JBL calls Russo a liar and blames him for some of wrestling’s worst ideas

JBL called Vince Russo a liar and blamed him for some of wrestling’s worst ideas, including the Brawl for All. Russo had claimed that JBL’s locker room boasting about his fighting skills led to the concept, but JBL called this “100% bulls**t,” emphasizing that no one believed it then or now. “We had two UFC champions in our dressing room… Shamrock was sitting right there. There’s no way I’m meaning something like that,” JBL said, noting that smack talk was common at the time and not meant to be serious.

JBL described Russo’s career as a string of failures, saying, “After he left WWE, WWE went through the roof, WCW went bankrupt, and he spent the next 25 years of his life in abysmal failure. Nothing he’s touched is still around.” He cited Russo’s infamous ideas like the “Viagra on a pole” match, “Judy Bagwell on a pole,” and making David Arquette champion as examples of his poor creative decisions. JBL also accused Russo of rewriting history to blame others, including JBL, for his bad ideas, calling him someone who “makes Bobby Jaggers look truthful.”
Reflecting on his fight with Henry Godwin during the Brawl for All, JBL praised Godwin for competing despite having a broken neck, calling it “incredibly dangerous.” The two agreed to avoid takedowns for entertainment value, but Godwin double-crossed JBL mid-fight, which JBL found amusing as they were and remain friends. He criticized the recklessness of allowing injured participants to compete, highlighting the risks of such matches.

JBL also mocked the wrestling commission’s lax oversight, using Carl Ouellet (PCO) as an example. Known as “the pirate” due to his eyepatch, Ouellet competed with a fake eye, which JBL said would never pass a legitimate boxing commission. “If this is Russo’s idea, what the f**k are you doing?” he added.

Finally, JBL suggested the Brawl for All might have been loosely inspired by his pitch to Vince McMahon for a Hardcore Division featuring tough wrestlers. He admitted uncertainty but dismissed Russo’s claim of inventing the event to humiliate him, reiterating that “there’s nothing truth to anything else Russo says.” JBL speculated the concept may have evolved from multiple ideas but remained critical of how it was executed.

Source: Something To Wrestle With Jon Layfield

When #WWERaw is finished head over to https://t.co/QyZri0MMRm to watch the newest #STWWJBL where @JCLayfield releases the truth regarding BRAWL FOR ALL!

SOMETHING TO WRESTLE: VINCE RUSSO LIED is now available! JBL goes in depth about what REALLY happened with one of the most… pic.twitter.com/B0WeqmsRlu

— Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard (@PrichardShow) December 17, 2024