Huffman grew up as an underprivileged child in Houston. His father died when he was 13, and he spent 19 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery.
But he staged a comeback from the mania of his youth and began training with his wrestling coach, Scott Casey, with money his boss loaned to him. He climbed the professional wrestling world's ladder, giving a smackdown to countless opponents along the way.
In 2006, he won the King of the Ring tournament and began wrestling as "King Booker," perhaps hinting at his dreams of holding public office. During this stage in his career, Booker donned a crown, cape and fake English accent and mannerisms, and even formed a "royal court" with his wife, Sharmell, and wrestlers Dave Finlay and William Regal.
"I have experienced both sides of life, from living with rats and roaches to being a Hall of Famer at one of the largest global brands and publicly traded companies in the world," Huffman said.