John Layfield

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This article is about the professional wrestler and Fox News business analyst. For the seventeenth century theologian, please see John Layfield (theologian).
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
Statistics
Ring name(s) John "Bradshaw" Layfield
JBL
Vampiro Americano
Death Mask
Johnny Hawk
Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
"Blackjack" Bradshaw
Bradshaw
Billed height 6 ft 6 in (201 cm)
Billed weight 290 lb (131 kg)
Born November 29, 1966
Abilene, Texas
Billed from New York City
Trained by Brad Rheingans
Debut 1992
Retired 2006

John Charles Layfield, known by his current ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield or JBL (born November 29, 1966 in Abilene, Texas), is an inactive American professional wrestler. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment as a color commentator on WWE Friday Night SmackDown!.

The JBL persona is based largely on Layfield's real-life accomplishments outside the ring. Known as a successful stock market guru, Layfield is a regular panelist on Fox News Channel's The Cost of Freedom shows and previously appeared on CNBC. He has also written a best-selling book on financial planning called Have More Money Now (ISBN 0-7434-6633-0). While Layfield continues to perform for WWE, he also hosts a nationally-syndicated weekend talk radio program syndicated by Talk Radio Network [1]discussing his conservative political views. Layfield also is employed by Northeast Securities as a consultant.[2]

Contents

Career

Football Career

Prior to his professional wrestling career, Layfield was a successful collegiate football player for Abilene Christian University.[3] At Abilene, Layfield was a four-year starter on the offensive line and was named first-team All-Lone Star Conference as a junior and senior.

Layfield signed with Los Angeles Raiders as an undrafted free agent, but was released before the 1990 season began. Layfield did play in the World League of American Football, starting all 10 games of the 1991 season at right tackle for the San Antonio Riders, wearing jersey number 61.

Global Wrestling Federation

Layfield was trained initially by Brad Rheingans and first started wrestling in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas in 1992. His first gimmick was as Johnny Hawk, storyline cousin of the famous Windham brothers. He formed the "Texas Mustangs" with Bobby Duncum, Jr., and they quickly won the tag team titles but dropped them to Ian & Axl Rotten (Bad Breed). Layfield also won the NWA North American Title, defeating Kevin Von Erich. Two months later, he lost the NWA North American Title to Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1995-present)

After three and a half years touring the independent circuit in various forgettable guises, Layfield first appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw in late 1995. His initial gimmick was that of a tough cowboy/mountain man, similar in tone to Stan Hansen. After victories, he would brand his opponents with the symbol "JB." Of course, the brand was in ink, rather than being seared into the flesh. Managed by Uncle Zebekiah, the character fizzled out by the end of the year, perhaps remembered only for a feud with Savio Vega and a match with Fatu which he won in eight seconds. Layfield then quickly paired up with his (storyline) cousin Barry Windham to form "The New Blackjacks," complete with the traditional "Blackjack" gimmicks of handlebar moustaches and short, jet black hair.

Windham's injuries piled up throughout 1997, so the team disbanded, and Layfield wrestled only occasionally on TV as a generic brawler simply called "Bradshaw," sometimes teaming with fellow Texan Terry Funk. In late 1998, Bradshaw teamed alongside former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) World Champion Faarooq as a last ditch effort by the WWF to salvage both men's careers to form the powerhouse tag team Hell's Henchmen, managed by the Jackal. This would be the formation of one of the most physically devastating tag-teams in WWF history. Eventually the Jackal left the WWF, and Bradshaw and Faarooq joined The Undertaker's new Ministry of Darkness alliance under the name The Acolytes, along with other various wrestlers. The Ministry went on to feud with the Corporation. As part of the Ministry, Bradshaw feuded with Ken Shamrock. The Ministry would be defeated by Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Undertaker went on hiatus, so Bradshaw and Faarooq's dark gimmick faded.

The duo turned face to become cigar-smoking, bar-brawlers-for-hire. In jeans and t-shirts, Bradshaw and Faarooq became the Pulp Fiction-inspired Acolytes Protection Agency (APA), with a motto of "Because we need the beer money."

Bradshaw (left) with Faarooq as The Acolytes
Bradshaw (left) with Faarooq as The Acolytes

The duo was often seen in the backrooms of arenas with a trademark poker table and later a framed doorway comically in the middle of the often large, open aired hallways, but they would insist that anyone entering the space use the door. Occasionally, if the "room" was destroyed in one arena, it was setup exactly as it was destroyed at the next arena, pushing continuity through time and space for comic effect. As a team, they won the WWF Tag Team Titles three times. Bradshaw also won the WWF European Championship in October 2001, holding it for nine days.

In early 2002, Bradshaw and Faarooq split due to the WWE Draft. During this split, Bradshaw became a multiple-time WWE Hardcore Champion. Renaming the belt as the Texas Hardcore Championship, he won that title a total of eighteen times.

In September 2002, Layfield suffered a torn left biceps at a house show event. He was out of action for six months until returning to Ohio Valley Wrestling and then a few weeks later to the active WWE roster. He returned on an episode of SmackDown!, which saw him and his old friend Faarooq saving the Undertaker from the hands of Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli. Layfield returned with a new look, cutting his long hair and not dying it black, and shaving his facial hair. After that, he and Faarooq competed for the WWE Tag Team Championship.

The APA have had several Tag Team Title reigns, in WWE and Ohio Valley Wrestling. They were also known within WWE to be "enforcers" when it came to sending a message to wrestlers who caused problems backstage, which has sometimes led to negative fan reaction towards Layfield in particular.

The APA gimmick continued on-and-off until early 2004, when Faarooq (Ron Simmons) was fired in storyline (in actuality he retired) from WWE after losing a tag team "You're Fired" Match in Boston. Then-SmackDown! General Manager Paul Heyman allowed Layfield to stay, noting his status as a successful author and FOX News personality. Despite Layfield turning his back on Faarooq on TV, the two remain close friends to this day. Simmons was the best man at Layfield's second wedding.

JBL

The next week, Bradshaw changed his gimmick into a Wall Street-esque persona complete with a suit, cowboy hat and tie. He began using John "Bradshaw" Layfield as his stage name and immediately challenged Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship. The storyline leading up to Judgment Day 2004 was that JBL caused Eddie's mother to have a heart attack (kayfabe) at a house show when he threatened her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

At Judgment Day, JBL defeated Eddie Guerrero via disqualification in a bloody WWE Title match. JBL went on to win the WWE Championship controversially from Guerrero at The Great American Bash where the initial decision of Guerrero's victory was reversed during the Texas Bull Rope Match by then-General Manager Kurt Angle, awarding the match and the title to JBL, as the replay showed that JBL touched the fourth corner before Guerrero touched the fourth corner. JBL won a rematch in a cage two weeks later in Providence, Rhode Island, again with Angle's assistance.

JBL won several squash matches in the following weeks. After claiming he wouldn't be defending the title at SummerSlam, Undertaker challenged JBL for the title. Around this time, JBL hired Orlando Jordan to help him in title matches. JBL won the match by disqualification. After the match, Undertaker choke-slammed JBL through the roof of his limo. JBL wore a halo (complete with his cowboy hat on top) for the next few weeks to sell his "injuries". General Manager Theodore Long then booked a "Last Ride Match" for the title at No Mercy. JBL retained the title with some help from John Heidenreich.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield, during his reign as WWE Champion.
John "Bradshaw" Layfield, during his reign as WWE Champion.

Though JBL held the title for many months, most title matches were won controversially. On November 14, 2004, JBL defeated Booker T to retain his WWE Championship by hitting Booker in the face with the title belt when the referee was knocked out. JBL defeated Eddie Guerrero, Booker T, and the Undertaker in a Fatal Four Way at Armageddon after interference by Heidenreich, who incapacitated the Undertaker, allowing JBL to take advantage and hit Booker with the Clothesline From Hell to get the pinfall victory.

The "JBL" character at first mimicked the actions of a JR Ewing-style businessman running for office (campaign speeches, kissing babies, etc., which fit with the 2004 Election Cycle) but then started referring to himself as a "Wrestling God", much to the on-screen disdain of RAW's then-World Champion Triple H. The segment of RAW where Triple H showed himself thoroughly unimpressed by JBL is an instance of a rare occurrence in professional wrestling, where a heel expresses hostility against another heel in the same company without one or the other turning face shortly afterward.

During JBL's time as WWE Champion, he employed "staff" to work for him. The stable was named The Cabinet. At its peak, the stable contained Orlando Jordan, who was JBL's "Chief-of-Staff." Doug and Danny Basham were his "Co-Secretaries of Defense" until "quitting" the Cabinet on the June 16, 2005 episode of SmackDown! Amy Weber was also a member, being JBL's image consultant, but later left WWE due to alleged harassment. WWE explained Weber's absence by saying that JBL "fired" her after an episode of SmackDown! taped in Japan. That episode saw Weber accidentally shoot JBL with a tranquilizer gun. Jordan is the only member not announced to have left the group, though mention of the term cabinet went on hiatus after SummerSlam 2005 and Orlando was released from WWE in May 2006.

JBL's luck continued in early 2005, and at the Royal Rumble, he snuck past both Big Show and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat Match when he pinned Angle after the Clothesline From Hell. He once again emerged with his title intact from the WWE's first-ever Barbed-Wire Steel Cage Match at No Way Out against Big Show. JBL won the match when Big Show chokeslammed JBL off the top rope through the ring. JBL managed to crawl out from under the ring apron before Show could make it to the floor, winning the match by escape. On the next edition of SmackDown!, JBL had a "Celebration of Excellence" in which he and his Cabinet celebrated the fact that he was the longest-reigning WWE Champion in ten years (since Diesel), a party which was broken up and ruined by newly-crowned #1 contender John Cena.

JBL lost the WWE Championship to Cena at WrestleMania 21. His unbroken nine-month reign was billed as the longest in a decade, lasting 280 days. JBL defeated Big Show, Booker T, and Kurt Angle in a four-way elimination match to earn a rematch, but lost to Cena at Judgment Day in a bloody "I Quit" Match. He was ribbed by Cena and other wrestlers for saying "I Quit" over the next few months. Cena even called him the most celebrated quitter in WWE history.

On June 12, 2005, Layfield appeared at the WWE-promoted ECW One Night Stand 2005 pay-per-view as an anti-ECW "crusader." In the course of the night, however, he stiffed The Blue Meanie (see Brian Heffron Incident and Aftermath). WWE capitalized on the situation by re-signing Heffron to a short-term contract. On the July 7, 2005 episode of SmackDown!, Heffron was reunited with his old Blue World Order associates Nova and Steven Richards and he defeated Layfield with the help of the World Heavyweight Champion Batista, who was drafted to SmackDown! a few weeks after Cena was drafted to RAW.

Layfield and Batista then met in a match at The Great American Bash on July 24, 2005 for the World Heavyweight Championship. JBL won the match by disqualification. At SummerSlam, Batista soundly defeated Layfield. JBL lost another rematch with Batista on the September 9, 2005 edition of Friday Night SmackDown! in a Texas Bullrope Match (the same match JBL won the WWE title in).

On the September 16, 2005 episode of SmackDown!, JBL lost to Rey Mysterio and hired Jillian Hall to "fix" his career. At No Mercy, JBL defeated Mysterio. JBL then teamed up with Rey Mysterio in the SmackDown! versus RAW rivalry with Chris Masters and Edge. He was named one of the superstars whom fans could vote in to face Edge and Masters at 2005's Taboo Tuesday event. Though he wasn't chosen, he later defeated Chris Benoit on November 10, 2005 with the help of Booker T to become a member of "Team Smackdown!" to face "Team RAW" at Survivor Series. JBL lasted throughout most of the Survivor Series match, and can even be credited for helping give Smackdown! the victory by distracting Shawn Michaels with a steel chair long enough for Randy Orton to hit him with the RKO. On SmackDown! in December, he helped Booker T defeat Matt Hardy. He later beat Matt Hardy at Armageddon. He showed up at the "Tribute to the Troops" as "Bad Santa" where he lost to the good Santa Mick Foley.

On the February 24, 2006 edition 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. Layfield was in fact having surgery to remove a non-cancerous cyst.

Layfield would return and feud with Chris Benoit defeating him for his WWE United States Championship at WrestleMania 22. During this time, Jillian Hall would remain at the side of JBL until the April 21, 2006 edition of SmackDown! when JBL fired Jillian Hall, due to Hall's inability to help JBL defend his title during a JBL/Benoit steel cage rematch the week before (which JBL was still able to win) as well as her lack of putting together an "appropriate" celebration for him.

JBL, while still United States Champion went on to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship. JBL would try to weaken then champion Rey Mysterio in the weeks leading up to his title match as Mysterio would face off against any opponent of JBL's choosing. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and squashed by The Great Khali in non title singles matches before facing RAW's Kane in a match, that went to a no contest, leading up to the Judgment Day title match. However, Mysterio retained his World Title at Judgment Day using a Frog Splash to pin the United States Champion, JBL.

On the May 26, 2006 edition of SmackDown!, JBL lost the US Title to Bobby Lashley and also lost another attempt at the World Title, stating before hand that if he lost that match he would quit SmackDown! which he lost. As he lost the match the crowd at the arena began to sing "na na, hey hey, goodbye. It was reported that JBL began to verbally attack the crowd while in the ring. However, JBL later stated that he did not have a formal contract with Teddy Long going into the match and that he did not intend to leave SmackDown!. This angle, however, was used to give JBL time off wrestling due to his serious back injury.

Retirement/WWE Commentator (2006-present)

At One Night Stand 2006, Layfield made an appearance and insulted the crowd. He then insulted Tazz and announced that he would take Tazz's place as the new color commentator for SmackDown!. He made his debut as a heelish color commentator on the June 16, 2006 edition of SmackDown!. Even if doctors clear him to wrestle, Layfield does not intend to make a return to the ring since he has many outside projects that occupy his time. Among his outside endeavors, he got a job as an investment banker in New York City. He also has told friends that as of now he is "fat, happy, busy, and retired".

Layfield noted in a recent commentary on TheStreet.com that he was retiring from in-ring competition for good. In his final column on the website, JBL wrote, "I have also come to believe that you can't fight father time. A broken back suffered in a match in England, compounded by a herniated and bulged disc, finally made me realize my career as a professional wrestler was over. I since migrated to the color commentary position much in the way that Jesse Ventura did before me."[1]

In a WWE.com article, Layfield quelled internet rumors that he would be leaving WWE in October 2006. While Layfield did admit to giving his notice to WWE, he said that he did so because he was heartbroken that he couldn't wrestle, not because he wanted to quit the wrestling business. He has since signed a new deal.[2]

JBL has seen a recent return to action in the ring. In a promotion in Dublin, he teamed with Mr. Kennedy and King Booker, against Kane, the Undertaker, and Batista. On the December 22, 2006 edition of SmackDown JBL cut a promo berating Theodore Long and cursing out the fans for cheering during the Inferno Match at Armageddon 5 days earlier ("Rome didn't fall because of the gladiators in the ring. Rome fell because of the spectators in the stands.") [3]

JBL joined other WWE Superstars in Baghdad in the fourth annual WWE Tribute to the Troops. He is the only wrestler to have been in the Tribute to the Troops all four years, the first year appearing in his APA Bradshaw persona. His appearance in 2006 was also the first time in years when he portrayed a positive character in the ring, helping an American soldier to break Chris Masters' Master Lock.

On his February 5, 2007 blog on WWE.com, Layfield announced that he is looking into running for political office in his home state of Texas.

On March 19, 2007 edition of Monday Night RAW, JBL was scheduled to have a 1 on 1 match with Shawn Michaels. However, JBL came to the ring in his business suit, and said that "Nobody tells me to come out of retirement but me", thus confirming his retirement for the first time in the ring.

Controversy

JBL does Nazi salutes at the House Show in Germany.
JBL does Nazi salutes at the House Show in Germany.

Munich, Germany

Layfield's actions at a WWE house show in Munich, Germany early in June 2004 [4] caused a substantial uproar. During the show, in an attempt to draw heel heat, there were claims that he gave the crowd several Nazi salutes while goose-stepping around the ring. Such a display is illegal in Germany if used for political purposes. [5]

In an interview with the Washington Post[6], John Layfield explained "I'm a bad guy [on WWE]. I'm supposed to incite the crowd. I've done [the Nazi gestures] for decades. I really didn't think anything of it -- I know how bad it is, I've lived [in Germany]. I've been to Dachau, seen those places where they exterminated millions of Jews." [...] "I draw the line between me and my character. That's like saying Anthony Hopkins really enjoys cannibalism."

Blue Meanie Incident and Aftermath

At the closing fight in One Night Stand 2005, Layfield got into a legitimate fight with the Blue Meanie (aka Brian Heffron), genuinely reopening cuts that Heffron had sustained two days earlier at another event. As a result of the incident, Tracy Smothers challenged Layfield to a shoot fight anywhere at anytime; Layfield has so far failed to respond to this challenge. However, as a result of the controversy caused by Internet exposure of this incident, The Blue Meanie was brought in briefly for a WWE run, resulting in the short-lived reformation of the bWo on WWE's SmackDown brand. During this time, Meanie pinned Bradshaw with assistance from World Heavyweight Champion Batista.

As part of his 'JBL' gimmick, he has used some racist promos when facing foreign opponents, especially Mexicans. When he was feuding with Eddie Guerrero he made a lot of heel racist promos. He continued to use racist promos when he feuded with Rey Mysterio later. Also when he became Smackdown! announcer, when a Mexican wrestler is a babyface, he starts by saying that he's a mojado (illegal citizen), and when a Mexican wrestler is a heel, he praises him for having all his papers in order. He also starts to make hatred remarks when a Smackdown! event is taking place in Canada (including continuing with the tradition of WWE announcers calling Canada 'Bizarro World'). Also he makes fun of Jimmy Wang Yang (Asian redneck gimmick), Tatanka (Native American), Sylvan Grenier (Quebecan/French-Canadien) and referee Jim Korderas (Canadian, and also was involved in the match that made JBL retire). Also at the Great American Bash after he and Michael Cole introduced the Spanish announcers, he said: 'Why are they talking Spanish? We are in the heart of America and these guys are talking in Spanish?' In real life, Eddie Guerrero was one of Layfield's closest friends, and Eddie even served as a groomsman at his wedding along with the Undertaker. When Eddie died, JBL was one of his pallbearers. During the December holiday season on his WWE internet segment JBL's America, he would say Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays, and would call Jewish people Judas either by accident or for storyline reasons, but would respect their culture.

In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature moves
  • Managers
  • Nicknames
  • The Wrestling God

Championships and accomplishments

  • Global Wrestling Federation
  • MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Faarooq
  • Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • Other titles
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Catch Wrestling Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Fit Finlay (1) and Cannonball Grizzly (1)
  • Korean Wrestling Championship (1 time)
  • PWI ranked him # 496 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • PWI ranked him #5 in PWI Top 500 (2005).
  • 2004 Best Gimmick (Rich Businessman)
  • All-American, Div II NCAA at Abilene Christian University

External links

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