John “Bradshaw” Layfield, also known as JBL, has made sporadic appearances on WWE programming in a non-wrestling capacity in recent years. However, many fans still remember his remarkable heel run on Friday Night SmackDown between 2004 and 2005, during which he set a record as WWE Champion, holding the belt for an impressive 280 days. But few know that JBL owes a significant portion of his success to the late WWE Hall of Famer, Eddie Guerrero.
In a recent interview on the Rosenberg Wrestling podcast, JBL fondly remembered Eddie, attributing the success of his career “100%” to the late legend. He recalled the iconic feud that put him on the map, which involved a memorable angle featuring Eddie’s mother.
During a house show, Eddie faked a heart attack, which had the potential to spark chaos in the arena filled with Latinos. However, Eddie intervened and asked JBL to leave the arena before things escalated. The incident was so convincing that Eddie’s mother even called JBL to check on his well-being.
Their on-screen rivalry led to two iconic matches on pay-per-view, with JBL famously winning the WWE Championship from Guerrero in a Texas Bull Rope bout at The Great American Bash in 2004. Eddie Guerrero was reportedly thrilled to have lost the title to JBL in such a memorable fashion, as he was a huge fan of JBL’s “Redneck Rich” character.
But their bond went beyond the ring. JBL revealed that Eddie became one of his closest friends, even serving as a groomsman at his wedding. The two wrestling legends forged a strong bond, both in and out of the ring.
Although JBL’s recent stint as a manager to Baron Corbin on Monday Night RAW didn’t quite take off, his legacy as a WWE Hall of Famer remains intact. And he will always be grateful to Eddie Guerrero for giving him the push he needed to succeed in professional wrestling. As JBL put it, his career success is “100%” thanks to the late legend, and their friendship is a testament to the power of camaraderie in the wrestling world.
