John Layfield
John Layfield | |
---|---|
Born | John Charles Layfield November 29, 1966[1] Sweetwater, Texas, U.S.[2] |
Alma mater | Abilene Christian University |
Spouses | |
Ring name(s) | Bad Santa Blackjack Bradshaw[2] Bradshaw[2] Death Mask[2] JBL John "Bradshaw" Layfield[2][3] Johnny Hawk[2] Justin Hawk Bradshaw[2] Vampiro Americano[2] |
Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[3] |
Billed weight | 290 lb (132 kg)[3] |
Billed from | Sweetwater, Texas (as Blackjack Bradshaw) New York City (as John Layfield) Bradshaw Ranch (as Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw) |
Trained by | Black Bart[4] Brad Rheingans[2][4] |
Debut | September 23, 1992[2][4][5] |
Retired | April 5, 2009[6] |
American football career |
|
No. 61 | |
Position: | Offensive lineman, Right tackle |
Career information | |
High school: | Sweetwater (TX) |
College: | Abilene Christian |
Undrafted: | 1990 |
Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966),[1] better known by the ring name Bradshaw or JBL,[2][3] is an American professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler and football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is an ambassador for the company. Layfield is currently a financial commentator and is featured regularly on Fox News and Fox Business. He is also employed by Northeast Securities as its senior vice president.[7]
Layfield rose to prominence in WWE during its Attitude Era under the ring name Bradshaw, during which time he became a three-time WWF Tag Team Champion with Ron Simmons as part of the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA), a feared pair of strong and tough mercenaries who, aside from occasionally wrestling and doing "work" for "clients" spent most of their time sitting around in their "office" playing cards, drinking beer, fighting people backstage and then going out to bars and getting into bar fights. In 2004, Simmons retired and the APA separated, and Layfield was rebranded as the heel character JBL— a rough-mannered, brawling, blustering, bad-tempered and bigmouthed Texas elite businessman, driven into the arena by limousine. The gimmick was built off of Layfield's real-life accomplishments as a stock market investor. Later that year, he captured the WWE Championship and held it for 280 days. A month before his in-ring retirement at 2009's WrestleMania 25, he became Intercontinental Champion, which made him the 20th Triple Crown Champion and the 10th Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
After his retirement, Layfield became an on-air commentator for WWE programming. Layfield was inducted into the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020.
Early life
Layfield was born on November 29, 1966, in Sweetwater, Texas.[1]
Football career
Layfield was a collegiate
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1992–1996)
Layfield was trained initially by
In January 1993, Layfield went on his first overseas trip to Japan, wrestling for
In June 1994, he went to Europe and toured Austria and Germany for Otto Wanz's Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) for the remainder of the year. In January 1995, Layfield joined NWA Dallas. He won the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship on January 14, 1995, defeating Kevin Von Erich.[10] Two months later, he lost the NWA North American title to Greg Valentine. He wrestled for NWA Dallas until May 1995.
In June 1995, Layfield returned to Japan, but with NOW recently folded, he went to Genichiro Tenryu's WAR, where he went by the name "Death Mask." From June to December 1995, he wrestled in Austria and Germany for the Catch Wrestling Association, where he won its World Tag Team Championship with Cannonball Grizzly in November 1995. He was set to join Smoky Mountain Wrestling in December 1995, to wrestle Buddy Landel, but this did not happen due to the company closing in November. From December 1995 to February 1996, he performed for the Confederate Wrestling Alliance in Dallas, Texas.
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment / WWE
Early years (1995–1997)
In December 1995, Layfield (as "John Hawk") debuted in the
The New Blackjacks (1997–1998)
In February 1997, Layfield paired up with his storyline cousin Barry Windham to form The New Blackjacks, Layfield cut off his long hair and completed with the traditional "Blackjack" handlebar mustaches and short, dyed black hair.[15] In late 1997 Bradshaw traveled to the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) where he competed as a singles wrestler (without Windham). During his time in the USWA he helped his former manager in the WWF, Dutch Mantel (also known in the WWF as Uncle Zebekiah) defeat Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.[16]
Windham's injuries piled up throughout 1997, so the team disbanded, and Layfield wrestled only occasionally on TV as Blackjack Bradshaw, sometimes teaming with fellow Texan
Acolytes Protection Agency (1998–2002)
On Sunday Night Heat right before Survivor Series 1998, Bradshaw teamed alongside former
On the May 31, 1999, episode of Raw Is War, the Acolytes (still with the Corporate Ministry) won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating Kane and X-Pac.[23] On the July 5 episode of Raw Is War, they dropped the titles to the Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff)[24] before defeating the Hardyz and their manager Michael "P.S." Hayes at Fully Loaded for their second WWF Tag Team Championship.[25] On the August 9 episode of Raw Is War, they lost the titles to Kane and X-Pac.
The duo became fan favorites and changed their gimmick to that of cigar-smoking bar brawlers for hire.[22] In jeans and T-shirts, Faarooq and Bradshaw became the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA), with a motto of "because we need beer money." The duo was often seen in the backrooms of arenas with a poker table and later a framed doorway comically in the middle of the often large, open aired hallways.
The Acolytes earned a shot at the WWF Tag Title at the
On the October 22 episode of Raw Is War, Bradshaw defeated The Hurricane to win the WWF European Championship, his first singles title in the WWF.[30] He lost the title to Christian on the November 1 episode of SmackDown!.[31] At No Way Out in 2002, APA won a Tag Team Turmoil match[32] and as a result, they challenged for the tag title at WrestleMania X8 along with Hardys and Dudleys, in a Four Corners Elimination match. The champions Billy and Chuck retained their title.[33]
Singles competition (2002–2003)
Shortly after WrestleMania, Faarooq and Bradshaw split due to the
In the hardcore division, Bradshaw feuded and exchanged the title with the likes of Richards,
APA reunion (2003–2004)
Bradshaw returned on the June 19, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, which saw him and Faarooq saving the Undertaker from the hands of
On the October 30 episode of SmackDown!, the APA defeated
Bradshaw entered into the 2004 Royal Rumble match at entry number 5, but quickly was eliminated by Chris Benoit.[46] At No Way Out, the APA faced the World's Greatest Tag Team in a losing effort.[47] At WrestleMania XX in 2004, they unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way tag team match.[48] The gimmick continued on-and-off until the March 18 episode of SmackDown! until losing a tag team "You're Fired" match to WWE Tag Team Champions Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty for the tag team title.[49] General manager Paul Heyman, frustrated by an insult by the APA, told Faarooq that if he did not win the aforementioned match, then "You're Fired." After the match, Bradshaw led Faarooq back to Heyman's office to state they had not been fired, but had resigned. Then, Heyman cleared up the misunderstanding and pointed out that he said that if they did not win the titles, then he told Faarooq "You're fired," His reason for saying this directly to Faarooq was because it applied only to Faarooq because "WWE Management" still saw a lot of potential in Bradshaw. He left them after telling Bradshaw to think about his own future. Faarooq shouted after Heyman that he was not fired because they (Faarooq and Bradshaw) had quit. Bradshaw, however, hesitated. Faarooq took Bradshaw's hesitation to mean that he would not resign, and so Faarooq promptly disbanded the APA and left. This turned Bradshaw heel. In reality, the WWE had decided to stop using Ron Simmons as an on-air performer due to health issues. He was initially released, but he was later re-hired to work behind the scenes in the WWE under various roles.
WWE Champion (2004–2005)
After the on air character of Faarooq disappeared from WWE television, Bradshaw proceeded to take on a
At Judgment Day, he defeated Guerrero via disqualification in a match for the WWE Championship, but since a title cannot change hands by disqualification, Guerrero retained the title.[53] JBL won his sole world championship, the WWE Championship from Guerrero in a Texas Bull Rope match at The Great American Bash.[54][55] JBL won a rematch in a steel cage two weeks later, again with Angle's assistance.[56]
After claiming he would not be defending the title at
Though JBL held the title for many months, most title matches were won controversially.
During JBL's time as WWE Champion, he employed a
JBL defended the title at
JBL lost the WWE Championship to John Cena at
On June 12, JBL appeared at the WWE-promoted
United States Champion (2005–2006)
On the September 16 episode of SmackDown!, JBL lost to Rey Mysterio.[72] He hired Jillian Hall to "fix" his career. At No Mercy, JBL defeated Mysterio in a rematch.[73] In early 2006, JBL started a feud with The Boogeyman who scared him many times in the new year. The two had a match at the Royal Rumble, which the Boogeyman won.[74] His next opponent was Bobby Lashley, whom JBL defeated at No Way Out.[75] On the February 24, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, he suffered a broken hand at the hands of Chris Benoit in a six-man tag team match, and WWE.com announced that he underwent successful surgery.[76] JBL returned and feuded with Benoit, defeating him for his United States Championship at WrestleMania 22.[77][78] During this time, Jillian Hall remained at the side of JBL until the April 21 episode of SmackDown! when JBL fired Hall, due to a mistake she made during a steel cage rematch between JBL and Benoit the week before as well as her lack of putting together an "appropriate" celebration for him.[79][80]
JBL, while still United States Champion, challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship. JBL tried to weaken then champion Rey Mysterio in the weeks leading up to his title match as Mysterio faced off against any opponent of JBL's choosing, capitalizing on Mysterio claiming that he was "a man of his word," and would take on anyone. Mysterio was defeated by
Commentator and part-time wrestler (2006–2008)
At
JBL returned to the ring on November 13, 2006, in the main event of a WWE house show in
On the October 12, 2007, episode of SmackDown!, JBL was announced as one of the options WWE fans would be able to vote for to be the special guest referee at
In December 2007 at Armageddon, JBL was present at the SmackDown! announcer's table during the WWE Championship match. During this match, Randy Orton whipped a charging Chris Jericho over the announcer table where JBL was situated, and in the heat of the match, Jericho "pushed" JBL out of the way. Minutes later, an infuriated JBL kicked Jericho in the head, leading to a disqualification victory for Jericho meaning that Orton retained the title.[90]
On the December 17, 2007, episode of Raw, JBL announced that he would resume his wrestling career in response to a challenge made by Jericho.[91] On the December 21 episode of SmackDown!, JBL gave his farewell address from SmackDown!, officially making his return to Raw on December 31.[92] Jericho was disqualified in their match at the Royal Rumble after hitting JBL with a chair.[93] The duo battled in a rematch on the February 11 episode of Raw, which Jericho won.[94]
On February 18 on Raw, JBL interfered in the scheduled steel cage match between
JBL's first championship bid since returning to the ring came by challenging Randy Orton for the WWE Championship and participating in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match at
Intercontinental Champion and retirement (2008–2010)
JBL's next on-screen rivalry was with
Throughout late 2008 and early 2009, JBL had a short rivalry with
On the March 9 episode of Raw, JBL defeated CM Punk to win the
Return to commentating (2011–2017)
Layfield made his return to WWE on the March 7, 2011, episode of Raw as Michael Cole's choice for special guest referee for his match against Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania XXVII. He cut a promo claiming he was starting his "journey back to the main event at WrestleMania," before being interrupted by Stone Cold Steve Austin just as he was about to sign the contract. After a brief argument between the two, Austin hit Layfield with the Stone Cold Stunner and signed the contract to be the special guest referee.
On March 31, 2012, Layfield inducted his former tag team partner and real life best friend
Starting at
Following the
Sporadic appearances and WWE Hall of Famer (2017–2023)
On September 1, 2017, JBL announced that he was stepping away from the SmackDown Live commentary team to focus on humanitarian work in and out of WWE, mainly as a Beyond Sport Global Ambassador.[113][114] The APA made an appearance at the Raw 25 Years show on January 22, 2018, playing poker with other legends and superstars.[115] Layfield occasionally works on commentary during the Tribute to the Troops events with the latest one occurred on December 4, 2018 (aired on December 20) in Fort Hood.[116]
On March 3, 2020, during WWE Backstage it was officially announced that JBL would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of WrestleMania 36 week however the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[117] On November 22, 2020, he made an appearance at Survivor Series during The Undertaker's retirement ceremony.[118] During WrestleMania 37 week, JBL was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2020 during the 2021 ceremony following the delay the previous year, he was later a panelist on the WrestleMania 37 kick-off show, and provided commentary in the singles match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
From October 2022 until February 2023, Layfield worked as the manager of Baron Corbin.[119][120]
On the November 21, 2023 episode of NXT, JBL announced who will be in the qualifiers for the Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline.
On December 8, 2023, JBL served as a guest commentator for the 21st annual Tribute to the Troops episode on SmackDown.
Business career
WWE describes Layfield as a "self-made" millionaire.[121] In 2003, Layfield published a book on financial management titled Have More Money Now.[122] He and his wife, then Oppenheimer Holdings' financial analyst Meredith Whitney, were featured in the August 2008 issue of Fortune magazine.[121]
Layfield is the founder of Layfield Energy. In 2008, Layfield Energy launched a drink called MamaJuana Energy.[51] In March 2009, Layfield Energy became the main sponsor and advertiser of Ohio Valley Wrestling, a former WWE developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.[123]
Layfield has lived full-time in Bermuda since shortly after his retirement from in-ring activity.[124] Feeling confined living in New York City, he spent the summer of 2009 in Bermuda at his wife's encouragement, and the couple soon bought a full-time home there. As he acclimated to Bermuda, he noticed what he called "the almost predominant black-on-black violence that is unfortunately pervasive throughout the local neighborhoods"[citation needed], and in 2011 created the nonprofit organization Beyond Rugby Bermuda, using rugby union to provide young people with an alternative to gangs. The organization is an offshoot of Beyond Sport, a South African nonprofit that uses running for similar purposes; Layfield was introduced to that group's founder when he and his wife visited the country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He spends much of his time outside of WWE with the organization, filling duties as varied as celebrity fundraising and mowing the rugby field. Beyond Rugby Bermuda began with six boys; as of February 2017, more than 400 boys and girls were involved. Layfield is now a global ambassador for Beyond Sport alongside figures such as Tony Blair and Desmond Tutu.[125]
In the spring of 2018,
Cable news
In 2004, Layfield was hired by
Layfield left CNBC and was subsequently hired by Fox News and sister network (and CNBC rival) Fox Business as a business commentator.[122]
Other media
In April 2009, following his departure from WWE, Ohio Valley Wrestling owner Danny Davis announced in a press release that Layfield would be color commentator and host for Vyper Fight League, which Layfield would also sponsor with Layfield Energy; however, the company folded the following year.[131]
In November 2012, Layfield started hosting a new show on WWE's YouTube channel alongside
Layfield used to run the website Layfield Report which highlighted a variety of his views and opinions in numerous articles. The site was ended in September 2014.
Layfield has appeared as a playable character in a number of WWE video games. His first appearance as a playable character was in
Layfield began broadcasting
In 2021, Layfield began hosting a podcast series with Gerald Brisco.[137]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012–2015 | The JBL and Renee Show | Himself | Web series; main role | [132] |
2015–2017 | Legends with JBL | Himself (host) | WWE Network series | [138] |
Personal life
His parents are Lavelle Layfield, who is a minister, and Mary Layfield.
Layfield married his second wife,
Bullying allegations and hazing
One particularly well-known instance of his alleged bullying occurred during the 2005 ECW One Night Stand. During a post-match moment in the event when the WWE's top heels attack the ECW Originals following the bWo interfering with the match, JBL can be seen among the performers legitimately attacking bWo member Brian "The Blue Meanie" Heffron. Layfield repeatedly hit him in the head so hard it split Heffron's face. Heffron was visibly upset by the incident, and he required stitches. Shortly thereafter, during an episode of SmackDown!, bWo teammate Stevie Richards and Batista would interfere in a match between The Blue Meanie and JBL, where Richards would deliver a real chair shot to JBL's head as revenge for the One Night Stand incident. In the years since the legitimate feud, Heffron and Layfield have made amends and become friends.[146]
In April 2017, WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo took an absence from WWE, which Dave Meltzer reported had been triggered by hostilities with Layfield.[147][141][148][143] The allegations coincided with the release of former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts' autobiography, in which he alleged that Layfield stole his passport. Layfield denied that he himself stole the passport, but John Morrison subsequently claimed that Layfield encouraged him and Joey Mercury to steal Roberts' passport, which they did not agree to.[141][139] Angered WWE fans subsequently called on WWE to fire Layfield.[149] On April 22, Newsweek reported that Ranallo and WWE "mutually agreed to part ways," and Ranallo released a statement in which he said his departure had "nothing to do with JBL."[147] Layfield released a statement of his own, stating: "Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing 'the bad guy' on a TV show was misconstrued."[147]
Championships and accomplishments
College football
Professional wrestling
- Catch Wrestling Association
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2022)[151]
- Federacion Internacional de Lucha Libre
- FILL Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Lou Thesz Award (2012)[152]
- Global Wrestling Federation
- GWF Tag Team Championship (2 times)[9] – with Bobby Duncum Jr. (1) and Black Bart (1)
- Memphis Championship Wrestling
- NWA Dallas
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- United States Wrestling Federation
- USWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Equalizer[157]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Championship (1 time)[158][159]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[160][161]
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)[162]
- WWE Hardcore Championship (17 times)[35]
- WWE Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament (April 2005)
- Race to the Rumble Tournament (2009)
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Favorite Web Show of the Year (Renee Youngfor The JBL and Cole Show
- Favorite Web Show of the Year (
- 20th Triple Crown Champion
- 10th Grand Slam Champion
- Class of 2020)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (2004)[165]
- Worst Television Announcer (2014, 2015)[166][167]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2002) with Trish Stratus vs. Christopher Nowinski and Jackie Gayda on Raw, July 7[165]
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2014) Insulting fans who purchased PPV[166]
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External links
- John Layfield on WWE.com
- John "Bradshaw" Layfield on Twitter
- John Layfield at IMDb
- John Layfield's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database