JBL, also known as John Bradshaw Layfield, is a name that is synonymous with WWE. After a long and illustrious career in the world of professional wrestling, JBL retired from in-ring competition in 2009.
He came back for one more match half a decade later, but his career ended in that last match in 2009.
He has recently spoken about coming out of retirement for one final go in the ring, which we will look it after taking a gander at JBL’s last match in WWE, which took place on the Grandest Stage of them All – WrestleMania.
JBL’s Last Match
JBL’s last match in the WWE took place at WrestleMania 25, where he defended the Intercontinental Championship against Rey Mysterio.
Mysterio beat the former WWE Champion some weeks earlier on Raw, leading to the rematch for the belt to take place at WrestleMania 25.
Despite am elaborate entrance and huge fanfare for the champion, JBL’s final match in the WWE ended in disaster.
He lasted just 21 seconds, in front of thousands of fans at Reliant Arena in his hometown of Houston, Texas, before he was pinned by Rey Mysterio, to lose his Intercontinental Championship.
After the match, an exasperated JBL grabbed the microphone inside the ring, and after stumbling on his words, screamed into the crowd, the words, I QUIT!
I QUIT!
JBL after his match wtih Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 25
Royal Rumble Return
While WrestleMania 25 was JBL’s last real match in the WWE, he did briefly come out of retirement for a cameo in the Royal Rumble.
In the ill-fated 2014 Royal Rumble (that famously did not feature Daniel Bryan), JBL’s music played at the number 24 spot, despite him setting behind the commentary desk for the show.
As soon as his number was called, he calmly stood up from the desk, handed his blazer to Michael Cole and moseying his way into the ring.
He did not last long, as eventual runner-up Roman Reigns eliminated him almost immediately.
This was JBL’s first appearance in the match as “JBL”, a Kayfabe-breaking fact noted by Michael Cole on commentary, for some strange reason.
Will JBL Wrestle Again?
Despite having not wrestled a singles match for over a decade, former WWE Champion JBL has revealed that he would consider wrestling one more match.
Speaking to Alistair McGeorge of Metro, JBL revealed that he would step into the ring again, but only if it was part of a story that was “worth seeing”.
The former Undisputed Champion hasn’t wrestled a singles match since WrestleMania 25, but with the recent returns of Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, he could be eyeing one more, big money match at WrestleMania 40.
Speaking to Alistair McGeorge of Metro about a return to the ring, JBL said;
“If I thought I could do something that would be worth seeing, yes. That’s really it. I’m not worried about my health, I’m not worried about getting into shape. I can do that.
I just wanna be able to put out something people wanna see. I don’t wanna go out there and do something and people go, ‘That was terrible’. It really is something – if I thought I could do something that people would be interested in and enjoy, then yeah, of course.”