WWE Hall of Famer JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield) has opened up about his experience working with Vince McMahon. He recalled spending multiple shows with McMahon during his career. Layfield also explained that McMahon had a different approach with certain commentators.
According to JBL, Michael Cole and Jim Ross often faced McMahon’s intense reactions during broadcasts. He noted that McMahon could yell at both men while producing shows. However, his own experience was very different.
Layfield also grouped himself with Jerry Lawler and Booker T when discussing McMahon’s approach. JBL praised McMahon’s producing skills and explained why he trusted him so closely during their time together. In a recent episode of the “Something To Wrestle” podcast, JBL said,
“I trusted Vince [McMahon] enough; I would be one word behind him. He was that good with his producing. Now, the legendary stuff that he would do, what Jim Ross says about Jerry Lawler—the same thing with me. Same thing with Booker. Vince never yelled at us one time. Not one time. Not one single time, and I worked for him for hundreds, if not a thousand or more shows. Now, did he yell at Michael Cole? Oh my God, yes. Absolutely. He yells at JR? Absolutely, yeah. But he treated us, me, King, and Booker, completely differently.”
JBL Says WWE Takes A Lot Of Chances With Many People
On a different episode of the “Something To Wrestle” podcast, JBL reflected on how WWE takes a chance with a lot of wrestlers. The Hall of Famer said,
“I don’t have any problem with the cuts and the releases and the salaries. It’s about what you negotiate. But WWE takes a lot of chances with a lot of people, and they pay people incredibly well to train there. They spend a lot of money that just goes out the door because the people don’t make it. So I think it makes perfect sense for them to try to lock them in because of the investments they make.”
“I go down there, and I see these huge classes. Most of those people don’t make it. So you spend a lot of money trying to make whatever 30 or 40 percent that make it, or 20 percent. I have no idea what that percentage is. So I can see why they try to lock them in for long-term contracts because they need to make their money back for what all they’ve invested in.”
