One of the worst parts of WWE is now all but gone from its landscape, and it’s about time! In a statement he released through his Twitter account, John Bradshaw Layfield announced that he is FINALLY leaving the weekly Smackdown announce team.
By many accounts, the guy is a bully. There are plenty of stories about how poorly JBL treats people backstage. It’s reportedly the reason that one of the top announcers in the business, Mauro Ranallo, left the Smackdown announce team back in early March of 2017.
You might ask, is Ranallo REALLY one of the best announcers in the world? The fact that he was selected to announce the Mayweather vs McGregor fight seems to indicate that.
And so now JBL is gone. Here’s the reasoning he gives for why he’ll no longer be sucking the air out of an otherwise good Smackdown broadcast while he abuses and denigrates the other members of the announce team:
After much consideration, I will be stepping back my weekly role as Smackdown Announcer to dedicate more continuous time on the work I have done since 2010 with at risk kids and communities. My new schedule will allow me to continue to be a part of the WWE family and also continue my work that I feel is the most important thing in my life. I will continue my 20+ year relationship with WWE and will appear on such marquee shows as Tribute to the Troops, WrestleMania, amongst others.
With the help of Beyond Sport, I founded Beyond Rugby Bermuda in 2010–which has been recognized as one of the world’s best charities for work with at risk, gang focused, youth intervention. Beyond Rugby Bermuda won the 2014 NACRA Fair Play Award out of 7,000 programs and 17 countries for its work with at risk kids. I was named as a Beyond Sport Global Ambassador–an organization backed by all major sports leagues in the U.S.
I’m proud to say that in addition to being Smackdown’s longest reigning WWE Champion, I inspired WWE’s Tribute to the Troops over 10 years ago. WWE has been my partner in all my philanthropic works and this new deal with WWE ensures that will continue. WWE has made my dreams come true and helped me become a global name. And now, WWE is helping me use that name to make a difference.
JBL came up through the WWE ranks with terrible gimmicks like the cattle-brand-carrying Justin Hawk Bradshaw, the demon-worshiping Acolytes, and the rich Texas businessman. The only time he was a quality member of the show was when he teamed up with Ron Simmons as part of the A.P.A., relegated to screen-time involving primarily smoking cigars and playing cards with his far-more-talented partner.
He shouldn’t be missed as part of the WWE landscape. This is a guy who thought it would be a good idea to do a Nazi salute when the WWE was in Germany.
Let that sink in for a moment.
He’s not the type of guy WWE should associate with, and hopefully now that he’s gone from the weekly show other people can step up without fear of him verbally stepping all over them or making fun of them during the broadcast.
Good riddance.
