Once a stalwart of the mid-card scene, the artist formerly known as Bradshaw definitely deserves to be included on any list detailing the most unlikely World Champs in wrestling history. Now, that's not to say that the big Texan didn't deserve a crack at the big time - there was a period from 2004-2005 where JBL was arguably the best heel on the entire WWE roster. The point here is that his John Bradshaw Layfield, wealthy businessman and tenuous imitation of Ted DiBiase's 'Million Dollar Man' character happened rather suddenly. When the man's APA duo with Faarooq first ended following the initial Brand Extension split in 2002, Bradshaw simply became a more stereotypical version of his character, a rough-housing cowboy. A temporary reunion happened in 2003, but ended the following year when JBL was born, casting off the "man who was holding him down" (Faarooq) and flying solo. His subsequent title run, and feuds with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, kept WWE chugging along nicely over the next few years.
