Filed under: Television
The 45-year-old grappler (real name: Robert Tio Huffman), who returned to the WWE this past Sunday at its pay-per-view special 'Royal Rumble,' will drop the tome co-written with Andrew William Wright in September 2012.
The book shares the hard-knock beginnings of the Shreveport, Louisiana-bred star, whose father died only 10 months after he was born.
"My mother worked hard to provide for us, and I can say without question that although I may have had many wants, I never had any needs. Sure, we might've been on food stamps, but I always had a warm coat, shoes on my feet, and food on the table," said Booker T.
The youngest of eight children, Booker T's mother moved her kids to Houston, Te
xas to provide a better environment for her family. In 1978, when the wrestler was only 13-years old, his mother passed away.With two deceased parents, Booker T ended up getting involved in gang life and was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison for armed robbery in February 1987. While incarcerated in Navasota, Texas, Booker T made himself a promise to rise above a life of crime and hopelessness to accomplish greater things.
"I'm at that point in my life where I feel maybe someone else can benefit from hearing what I've been through," Booker T said. "You know, whether their parents passed away at an early age or they got into some serious trouble with the law, there's no doubt in my mind people will not only relate to what I went through, but maybe I can even help keep some of them from going down the same path."
Booker T ultimately turned his life around and became a superstar wrestler. Having worked for WWE, WCE and TNA, he has held 35 major titles throughout his career including WCW World Heavyweight Championship and WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The wrestler - known for his catch phrase "Can you dig it, sucka?" - was the winner of the WWE King of the Ring tournament in 2006.
A rep for the WWE hadn't returned a request for comment at press time.
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