As the beer-drinking ass-kicker of the APA, Bradshaw was one of the most popular stars of the early 2000s. By the time 2004 rolled around, the double-tough competitor cut his long hair, quit dying it black and shaved his face. Now a clean-cut blonde who went by the name of John Bradshaw Layfield, he made his way to the ring in a white limousine with steer horns, sported a white cowboy hat and denounced Mexican immigrants. He was loud, brash and unapologetic in his oftentimes politically incorrect promos. Such a radical shift in character can sometimes take time to catch on but so strong was Layfield in his portrayal of the radical right winger that crowds immediately took to hating him. Causing the wildly popular Eddie Guerrero's mother to have a heart attack in front of the family's hometown crowd in El Paso resulted in tremendous heat. Bloodying Guerrero at May's Judgment Day pay-per-view and winning the WWE Championship in controversial fashion only helped fuel the character early in its run. As champion, JBL embarked on a Honky Tonk Man-like reign that saw him manage to successfully defend his title in a variety of ways, usually with assistance. The character became so hated that fans could not wait to see him get beat up and lose the championship. Guerrero, Booker T and Undertaker all failed to wrest the title away from him. Surrounded by the Cabinet, a faction consisting of the Basham Brothers and Orlando Jordan, JBL dominated the SmackDown brand for well over eight months. Eventually, he dropped the title to John Cena but remained one of the most despised men in the sport. Whether he was making disparaging remarks about Cena's mother, brutally assaulting Hornswoggle inside a steel cage or quitting after losing the Intercontinental title to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania, JBL never ceased to connect with an audience in a way few other heels were capable of.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
