Line #111 Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnbradshawlayfield_3314.gif]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:"It's John O' Clock!"]]
3
4	->''"I am who I say that I am! And I am a wrestling... GOD!"''
5
6	John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated JBL), is an American color commentator and retired {{professional wrestl\|ing}}er, who wrestled in Wrestling/{{WWE}} from the mid-90s, up until 2009, when he announced his retirement after ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} XXV''. He made various one off appearances, one of them being on the [[MilestoneCelebration 1000th episode of]] ''Wrestling/WWERaw'', and would take Wrestling/JerryLawler's place at commentary when the former recuperated from a heart attack, and then moved to be a permanent commentator on both ''Raw'' and ''[[Wrestling/WWESmackDown SmackDown]]''.
7
8	Outside the ring, he is a successful stock broker and a financial analyst, first for MSNBC, and later, Fox News Channel. He wrote a book called "Have More Money Now" (released in 2003), which is about him being involved in the stock market trade. And he, along with Wrestling/MichaelCole, also hosts two shows, one is a (mostly) political podcast, ''[[TheEponymousShow The John Layfield and Michael Cole Show]]'' and another that's more comedy oriented called ''The JBL and Cole Show''.
9	-----
10	!!'''We about to have us a flying trope, Maggle!:'''
11
12	* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: When he lost the WWE Championship, JBL hired MNM's image consultant, Wrestling/JillianHall, to turn his fortunes around. She boosted his confidence by changing his entrance to include what she thought would get the biggest [[CheapHeat Cheap Pop]] in the whatever arena Smackdown was in. This was taken to its extreme when JBL beat Wrestling/ChrisBenoit for the United States Championship. Jillian brought in what was supposedly the Charlene High School marching band, upgraded JBL's limo to a ''hummer limo'', showered him with a ludicrous amount of balloons and played pomp em circumstance instead of his usual theme! But ''champion'' JBL was harder to please. He demanded horns, strings, tenors, champagne and the New York Philharmonic, deriding the band she got as inner city refugees from a Big Brother program. Then berated her for accidentally hitting him with a cage door when she helped him win that championship, fired her, scolded himself for trusting a woman to think and told the audience they were whipped but he could handle his property.
13	* AffablyEvil: During his GloryDays of 2004-2005, the JBL character was actually pretty likable for a heel, with colorful gimmicks and still enough of his [[BoisterousBruiser old Bradshaw persona]] to seem funny and cool. Definitely as a color commentator, although there he's more a DesignatedVillain.
14	* ArchEnemy: Wrestling/EddieGuerrero, Wrestling/JohnCena, Wrestling/{{Batista}} and Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio\|Jr}}. The Godwinns, in his New Blackjacks phase.
15	* TheArtifact: The "Bradshaw" in John Bradshaw Layfield comes from his early days in the WWF as Justin Hawk Bradshaw and later when he was just Bradshaw in [[Wrestling/TheAPA the Acolytes]]. Likewise his finishing move the Clothesline From Hell, comes from his day in the satanic themed Wrestling/MinistryOfDarkness. The move has been renamed to "...from Texas" or "...from Wall Street" occasionally but reverts back to the original name shortly thereafter, probably because neither "...from Texas" nor "...from Wall Street" seem particularly intimidating.
16	* AuthorAppeal: Tends to mark out for stiff clotheslines - just listen to him whenever Wrestling/LukeHarper hits his.
17	* BackToBackBadasses[=/=]BashBrothers: With [[Wrestling/RonSimmons Faarooq/Ron Simmons]], in the ring and in RealLife.
18	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: JBL said he hoped to make history at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania'' 25 against Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio\|Jr}}. Cue JBL losing the Intercontinental Title in record time and quitting in anger, being the first man in WWE history to quit at ''[=WrestleMania=]''.
19	* BerserkButton:
20	** Don't ''ever'' tip or spill Wrestling/TheAPA's beer.
21	** As a commentator, he delivered what was ironically some of his ''funniest'' work by ranting and raving against Vito [=LoGrasso's=] crossdressing gimmick.
22	** He also went off on long rants against Wrestling/TheMiz during Miz's early days in WWE, where he insulted everything from Miz's reality-show background to the haircut that, in JBL's words, "makes him look like a [[Series/LandOfTheLost1974 Sleestak]]!"
23	** Apparently, he also doesn't like it when a Heel's car is trashed. When he sees this, he roars that the person who trashed the car should be arrested.
24	** In his later days as a commentator, he despises the wrestlers' tendency to knock over his cowboy hat when they brawl near the broadcast table. PlayedForLaughs at ''Night of Champions 2014'': when Wrestling/RandyOrton makes a point of moving his hat out the way before back-suplexing Wrestling/ChrisJericho on the table, he visibly has no idea how to take it.
25	** He absolutely cannot stand James Ellsworth.
26	* BestBeerEver: During his [[Wrestling/TheAPA APA]] days.
27	* BetrayalByInaction: The [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]] that led to the JBL persona began when Wrestling/RonSimmons was fired and Bradshaw [[DirtyCoward chickened out]] of quitting in solidarity with him.
28	* BigDamnHeroes[=/=]TheCavalry: Frequently as a member of Wrestling/TheAPA.
29	* TheBully:
30	** As a heel, and also in RealLife.
31	--->'''Wrestling/{{Batista}}:''' ''[just before Wrestling/TheGreatAmericanBash 2005]'' You're a LIAR, you're a LOUDMOUTH, you're a BULLY, and you are nothing but a PHONY!
32	** Wrestling/TheMiz acknowledged it on-screen during his run as U.S. Champion, recounting the story of when JBL kicked him out of the locker room after he messed up a referee's bag by spilling chicken crumbs on it. It was later said that the wrestler who punished Miz and owned the bag was actually Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and that Miz changed his name to JBL's because of Benoit being {{Unperson}}ed by WWE, but given that the Hardys mentioned on ''Exist to Inspire'' that JBL was one of the three members and "prosecutor" of the Wrestler's Court (the other two being Benoit and Wrestling/TheUndertaker), it seems that Miz didn't shift the blame to him without reason.
33	** Hell, Wrestling/{{Edge\|Wrestler}} mentioned JBL soaping his ass before. He said that JBL did stuff like this to weed out any drama queens in the locker room; Edge said he was fine with it, because at least "no knuckles disappeared".
34	** And now he's gotten immense blowback from the fans since his bullying ways caused fan favorite announcer Mauro Ranallo to quit WWE.
35	* CallBack: As a wrestler, his finisher was the vicious Clothesline From Hell (later renamed "Clothesline From Wall Street" to fit his stock-trader character), a simple yet crushing maneuver that floored EVERYONE that it hit. As a commentator, when a wrestler in a match hits a big clothesline, expect JBL to lose his shit with a "WOW!" and/or "WHAT A CLOTHESLINE!". It's by far the one move that amps him up the most on commentary.
36	* CatchPhrase: See above quote, and also, since becoming a commentator:
37	** For Friday Night Smackdown: "We fight on Friday nights!"
38	** "This doesn't end well..." - Pretty much his version of ThisIsGonnaSuck, when a superstar is caught in an unfavorable situation.
39	** "Ball game!" - When a wrestler hits their FinishingMove - usually (at least on weekly TV) signals the end of a match.
40	** "'''SUPERMAN PUNCH!'''" - Whenever Wrestling/RomanReigns use this particular move.
41	** "GOOD GRIEF!" - Usually for a particularly impactful strike, mostly big clotheslines or kicks
42	** "MAGGLE!" (Michael) - When he is referring to Wrestling/MichaelCole. It generally sounds more so like, "Maggle" than "Michael"
43	** "That'll rearrange your bicuspids!" - Another reaction to a stiff strike, particularly if it targets the head[=/=]face region. [[note]][[GeniusBonus bicuspids are a type of tooth, by the way.]][[/note]]
44	* CombatPragmatist: Was ''definitely'' one in his in-ring career, which is probably why he usually condones these types of actions on commentary, if not applauding them outright.
45	* CoolCar: Gets driven to a white horned limo as John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
46	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: As John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
47	* DirtyCoward: As JBL.
48	* {{Eagleland}}:
49	** A firm type 2 as JBL during his wrestling days. May be closer to type 1 as an announcer, but he's sometimes such a {{jerkass}} about it, it's hard to tell the difference. This has mainly come out during Wrestling/{{Rusev\|AndLana}}'s [[ForeignWrestlingHeel run]]. He ''really'' wants someone to shut the guy up, but comes off as unnecessarily harsh and demeaning to those who have tried and failed.
50	** JBL's heel character was a wealthy Texas to New York businessman. So even as ''that'' character, JBL would still stick up for America and American ideals in the face of somebody coming in and saying America is not as good as X. Rusev and Lana instilling that Cold War animosity saying that America isn't as good as Russia is bad for business and the American dollar.
51	* EraSpecificPersonality: During his first years in the WWF and in Japan, Bradshaw was known as Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw. During the Wrestling/AttitudeEra, he was part of Wrestling/{{the A\|PA}}colytes with [[Wrestling/RonSimmons Faarooq]] and managed to be upper midcard {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s and tag team favorites. During the Brand Extension Era, he shifted into JBL and was a ''massively'' hated heel.
52	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
53	** While JBL's character is a noted conservative and respects Wrestling/JackSwagger and Zeb Coulter's right to free speech and their passion for their beliefs, he doesn't agree with their extreme stance on immigration.
54	** Likewise, even as a heel (or at least heel-favoring) announcer, JBL (who was mostly a no-nonsense brawler during his in-ring career) just doesn't seem to like Wrestling/DolphZiggler's personality and gets really irritated with Ziggler's entrance, which during his runs as champion includes Dolph Ziggler turning his title backwards whilst channeling [[Wrestling/BillyGunn Mr. Ass]] with a gyration of his... [[LastSecondWordSwap hips]]. This could be a form of PragmaticVillainy, since if Ziggler hadn't wasted so much time "showing off" and really buckled down, he could have ascended to the top of the game much sooner.
55	** While he normally supports wrestlers, especially the heels, 'make a statement' with an attack, if a guy appears to go out of his way to injure or maim outside of a match, JBL will call him on it. For example, even he felt Wrestling/{{Ryback}} putting Wrestling/KofiKingston through ''three'' tables for that reason was going too far and stated there's no reason for it.
56	** In the same vein, he will also compliment faces for their accomplishments and athletic ability, case in point again is Wrestling/KofiKingston, whom he never has a bad word to say about; though in Kingston's specific case this is no longer the case, for he's now saying that Kingston deserved the beating some of his favorite wrestlers give him for some slight remarks.
57	** He was dead against Wrestling/{{Kane}} and Wrestling/{{MontelVontaviousPorter\|}}VP's Inferno match at ''Wrestling/{{Armageddon}}2006'', stating while he was all for competition, actually setting another human being on fire was going too far.
58	** While he felt Wrestling/RandyOrton should've been given the night off following the TLC Title Unification match instead of being put in the main event with [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]], Bradshaw couldn't disagree that low-blowing Bryan to take the DQ loss, in what was another compelling match between the two men, was a cheap shot by Orton.
59	** After Wrestling/KofiKingston defeated Randy in a match and Randy blew up and took out his frustration on John Cena's ''father'', JBL was flat out disgusted by Randy's actions.
60	** During Wrestling/BrockLesnar's NoHoldsBarredBeatdown of Wrestling/JohnCena at ''Wrestling/SummerSlam 2014'', JBL was practically begging for Lesnar to stop.
61	** At the same event he actually put over the athleticism of Wrestling/{{Rusev\|AndLana}}'s victory over Wrestling/JackSwagger, despite Rusev being an anti-American heel - but when Rusev kicked Zeb Colter in the head after, JBL was audibly furious, angrily saying that Colter was a grandfather.
62	** After Wrestling/JohnCena defeated Wrestling/KevinOwens and showed him respect after a great match, Owens attacked Cena and powerbombed him on the ring apron. JBL was disgusted by Owen's actions.
63	** He showed this again at ''Wrestling/HellInACell 2015'', expressing horror and disgust at Wrestling/TheWyattFamily beating down Wrestling/TheUndertaker, saying "There was no honour in this." Before that he'd also demonstrated ample respect for Taker's role in the match against Lesnar.
64	** He generally was fully supportive of Wrestling/CharlotteFlair's actions during her reign as Women's Champion, but even he was disgusted when she disrespected and disavowed [[Wrestling/RicFlair her father]] in front of a massive audience.
65	** Shown once again at ''Wrestling/SummerSlam 2016'', having such a disgusted reaction to seeing Wrestling/BrockLesnar elbow Wrestling/RandyOrton's head repeatedly, opening it up; he vocally expressed anger by saying officials need to break it up, acting more as a face commentator than the face commentators present. After this, he continued his heel persona; giving the impression that JBL broke {{Kayfabe}} and was genuinely angered at Lesnar's actions[[note]]It's entirely possible; Wrestling/ChrisJericho was also legitimately angered by what happened and reportedly confronted Lesnar over it backstage after the match was over[[/note]].
66	* {{Expy}}:
67	** As a cowboy, he wrestled straight out of Wrestling/StanHansen. JBL was 50% [[Series/{{Dallas}} J.R. Ewing]] and 50% [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase]], complete with his own Wrestling/{{Virgil}} in Orlando Jordan.
68	** Strangely enough, his persona seems to have been split in half between several current competitors. The role of the SmugSnake with the nice cars and all the money went to Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio for a good long while, and ''after'' Del Rio (temporarily) turned face, the ultra-conservative racist xenophobe was taken over by Wrestling/JackSwagger and Zeb Colter.
69	* FaceHeelTurn:
70	** When he went from Bradshaw to JBL.
71	** Suffered a surprising case of being at the receiving end of one on the January 19, 1998 ''Raw'' when his New Blackjacks partner Wrestling/BarryWindham turned on him to join Wrestling/JimCornette's [[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance NWA]] stable.
72	* FacePalm: You can see him doing this every now and then at the broadcast table, usually after Michael and/or The King say something stupid. If he has a pencil in hand, expect that to go flying as well.
73	* {{Fiction 500}}: Though it should be noted he actually ''is'' a millionaire in real life.
74	* FinishingMove:
75	** The Clothesline from Hell. It is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: an extremely stiff-looking clothesline that never fails to make an [[SickeningCrunch unpleasant sound on contact]], and usually causes the unfortunate recipient to display RagdollPhysics (okay, he more often threw a lariat than a clothesline but the effect was usually the same). It's impossible to watch this move without wincing.
76	** JBL Bomb, which is a form of release powerbomb with JBL making an additional theatrical hand sign before lifting his opponent.
77	* FunWithAcronyms: Fans would hold up signs reading "Just Born Loser" whenever JBL appeared. "Just can't Beat a Latino" was also a popular one whenever he was feuding with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero or Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio\|Jr}}.
78	* GeniusBruiser: By his own admission, waving around his book as proof when he was the challenging Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship.
79	* GoldenMeanFallacy: Although his "JBL" persona is conservative, John Layfield is a self-described independent in RealLife, and mostly adheres to this during his podcast. He's hardly alone, as millions of Americans who would otherwise probably be Republicans have left that party over the past four decades, for various reasons.
80	* GoodOlBoy: He and his "Cabinet" played this up during his WWE Championship reign, often partying and drinking beers backstage after JBL's matches.
81	* GracefulLoser: Not often, but when he was proved wrong by Wrestling/JohnCena winning the World Heavyweight Championship at ''Wrestling/HellInACell 2013'' (JBL had previously dismissed it as impossible due to the speed of Cena's return from a major injury) JBL calmly admitted he was wrong and led a round of applause for the new champion.
82	* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: While it's clear to any smark that he's technically the designated {{heel}} on commentary, he will at times refuse to condone the actions of heel wrestlers, and will even (attempt to) come to the aid of {{face}} superstars, often to the reception of HUGE crowd pops. Seemingly the only clear heel support he gives is that he will always, without question, support anything Wrestling/TheAuthority does, and disagree with anything anyone does in retaliation against them.
83	* HesBack: As a commentator filling in for Wrestling/JerryLawler for a while before Wrestling/JimRoss filled that role. He then started commentating on Smackdown alongside Josh Matthews. Also has a [=YouTube=] show.
84	* HiddenDepths: Yes, the redneck professional wrestler has worked for both MSNBC and Fox Business as a financial advisor.
85	* HypocrisyNod: During Wrestling/TheShield triple threat at Battleground JBL showed wholehearted support for WWE Champ (and Smackdown's own) [[Wrestling/JonMoxley Dean Ambrose]]. When Wrestling/MichaelCole pointed out that JBL had previously ''hated'' the idea of Dean Ambrose getting anywhere near the WWE Championship, JBL happily admitted to all of it but noted that he was now happily supporting someone he'd previously thought of as a disgrace because Dean retaining meant his show Smackdown got the WWE Championship.
86	* {{Hypocrite}}:
87	** As a commentator, he scolds Wrestling/MichaelCole and Josh Matthews for complaining about whatever heels do, but then HE complains about what the faces do.
88	** He once criticized Wrestling/TheMiz (back when Miz was just starting out) for taking the shortcut of appearing on reality shows rather than working his way up through the territories like everyone else (although Miz ''did'' come up through ''[[Wrestling/WWEToughEnough Tough Enough]]''), comparing Miz to Anna Nicole Smith. But if you look at Layfield's own backstory [[NouveauRiche (rags-to-riches Texan)]], he is himself practically Anna Nicole's male equivalent!
89	* HoodHornament: For at least part of his career, Layfield used a limo with cow horns mounted on the front.
90	* IHaveManyNames: John Hawk, Texas Hawk, Death Mask, Justin Hawk Bradshaw, Blackjack Bradshaw, Bradshaw, John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
91	* IgnoreTheFanservice: [[NoSell No-sold]] Wrestling/TerriRunnels' flashing him during Wrestling/TheAPA[=-=]Radicals (Wrestling/DeanMalenko and Wrestling/PerrySaturn) match on the May 21, 2001 Raw where the APA beat up Saturn as his punishment for stiffing {{Jobber}} Mike Bell on the May 12 episode of ''[[{{BShow}} Jakked]]''.
92	* InsaneTrollLogic: His usual rants that support heels are this.
93	** Some of his best arguments as a commentator have been:
94	*** Claiming that Wrestling/TeddyLong was biased against [[Wrestling/BookerT King Booker]] in his 2006 series against Wrestling/{{Batista}} because Long was a racist. Both Long and Booker are African-American, making this one even more bizarre than normal.
95	*** Claiming Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio has supported Ricardo Rodriquez his entire life. (Rodriquez started working in the WWE in 2010.)
96	*** Claiming that if Wrestling/TheShield attacked someone, then they MUST have done something unjust.
97	*** Alternatively claiming Alberto Del Rio is and isn't an illegal immigrant.
98	*** During the Raw episode on December 2nd, 2013, he said that [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]] was wrong to turn down Wrestling/TheWyattFamily's (a band of cultists, mind you) 'kind offer' to join them. Said offer was delivered by the Wyatts ''kidnapping him'' during the last Raw.
99	*** When Wrestling/{{Sting}} showed up on the [=TitanTron=] on Raw, he claimed "That isn't Sting! That's a picture of Sting!" (in all fairness, Sting was standing ridiculously still before he eventually made his way to the stage)
100	** Simultaneously, when most heel commentators would use this trope to condone the actions of heel wrestlers, JBL will sometimes completely avert the trope, and cite a given heel's actions as "Out of line" and such (mostly when wrestlers bully non-competitors or take a beatdown on a fellow wrestler too far).
101	* {{Jerkass}}: He intentionally made the lives of rookie wrestlers (and veterans of the industry, such as Wrestling/JoeyStyles) miserable. His attempted justification of it by saying it was good for the rookies rings hollow when you consider his relationship with Tully Blanchard. Apparently, when JBL was a rookie, ''he'' was hazed by ''Blanchard''. Rather than being grateful to the former Horseman for "toughening him up" or "making sure he had what it took", JBL held a grudge against him for [[http://forums.prowrestling.com/showthread.php?t=62249 years]]. JBL has sinced apologized to Tully for the comments he made, and Tully in turn apologized for his own actions, so these days they are on better terms, more or less.
102	* JerkassHasAPoint:
103	** Between barbs directed at his co-announcers, JBL often accurately points out the fallacies in their statements, such as Josh Matthews claiming Swagger "stole" (implying some sort of heel tactic) a victory from Wrestling/RandyOrton in the Wrestling/EliminationChamber, when all Swagger did was roll up Orton for the three count.
104	** He was also right to side with Wrestling/DamienSandow against Wrestling/CodyRhodes after Sandow supposedly "screwed" Rhodes out of a Wrestling/MoneyInTheBank Ladder Match victory, since Sandow indeed won fair and square (within the parameters of the match, that is) and Rhodes ''was'' a massively poor loser despite getting cheered by the fans for this. (Of course, Sandow ''did'' claim that he would be happy to see Rhodes win the match, but that isn't necessarily a lie.)
105	*** To be fair, the announcers were largely the ones claiming it was theft, Rhodes himself said his actions were because it was the final straw in dealing with Sandow's condescending and conceited nature.
106	* KickTheDog:
107	** He legit-stiffed Wrestling/TheBlueMeanie at the Wrestling/{{ECW}} ''One Night Stand'' PPV in 2005. Ironically, it was in response to Meanie having called him a bully. Thus, JBL ended up proving Meanie right.
108	** There are also accusations that Bradshaw, alongside with Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and Wrestling/BobHolly, were stiffing the rookies, and that his most vocal critics refer to him as a bully.
109	** His massive hazing of WWE rookies.
110	** According to Wrestling/{{Edge\|Wrestler}}'s autobiography, Bradshaw's hazing was a test to "weed out the prima donnas", and to see if they really are committed to the business. Edge has experience; Bradshaw once soaped Edge's ass in the shower, but Edge said he took it in stride.
111	** TheDogBitesBack: When Bradshaw tried hazing Wrestling/SteveBlackman, Blackman (who was a legitimate black belt in karate) [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments roundhouse kicked him in the head and knocked him unconscious]].
112	*** Another case took place in 2006-2007, when former Wrestling/{{ECW}} announcer Wrestling/JoeyStyles punched out a ''drunken'' JBL during a tour.
113	* LaserGuidedKarma: Following the 2005 draft, WWE Champion Wrestling/JohnCena was drafted to ''Raw'', and GM Wrestling/TeddyLong announced the creation of a new “Smackdown Championship” to replace the title. JBL, the man Cena beat for the championship by the way, won a gruelling six man elimination match for the new title, but when Long came out, he announced that he had decided there would be no new championship, and that JBL was not the champ, but merely number one contender to the newly drafted Wrestling/{{Batista}}’s World Heavyweight Championship. It’s darkly pleasurable to watch JBL go from joy, to desperation, to misery to terror throughout the segment.
114	** JBL has been known to use his bullying powers for good as well as evil. He allegedly once overheard a member of the roster boasting about sexually assaulting a woman. According to the story, Bradshaw forcibly stripped the guy naked, pinned him to the floor and threatened to rape him, before physically throwing him (still naked) out of the locker room.
115	* LegacyCharacter: Briefly packaged as "Vampiro Americano" in Mexico to capitalize on the at-the-time massively popular Vampiro Canadiense.
116	* LightIsNotGood: Wears a white hat as JBL, his most overtly {{Heel}} persona.
117	* MedalOfDishonor: He was in "''that'' Wrestling/JackieGayda match", which was himself and Wrestling/TrishStratus vs. Wrestling/ChristopherNowinski and Jackie on the June 7, 2002 ''Raw'', which "won" the Worst Worked Match of the Year from ''Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter''.
118	* TheNicknamer: At ''Wrestling/NoMercy'' 2006, JBL, then a Smackdown color commentator, called Wrestling/MontelVontaviousPorter or MVP (in his debut match) a "Franchise/{{Power Ranger\|s}}" due to his costume design. The fans picked up on what JBL said, and began chanting "POWER RANGER!" at MVP.
119	-->'''JBL''': I wanna slap that smile right off his face. He hasn't busted a grape. He comes here, calling himself MVP, dressed like a Bud Light can, stole that outfit from a damn Power Ranger, and he walks around strutting IN A RING THAT I'VE BLED, SWEAT, AND BUSTED MY ASS IN!
120	* NotMeThisTime: His limo seemed to have attempted to run down Wrestling/{{Batista}} following his Wrestling/RoyalRumble victory in 2005...except it was actually Wrestling/TripleH using a similar looking limo to frame JBL so that Batista would challenge JBL for the WWE Championship instead of him for the World Heavyweight Championship at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania''.
121	* NouveauRiche: Since 2004, and with all the negative connotations that trope brings.
122	* OnlyInItForTheMoney: As part of Wrestling/TheAPA - They didn't give a crap about ''why'' you hired them, only if you paid them.
123	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain:
124	** JBL lawndarting Wrestling/{{Hornswoggle}} is a grossly underrated moment at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania 24''.
125	** As JBL, he's moderately racist against Asians and Latinos, Luchadores in particular. Ironically, his [[Wrestling/RonSimmons partner]] in Wrestling/TheAPA was a former Black Muslim. Over the years, however, he's {{Zig Zagg\|ingTrope}}ed the ''hell'' out of this trope, siding with almost all the heels, even the nonwhite or foreign ones. Then again, he despised Sylvan Grenier for being French-Canadian, despite Grenier being a heel. Then ''again'', he was a big fan of (also French-Canadian) Maryse Ouellet, and was even inspired to learn French by his adoration of her (of course, she ''was'' smoking hot). And he was sexually titillated by Wrestling/{{Melina}} Perez despite Melina being Mexican-American and looking it. When Wrestling/MichaelCole pointed out that he disliked Mexicans, JBL rationalized this by retorting: "Creator/JohnWayne had a Mexican wife; why couldn't I?" Basically, depending on the situation, he's whatever will make him out to be a StrawHypocrite.
126	* PaperTiger: JBL is well known as a backstage bully, but there are plenty of stories suggesting he's nowhere near as tough as he'd like people to think he is. For instance, he allegedly took Matt Striker to [[KangarooCourt Wrestler’s Court]] and claimed that he could easily beat Matt up in a parking lot brawl, but immediately backed off when he thought Matt might fight back. It’s also well known that Wrestling/JoeyStyles of all people once decked him.
127	** Wrestling/VinceRusso has gone on record saying that he was sick of JBL bragging that he could take anyone in the locker room in a shoot fight, and came up with the infamous ''[[Wrestling/WWEBrawlForAll Brawl For All]]'' as an excuse to watch Bradshaw get the snot beaten out of him. He got his wish when Bart Gunn knocked a dazed and flailing Bradshaw to the canvas twice in forty seconds.
128	** He once drunkenly picked a fight with Wrestling/SteveBlackman, a legit martial artist, in an airport. Blackman furiously pounded on Bradshaw, who by all accounts never landed a hit or even managed to block or dodge any of Steve’s punches. When they met up again that evening and Blackman made it clear he was ready for a rematch, JBL apologised in front of the entire locker room rather than take him on.
129	* PowerStable:
130	** The Cabinet.
131	** In his early years in Texas, he was a member of the GWF version of Devastation Inc. and of the International Playaz Club.
132	** The Wrestling/MinistryOfDarkness and [[Wrestling/TheCorporation the Corporate Ministry]].
133	* PowerTrio: Seems to be part of one on the usual three-man Smackdown commentary team, taking the role of TheId whilst Cole plays TheSuperego (no jokes, please) and Josh Matthews plays TheEgo.
134	* ProfessionalButtKisser: He's become this to Wrestling/TripleH, Zeb Coulter, and other heels he likes.
135	* RetiredBadass: Despite being out of in-ring action for about six years now, his Clothesline from Hell is still something to be feared. The Ascension found this out the hard way.
136	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After losing the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Championship]] to [[Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr Rey Mysterio]] at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} XXV'', Bradshaw announced that he had quit WWE.
137	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Before his retirement, Layfield was very close to Wrestling/VinceMcMahon and Wrestling/TheUndertaker.
138	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Again, JBL.
139	* SharpDressedMan: From 2004 onwards
140	* ShownTheirWork: JBL is a veritable gold mine of old school wrestling knowledge, and will often make note of a wrestler's success outside of WWE, such as his referencing the Primo & Epico's success as multi-time tag champs in Puerto Rico, [[Wrestling/MattBloom Tensai]] being a highly accomplished tag team star in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, and whenever someone goes for a lariat, he'll mention Wrestling/StanHansen (its innovator) and will make mention of Wrestling/BruiserBrody when someone hits a big running knee drop to the chest. This has helped his reputation as one the great color commentators of the modern era.
141	* SignatureMove: Fall Away Slam, Swinging Neckbreaker, The Big Boot.
142	* SimpleYetAwesome: The Clothesline From Hell.
143	* SmokingIsCool: Played straight in the APA. Subverted in a GoodSmokingEvilSmoking way as JBL.
144	* SmugSnake: Was [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE Champion]] for almost a year, and reportedly the worst-drawing champion since [[Wrestling/KevinNash Diesel]], and could not win a match clean to save his life. It didn't stop him from bragging at every opportunity.
145	* StealthInsult: Gives one to Josh Matthews often.
146	* TagTeam:
147	** The Texas Mustangs, w/Bobby Duncum Jr. in the GWF in Dallas.
148	** The New Blackjacks, w/Wrestling/BarryWindham
149	** [[Wrestling/TheAPA The Acolytes/APA]], w/[[Wrestling/RonSimmons Faarooq]]. (Their APA gimmick may have been inspired by the WCW tag team the Hardliners/Hardline Collection Agency of Dick Slater and Dick Murdoch, who JBL was a fan of.)
150	* TallDarkAndSnarky: his hair is a lighter shade of brown though
151	* TooDumbToLive: During his 2006 feud with Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio\|Jr}}, before putting Rey in a match against a mystery opponent, JBL, mocking Rey, asked him if he even knew what day it was, to which Mysterio replied "May 19th", bringing out Wrestling/{{Kane}}, much to JBL's amusement[[note]]At the time, Kane was in a storyline where he would attack anyone who mentioned the date "May 19", the anniversary of his parents' death and the release date of his upcoming movie ''Film/SeeNoEvil''[[/note]]. Towards the end of the match, Kane got distracted by a video of his old mask on the titantron and began leaving the ring, only for JBL to stop him and [[BullyingADragon order Kane to finish the job]], saying "[[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud I'm not the one who said May 19th]]!" Cue Kane chokeslamming JBL before storming out of the ring.
152	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: With gusto. If he sees an opportunity to verbally eviscerate someone, he will. One example was during his 2012 commentary stint when, before a ''[=SmackDown=]'' show, the referees were taking their sweet time to set up the ring ropes. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X9qgp4mYvk Fear JBL's wrath.]]
153	* TroubledAbuser: Possibly; it could be that whatever Blanchard (and perhaps others) did to him when he was a rookie contributed to him later becoming a locker room bully himself.
154	* WorthyOpponent: Wrestling/EddieGuerrero.
155	* [[AGodAmI A Wrestling God Am I]]
156	* WrestlingDoesntPay: Averted, as his "JBL" persona is based on his real-life job as a stock broker.
157	** Implied during his time as an announcer, talking about how guys like Wrestling/WilliamRegal, Wrestling/ChrisBenoit, and himself wrestled more for the art than for "chicks or TV."
158	* WrestlingFamily: His uncle is 2006 Wrestling/{{WWE Hall of Fame}}r [[Wrestling/TheBlackjacks Blackjack Lanza]].

Context Wrestling / JohnBradshawLayfield