During the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T looked at the recent social media incident between Sgt. Slaughter’s daughter and Lacey Evans over the WWE Superstar using a character that is very similar to the one that Slaughter used. Booker has concerns the gimmick will not work in 2023. He said:

On Evans’ match with Zelina Vega: 

“I was reading a lot of the comments about her making her comeback. You know, a lot of people weren’t that impressed with her. A lot of people were calling for Lacey Evans to be fired, all kinds of stuff. I didn’t actually see the match or anything like that. But a lot of people saying that it was underwhelming with Zelina Vega. If I’m not mistaken.”

On if Evans asked permission to use the gimmick:

 “Nah, it doesn’t matter. I don’t think Sarge has any weigh-in on [whether] you know somebody [has] a certain gimmick or not, if they want to do an army gimmick or not, they want to do the Cobra clutch or not , that’s just not the way the business works. Now, on the other hand, some things [that are] almost like sacred aren’t to be rehashed or anything like that.”

On the gimmick in 2023:

“And I just don’t think where the world is right now, we gonna need a savior like you know, Sgt. Slaughter coming in to save America. I was just looking at last night, A&E’s biography on Iron Sheik. And Iron Sheik , in that era, when Iron Sheik was doing that it was perfect timing. When Sgt. Slaughter did it, it was perfect timing. America was in a totally different place than we as Americans, as people, we were in a totally different place and with that time and it worked. It worked perfectly.

“But for Lacey Evans, we’ve seen her this sassy vixen, Southern Belle, And then go from that to the story that she gave there for a minute as far as her background being whatnot. Then now, you know, jumping into the Sgt. Slaughter [gimmick]. It’s just hard, man. Because she’s jumping all around you and it’s just that character , it’s just hard for it to work in 2023. Coming out, barking orders at that gimmick wrestler. And we see the characters that get over, you know. The Rhea Ripleys, the Charlotte Flairs. The Bianca Belairs. Just real people, you know. I mean, they’re just coming out and making you feel a certain way when you see them walk out that curtain, has a certain something about them that makes you feel. And this when it comes out, it makes you feel like we are in a different era, you know? I don’t think G.I. Bro could work for one second today.”