Should JBL come out of retirement?

[CM Steel]

After the sudden heart attack of WWE hall of famer Jerry "the King" Lawler in late September of 2012. Former WWE champion John Bradshaw Layfield was called back into action as "Mr. Ratings" to the announcing booth on RAW & Smackdown while Lawler recovers. But now that the King is back full-time on RAW. So is JBL over on Smackdown! But if he wanted to, could and should JBL come out of retirement?

JBL is 46 years-old. He has been in the WWE since 1995-6. He's held every title there is to win in the WWE.

-WWE Championship
-WWE IC Championship
-WWE United States Championship
-WWE European Championship
-WWE HARDCORE Championship
-WWE Tag Team champion (with Ron Simmons aka Faarooq)


JBL has now been retired twice by the same wrestler in a match-Rey Mysterio. The first time was on Smackdown in 2006 when JBL lost to Rey Mysterio in a match for Rey's WWE world heavyweight championship, in where JBL said that if he didn't win the match & title he would retire from the ring. So JBL was at the announce table on the Smackdown brand with Michael Cole as "Mr. Ratings". And due to a feud with the returning Chris Jericho during Jericho's "second coming", JBL was back out of retirement. And then at Wrestlemania 25 after losing the IC title to Rey Mysterio. JBL "quit" the WWE.

The JBL character is a spin-off of the J.R. Ewing villian from the TV show "Dallas" which was made famous by the late Larry Hagman. There is only one WWE title that JBL hasn't won-the WWE world heavyweight championship! Now JBL is still a strong heelish-character on WWE TV. He could do what Booker T did and feud with a younger star like a Cody Rhodes to help put over. As a heel he could start a feud with the Miz since the to have so much history from the past.

So honestly. Should JBL come out of retirement?

 

[ThePrawnCurry]

No

He offers more at the mic, lifting the usual fare from Jerry and Cole

What benefit could the younger talent get from JBL in ring?

In my books, his Real American Hero program against Eddie is still the top heel of the last 10 years.

 

[berlinbrawler]

No, JBL is an awesome character, but he wasn never a thrilling wrestler and that doesn't change with age and injury.

JBL as an announcer is great. I'm baffled he hasn't had a run as GM. He would be excellent there.

 

[Thedancingheel]

JBL is an awesome character but he's time is gone now and it's time for other characters to step up and take his in ring place. The guy is awesome at the announcers table and while he is still there. We can all enjoy his character.

 

[Raptor93]

I dont want him too, but if he did I could live with it, the advantage of a guy like JBL returning to put a guy over is people generally see him and will associate all their favorite memories with him so it creates an interest in him immediately and by extension who ever he's feuding and there are so many guys who could use a rub from a legend thats well known like JBL, also he dosen't need to win thus the young guy can get all the victories really and it dosen't hurt anyone. But I think it would be better to have just a mic feud , in ring will let down as stated his age and injury will have lowered his already basic style. I think someone like truth or miz who have some reasonable mic ability could benefit.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

If JBL was to return for a one off match at say Wrestlemania or Summerslam then I would be ok with it, Otherwise I would say he is fine where he is as there is already enough young talent on the roster that don't get the TV time that they deserve and having JBL return full time would mean somebody else would have to make way for him.

 

[Mustang Sally]

If anything, I'd use him as Booker T was when he sat in the announcer's position: let him get pissed off at someone and feel compelled to take it to the ring. In other words......rarely.

It all depends on the state of Bradshaw's back, I suppose. If he's healed enough, he could step in there occasionally to settle a score. After all, if he's fit enough to climb mountains, one would think he's in better shape than during his last days as an active wrestler.

Honestly, I liked him better as Bradshaw, the rough, tough cowboy than as a budding financial wizard. It seemed to suit him better, especially in tandem with Ron (Damn!) Simmons. In the latter days of his career, JBL looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy in a wrestling match; paunchy, out of shape, and in obvious pain.

Bradshaw on the active list?....no. In the ring once in a great while?....sure.

 

[Con T.]

Why would he?

I mean, I'm not saying this on WWE's part, I'm saying it for JBL. What purpose does this serve him? He already makes good enough money doing what he does. He has a history of injuries, he has other interests, his life isn't wrestling. What does it serve JBL to come back?

JBL is just fine on commentary; leave him there

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm not really interested in having JBL back on the roster as a wrestler. In my opinion, JBL is generally a far better commentator than an in-ring competitor. I was never hugely impressed with him inside the ring. He was okay all in all. He was a big guy and was a believable brawler, I dunno, he just never really clicked with me in a major way.

JBL is older now and is probably in the best shape now than he's been in a decade. Last time I saw him wrestle, he looked like he needed to wear a bra. He's got this weird, flabby kinda body now, or at least he did. However, with Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler cracking stupid jokes left & right on Raw, it's nice to have JBL out there to kind of even things out. Not to say he doesn't crack a joke or two now and then, but he seems to be a much more moderating influence when he's out there with them.

Ultimately, I think JBL is in a good place right now doing a good job.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

As I said in another thread, I could totally see him in some kind of angle with Swagger and Zeb Coulter. He'd be perfect. A rich, conservative Texan as part of the WE THE PEOPLE movement? He's good on the mic too so it could form into a stable. With his and his wife's wallstreet involvement and investments, I'm not sure if he'd even agree to be part of that angle but I think it would totally work.

 

[CripplerBenoitFan]

I don't think JBL needs to come back to competition. I feel lucky that he's even back doing commentary. I would like to see an annual lariat (or two) from him. He's in my top 3 lariats.


1) Stan Hansen
2) Kobashi
3) JBL

 

[MWRedskins]

no. JBL was and is a great mic worker, but he never really was the best in ring performer. I thought he had ok matches at best, but his mic work is fine and as an announcer, he is great. he's funny, he knows what he's saying and he brings a lot to the announce desk. if they got him off commentary then he should be a GM.

 

[Pedigree1]

First of all Congrats on JBL for losing what looks like 70 pounds at least. He is in amazing shape and i wish he could have looked like that in his heyday hell he might have lasted longer if he did. But at 46 years old no i dont wanna see JBL in the ring not even sometimes.

JBL is a fine fine commentator you could easily say he is better than Cole the no1 commentator right now IMO. He is pure genius right now leave him be. He needs to honestly be the Raw GM and smackdown GM. He could piss a lot of people off. When JBL was an active wrestler,he was so-so. It was difficult to gauge his ability,due to him being a tad overweight. But he was a brawler and made it look legit. He did look like a touch SOB who could take u out with one hit.

I do miss the longhorns though. But too much time has passed he is way out of in-ring shape. But climbing mountains at his age is a amazing feat. The WHC is the only title that has alluded him in his career to my knowledge. I think in one or two years i say put the longhorns in the HOF and have Ron simmons induct him

 

[SuperTaco]

I'm a big fan of JBL the wrestler, but I think his time as an active wrestler is done. He's still young enough and fit enough to do an occasional match or a physical spot, but with his injury history, I don't see him getting back in the ring over what he's doing now.

JBL is gold on commentary, he makes Cole/Lawler better and the fact that he's been in the ring with many guys on the roster gives him a level of insight and knowledge that would be sorely missed if he decided to compete again.

As a performer, his strength was his mic work. At this stage of his life, and since his job is 100% talking, I think he is right where he should be.

 

[WWE4EVA!]

I would love for him to return to the ring and have another run with either the World Heavyweight Championship or the Wwe Championship, his reign in 2004-2005 was great and after that I never fault he really lived up to his potential.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

JBL has done all there is to do as a wrestler. He won the WWE Championship. What more does he need to prove? He had a good career in the ring. He's having a good career right now as a commentator. He's climbing mountains. He's doing all that he loves right now. Why would he wanna change that? In fact, I respect him for retiring from in-ring competition and not returning, unlike some wrestlers. Sometimes I wish JBL AND Booker T were commentating together. I miss Booker T's commentary. It was hilarious. JBL is hilarious. Hopefully he lasts a long time.

 

[HBK89Bill]

This week Henry came out of nowhere in the back to attack Sheamoose. Henry was yelling at him and taunting him and it was great. Cole is crying and arguing, "Why did he do that?" and just asking why, why, why. JBL completely straight face just looks at Cole and says, "It's what he does. He's the world's strongest man"

Do you guys understand how much easier he makes watching Raw. He owns commentary. He's very good at it. He's hilarious and very useful. He hasn't wrestled for years now. I think he's good.

 

[MCMG]

I love him on commentary and Raw, indeed the WWE is so much better of by having him at the table. Coming out of retirement would be simply pointless. What can he really achieve. He was a great heel a few years ago but I'm not sure he is of any use. Sure, he can put someone over in a match but it wouldn't be worth his trouble and there are better guys on the roster not getting a chance. He would just be holding someone back.

 

[TB77]

I was a big fan of the JBL character. He might not of been the most skilled technician in the ring but he could work the mic and told a story both inside and outside of the ring. As far as coming out of retirement to be an active wrestler I would say no. I would love to see him step out from behind the commentators table to be a manager for someone or perhaps a tag team or stable. I enjoyed it when he was the leader of his "Cabinet" with Orlando Jordan and the Bashams.

 

[HBsam31]

I think JBL could work coming in only part time. He is a strong heel that could be used to get lesser known faces over. I always enjoyed JBL, and while I don't think he needs to be in the ring all the time, he definitely has a place coming back to wrestle every so often. I also think he is too good on commentary to give that up for good.