Booker T Believes WWE SmackDown Star Giovanni Vinci Got Lost in His Former Team

Giovanni Vinci hasn’t had the best run on “WWE SmackDown” lately, struggling through a string of losses, including being pinned by basic cradles and roll-ups. Since his return, Vinci has gone 0-2 against Apollo Crews. WWE Hall of Famer Booker T weighed in on Vinci’s current situation, acknowledging there may be a reason behind it but also expressing concern over how Vinci’s talents are being used.

“I thought this guy had a great look, and his work’s not bad either. I really think coming in with Imperium kinda put him in that group thing and maybe lost him in the shuffle,” Booker T shared on his “The Hall of Fame” podcast. The five-time WCW Champion believes that standing out in a group dominated by GUNTHER is no easy task. “Trying to repackage him, I see that, I understand, because he is a guy you want to get in the mix,” he added. However, Booker T feels that Vinci’s recent string of losses might not be the best approach to helping him make a name for himself.

“I just don’t think it was a good thing, him being part of Imperium,” Booker stated. The wrestling legend extended his criticism to Ludwig Kaiser, another former member of GUNTHER’s faction, saying that both Vinci and Kaiser struggled to shine while playing second fiddle to GUNTHER. “[Kaiser] is really good … but he’s got to go out and gotta figure out who he is,” Booker explained.

Since parting ways with Vinci and Kaiser, GUNTHER has skyrocketed to success, capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on “WWE Raw,” while Kaiser has been positioning himself as a contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Meanwhile, Vinci is left trying to regain his footing in WWE, and Booker T is hopeful that he will find his own path and step out of the shadow cast by his former teammates.