10 Reasons Why JBL Is WWE's Most Controversial Figure
7. The Reign Of Error
JBL's ascent from midcard tag worker to main event heel came remarkably quickly. Separated from partner Faarooq in 2004, Bradshaw went to SmackDown with a JR Ewing-inspired gimmick. He introduced his new persona through a vignette that literally featured him hunting illegal immigrants on the Mexican border, and on June 24th, JBL defeated Eddie Guerrero to become WWE Champion.
What followed was one of the most tedious reigns in the belt's history. JBL had been loyal to WWE for years, but fans saw him as an over-pushed midcarder, which made it tough to buy into his sudden rise. Furthermore, Bradshaw had never been anything more than a basic Stan Hansen tribute act between the ropes, and while he wasn't terrible, he lacked the well-rounded skillset fans expect from WWE's top champions.
JBL's reign of error saw him fend off countless challengers, usually by disqualification, interference, or other shenanigans. PPV buyrates plummeted along with the fans' interest levels, and it took 280 unbearable days before Bradshaw was eventually unseated by John Cena at WrestleMania 21. It was a total disaster that effectively killed SmackDown's awesome two-year run, and restored it to 'B-show' status.