JBL was considered for in-ring return? Former WWE Superstar opens up about original plans
John 'Bradshaw' Layfield, or simply JBL, is a notable former WWE Champion and Hall of Famer. Two years ago, he made an unexpected return to Monday Night RAW, in an on-screen capacity. His role was to be the mouthpiece of Baron Corbin, who has recently parted ways with the company.
The combination of Corbin and JBL looked promising through the lens of a section of fans. However, it did not take off. Not long after, WWE's creative team split them up and the 40-year-old reverted to his "Lone Wolf" persona. The Hall of Famer subsequently stepped out of the limelight.
In an interview with Adam Barnard on The Takedown on SI, Baron Corbin reflected on his failed run with JBL. While the former WWE Superstar felt that the program had enough juice to carry forward, he admitted that it did not click with the larger fanbase. Corbin revealed that he wanted to have the legend step back into the ring and beat up people as part of their act.
"We went the JBL route and I think that, you know, it struggled. I can't put my finger on why it struggled. I think that people, and John [JBL] and myself, wanted more out of like—I wanted John to be able to decapitate a few people, and it was a process of getting him back in the ring and getting him doing that," Corbin said.
He further noted how WWE used them together, with the legend acting as only a mouthpiece for the former Money in the Bank winner. That approach ultimately did not click.
"He kind of just became like a mouthpiece for me, an introduction kind of thing, where he would get the crowd all riled up for me. But I think we all, kind of, just wanted a little bit more from that and it just didn't click," he added. [From 20:47 to 21:25]
Check out his comments in the video below:
On the February 3, 2023, episode of RAW, The Wrestling God and Baron Corbin were featured in a backstage segment, in which the former WWE Champion cut ties with The Lone Wolf.
JBL is highly underrated, WWE legend The Undertaker says
JBL won his sole WWE Championship from the late Eddie Guerrero in 2004. He had a successful 280-day reign with it, before dropping to John Cena at WrestleMania 21. During the Attitude Era, he was part of a noteworthy tag team with Ron Simmons, dubbed the APA.
The Undertaker told Chris Van Vliet during an interview earlier this year that JBL was one of his career-best rivals, and was very underrated. They feuded during Bradshaw's reign as WWE Champion in 2004. He pointed to The Wrestling God's size and despite that, the latter had always managed to pull off the "chickens**t" heel character to perfection.
The Hall of Famer was last seen on WWE TV in early 2023. Recently, he reflected on a very peculiar incident involving Eddie Guerrero's mother that led to mob outrage. This occurred after the Latino Heat dropped the WWE Championship to him.
If you use the quotes above, please credit The Takedown on SI and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
