After losing the WWE Championship to John Cena the year prior at Wrestlemania 21, JBL went on a nice run as an upper-card heel on Smackdown. On the first episode of Smackdown where he unsuccessfully challenged Rey Mysterio for the World Title at Judgment Day, JBL then lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley. JBL then doubled down, challenging Rey to a rematch for the belt, saying he would quit Smackdown if he lost, which he did. For the next year and a half, JBL was the color commentator on Smackdown, and did a very good job of it. Behind the scenes, he was recovering from a broken back as well as a herniated and bulged disc. JBL stated that his career was over, however, over the course of this period, his back healed, and JBL returned to the ring in the fall of 2007, jumping to Raw.
