During a conference call with Booker T. (who was subbing for Kevin Nash) yesterday, I asked him what his experience was like in WWE working with Smackdown head writer Michael Hayes, who was suspended 60 days in April for using a racial slur.

Booker laughed, and then said: “I don’t know what’s going on there with the history with Michael Hayes, but Michael Hayes always thought he was black (laughs). He’s always been a black guy in a white body, even on television the way he acted when he was a wrestler back in the day – the way he walked, the way he talked.

“I don’t look at Michael Hayes as a racist myself. I’ve been around Michael for many, many years. I actually heard him use the N-word before, but Michael Hayes has been one of the people who could get away with using it around me because I knew there was no malice involved. But I don’t know what has gone on with other people and how other people have taken it. Sometimes, if you’re not from that walk of life, you don’t know how people really are and what they really mean about what they’re saying. … Another person might say it around me and they might get heat from me.”

Here are some more excerpts from the call with Booker, who will wrestle in the main event of TNA's Slammiversary pay-per-view on Sunday against TNA world champion Samoa Joe, Robert Roode, Christian Cage and Rhino in a King of the Mountain match for the title:

Why ratings in WWE and TNA are down: “That’s a hard question, but you have to look at what we’re competing against. We’ve got a lot of competition out there, with UFC, WEC – these companies are growing fast. It’s just up to us to change our marketing strategies to keep up with the hip-hop crowd and what’s going on. I think we’re doing a pretty good job, but I think we’re going to have to do a little bit better.”

Who he looks forward to working with in TNA: “I want to give all the guys a chance to wrestle with Booker T. It’s like when I was coming up and I got a chance to wrestle with Ric Flair, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Bret Hart. I wrestled a lot of great legends and I learned a lot from those guys. The thing I’ve had with Robert Roode, I’m sure he’s learned a lot over the past six months, and I’ve passed a lot of experience and knowledge to him. I’m looking forward to the next challenge, which is Samoa Joe. King of The Mountain is just beginning, and being the king of TNA is something totally different.”

Bobby Lashley potentially coming to TNA: “I really can’t say exactly what Bobby’s going to do. He came down to the PWA [Booker’s Houston-based independent promotion] and graced us with his presence and did a really good job and shocked and amazed the crowd and let them know that he still has it. He’s in great shape; he looked probably better than I’ve ever seen him look, in and out of the ring. As far as his future, right now there are MMA people looking at him; I know Japan is trying to get their hands on him; I know TNA would have a spot for him if he chooses to come there. I’m just wishing the best for Bobby right now, and when he does make that choice, I hope he comes to me first and asks me which way he should go. I’m going to tell him exactly what I think. Bobby’s in a good place mentally. He left WWE quite unexpected, but I think he’s doing well and the world and his future is all in his hands right now.”

The abundance of gimmick matches in TNA: “I’ve never tried to get behind the scenes with the writing and the story lines. I’ve always concentrated on my wrestling and my performance … and giving the people what they came to see. We do have a lot of different matches. We have a lot of stipulations in matches, and it confuses a lot of people sometimes. Maybe, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The conventional way still works. Maybe we have to take a step back to take a step forward. That’s something that we will realize in the near future, and the ratings will tell us.”

Samoa Joe as TNA world champion: “Samoa Joe is the future. The guy has all the skills, all the techniques. He’s not the prototype body of a wrestler that you normally would see, but that’s the uniqueness about Joe. He has a lot to learn, though – getting on the mic, knowing how to talk, knowing how to make things real to him. … It’s just a matter of him putting himself in that position, but I think Joe is a perfect candidate to carry TNA to the next level.”

Whether he would welcome Ultimate Warrior to TNA: “He’s a character. Would I welcome him? Yeah, definitely. … As far as him making a successful comeback, that’s going to be up to him and how hard he’s willing to work and become what he was before. He had a lot of energy and a lot of testosterone built up inside of him back then, but the guy’s got to be getting close to 50 now. Hopefully, his comeback will be successful and he can come out there and shock and amaze people like he once did.”

Whether the Internet helps or hurts wrestling: "It’s a double-edged sword. Sometimes it’s great for us. For promotional purposes it’s great. But … putting stuff out there that’s really not needed [such as] locker room talk getting up on the Internet – that kind of stuff is really not what we’re made up of. I think that part of the game has really changed, but you have to know how to change and go along with the program, as well.”

Ric Flair’s retirement angle: “It was great. The buildup to it – just debating whether he was going to lose or not – was really great. And then for him to go out and have a great match with one of the true greatest workers of all time, Shawn Michaels, it was great. It was a memorable match; it was something that you just had to see. It’s time for him to make that step to the next stage of life. Ric Flair has done it, and he’s done it well. He’s the ambassador of professional wrestling. He’s the greatest professional wrestler of all time.”

The Hulk Hogan-Nick Hogan tapes being made public: “That’s the Internet world we’re living in. You have to watch what you say [and] you have to watch what you do no matter who you are. … I feel like that’s a self issue as far as watching your own back and saying things like that. And if you say things like that, you’re going to get burned sooner or later. That’s what’s happening right now. But if the tape is authentic, what kind of person are you? You have to look at it from a lot of different ways.”

Working with Sting again: “It’s been great working with Sting. … Sting has been one of the true greats of the business. He’s been a man’s man about the business. He’s been the only one who didn’t go to WWE and stayed true to who he is. And people still love him. I’m in TNA perhaps because of Sting and a couple other guys who spoke up for me before I got there. I didn’t expect to just ride in on who I was or how many titles I had or anything like that. If you’re not a person of your word and people don’t like you, you’re not going to get anywhere in this business.”

The mix of veterans and young guys in the locker room: “It’s great. The first thing I did when I got to TNA was call a meeting. I had a meeting with every young guy on the talent roster just to let them know exactly why I was there. I’m there to help those guys and to make TNA better. I’m not there to step on any toes. I’m not a big star; I don’t look at myself like that. I’ll let other people look at me like that (laughs). It’s just great to be working with the third generation of wrestlers, and hopefully I can help them and teach them as much as I can. .. It’s really not about me; it’s about them. Those guys are the ones who are going to be doing it the next 10 years.”