8 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Feb 3)

5. JBL Praises The Blue Meanie

Cena S Bloody Head
WWE Network

At the inaugural (and thus hilariously misnamed) ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view, on June 12, 2005, JBL beat the tar out of the Blue Meanie in the show-closing WWE Vs. ECW brawl. It stemmed from years' worth of simmering tension - even if JBL claimed in the aftermath to have not even remembered the "fat little kid". He did, however, remember Meanie's various online burials well enough to give him a receipt.

WWE extended an olive branch following the shoot by giving the Meanie another payday (in addition to having his PPV pay package doubled) by transposing the rivalry to the ring for a short-lived SmackDown feud. In ensuing years, relations had eased to such an extent that JBL apparently lobbied for the Meanie to appear as a surprise entrant in the Philadelphia-hosted Royal Rumble 2015.

That said, it was still crazy to hear JBL put the Meanie over on this week's episode of SmackDown. Aghast at the appearance of Carmella's blue-clad jobber opponent Delilah Dawson, he called her "The Blue Thing". The inside reference-loving Mauro Ranallo wryly responded "The Blue Meanie?" JBL was even more agog. "The Meanie had talent!" he said.

Perhaps JBL really has softened in recent years. A humbling at the hands of little Joey Styles will do that to you.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!