunication, including an awkward delay involving the referee. In response, Booker T expressed on his Hall of Fame Podcast that Cargill, having just moved from AEW to WWE, still needs time to adjust and improve her in-ring skills.
He emphasized the live broadcast nature of the show by stating,
“That can’t happen on live television… It wasn’t a good night at all,”
followed by criticism of the apparent confusion during the match. Booker T highlighted competing talent Tiffany Stratton’s presence and remarked,
“You could tell there was a lot of miscommunication. You’ve got an NIL talent, Tiffany Stratton. You’ve got Jade Cargill, who’s pretty much fresh off her AEW run, and just think about that time in AEW for her, she probably didn’t learn a whole lot, because – no disrespect or anything – but she was just put on a wing and she never really got a chance to really wrestle anybody.”
Jade Cargill’s Transition from AEW to WWE Raises Industry Debate
Jade Cargill signed with WWE in 2023 after leaving AEW, leading to mixed reactions to Booker T’s comments from professionals across wrestling organizations. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that many wrestlers and insiders from AEW, WWE, and TNA questioned Booker T’s depiction of Cargill as being “fresh out of AEW.” The major point of contention is that Cargill has already participated in more matches within WWE than she did during her AEW tenure.
Specifically, Cargill completed 63 matches while in AEW and has surpassed that number with 66 matches in WWE to date. These statistics challenge the notion that she is still inexperienced or unseasoned in WWE’s environment, sparking conversations about the fairness and accuracy of Booker T’s critique.
Wrestling Community Reacts to Booker T’s Comments
The remarks from Booker T—emblematic of ongoing tensions about talent development and transitions in the wrestling world—have left many questioning the appropriateness of criticizing a wrestler still establishing herself in WWE. The backlash also highlights the high expectations placed on performers who switch major wrestling promotions and the pressures of performing flawlessly on live television.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how Jade Cargill will refine her skills and adapt further to WWE’s platform. Industry observers and fans will likely watch closely to assess her growth following Booker T’s pointed remarks.
Booker T gave some brutally honest thoughts on the mishaps in the WWE SmackDown match between Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill and Nia Jax, "That can't happen on live television… It wasn't a good night at all" –
"You could tell there was a lot of miscommunication. You've got an… pic.twitter.com/ApwLZhJzty
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) September 30, 2025
