Some more "musings" from JBL that he posted today, always interested in hearing what he has to say
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Had a great question by Joshua Mitchell and it has been asked several times so I thought I would answer in a blog since it takes a little explaining.
How did a mid carder for so long become a main eventer? Luck is the main answer, seriously.
I had been a top guy nearly everywhere I had been before WWE. In Texas, Japan and Korea I had always worked on top-just not in WWE and it had been years since I was a singles main eventer, eventhough I had filled in a few times in WWE.
In Europe I was top big heel, Finley was top draw and top overall heel-but with two weight divisions Finley (eventhough he was the one with the drawing power) was used for Light Heavy division and I was used for heavy weight division during the two years I was there. So I was a top guy below Finley, but never a better draw than Finley-not even close.
Finley was the best worker I have ever seen. He was so good, I wish that more could have seen how good he was in his prime-it was unreal to watch.
I didn’t flounder in WWE, but never really found my way. Teaming with Barry Windham was a dream come true, just awesome. Teaming with Ron was a huge break, because with Ron we got used and with Barry we didn’t. I thought Barry and I could have been a good team, but creative disagreed-my pal Vince Russo again. I guess we were too southern-“How can anyone with a southern accent be taken seriously?” Russo had said-I guess he thinks all southerners sound stupid.
But no hard feelings to Russo, we were never friends and we aren't now, but I harbor no ill feelings to him. He did what he thought was best and I disagreed-that's life.
I was set to be a top guy with Stone Cold at one point-in a storyline, but Steve decided to leave company so it got shelved. Later I was set to be in a main event story line with Kane and I tore my bicep and was out for six months. I really thought at that point my career was over.
I returned with a new look, short hair and my natural color to little fanfare.
However, when Kurt Angle and Big Show were hurt and Brock had left the company we needed someone fast and I was chosen-pure luck. Read my blog on my tribute to Eddie and behind the scenes stuff to find out what happened in more detail.
I had pitched this idea of JBL before, but I was doing so much with the troops that it was better I was a baby face and I wasn’t needed. However, now Vince asked me to do character and I knew that I had a main event waiting. I had one-if it worked I had more, I waited a long time for this.
I got lucky and fortunately had some success with it. I wish it had happened earlier and I could have been healthier longer. I was so beat up after breaking my back that it was all I could do to get to the ring. I was in bad shape cause I couldn’t work out and was using every smoke and mirror possible at the end to cover up the fact I didn’t have the wheels anymore to do it.
The last match I had with Rey was my idea, as a tribute to Eddie. I wanted to do it in 3 seconds and then quit and that was the original idea-but it changed to give him a full comeback. At that point, I couldn’t have had a match anyway.
There’s the story, I was lucky and very lucky that my first main event was with Eddie-my blog on him explains much more about that.
In hindsight I think waiting so long made me appreciate it even more. Great memories.
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I was fortunate to be at Summerslam in 2004 against the Undertaker for the WWE Championship which I held at the time. Undertaker, the ULTIMATE professional, offered to put me over clean-1, 2, 3 right in the middle. I disagreed.
I felt that if I won anything that I would start to lose my ability to be a heel, people would see that I could win matches and some would start to cheer for me. This is why I never had any merch of my own-I never wanted anyone to buy something and other fans see that I had fans. I had a shirt come out once and quickly had it killed.
BTW, this is also why I always kept up KayFabe everywhere-airports, bars, hotels, etc. I always played the heel. When I broke in you had to do that, and that was left over from my early days-nowadays that seems stupid, but when I started we all played our role 24/7 and I still had that in me when I was with WWE. The thinking being-if someone sees you and you are nice (though a nasty heel on TV), then they won’t boo you as loud as if they really believed you were a heel in real life.
I objected to winning and came up with the idea to be chokeslammed through my own limo, after the match. Vince and Undertaker agreed once they realized why I didn’t want to win anything, but rather cheat and get DQ’d repeatedly to win and, hopefully, keep the heat I had.
Here’s where the fun starts. A limo was built with a crash pad and breakaway roof for me. However, at the building were two limos.
I am standing in the ring by the ring announcer. I always did this because when Undertaker’s lights went off, invariably someone would throw something at me-and as a rib I wanted Chimel to get hit! I see in the back that a drunk has jumped the rail and run over the limo-and didn’t fall through. So, I believe that they have brought out the wrong limo.
There is no one to tell, we are live and can’t stop anyway. No one sees this but me, everyone is watching the Undertaker. So I wrestle for over half an hour thinking at the end of the match I am going to get hurt very badly. So, the end comes and Taker looks at me and all I can say is “Bye Bye”, stupid I know-but I think I am about to end my career or at least get hurt badly.
I go right through the limo like I was supposed to, not hurt at all. Taker, backstage, asks me why I looked so strange and for the first time I tell him and everyone else what had happened. Sure enough right there on the tape is the guy, security grabbed him but didn’t think to tell anyone because no one knew the limo was gimmicked.
At the last minute our stunt guy, Ellis, had put some extra stitches in the roof and we believe that is why the guy didn’t fall through. Me? I thought for over half an hour I wouldn’t fall through either.
I am hoping Summerslam this year lives up to the wonderful story that CM Punk, WWE and John Cena have delivered so far-I am positive it will!
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