10 Best Late Career Runs In Wrestling History
8. JBL (2004-2009)
JBL’s ascension from perennial tag team midcarder to WWE Champion came out of nowhere. He was already close to 30 by the time he signed with the company in 1995, and ran through a number of worthless gimmicks before finding his footing as one half of the Acolytes. Along with Faarooq, Bradshaw went from The Undertaker’s dark disciple to a beer-swilling gun for hire, but made a permanent split from his partner in 2004, and reinvented himself as the JR Ewing-esque John Bradshaw Layfield.
JBL cut his hair, donned a cowboy hat, and turned heel. His first promo saw him literally hunting illegal immigrants on the Mexican border, and a major push was right around the corner. He won his first WWE Championship from Eddie Guerrero at 38 years old, and while his long reign didn’t always sit well with the fans, it marked his complete transition to main eventer.
He eventually lost the belt to John Cena, but JBL later became United States Champion, then won the Intercontinental Title in 2009, making him the 10th Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. Bradshaw lost the belt to Rey Mysterio in just 21 seconds at WrestleMania XXV, and announced his retirement the next day, ending his career on the back of his most successful run.