[Bapetacular]

This is something I've been curious about for many years now.

How the fuck did JBL get his push back in 2004 with the title? I mean the guy just gets a gimmick change and all of a sudden hes WWE champion? How did this happen so suddenly? I'm not trying to bash the guy cause he was incredible at the time but like I said, it came out of nowhere and something must of influenced it backstage. Does anyone know what though? I heard a rumor somewhere that he got it by showing Pat Patterson his dick. Is that true?

 

[-Mystery-]

Eddie Guerrero.

 

[Kratosx23]

LOL, where'd you hear that rumor?

Eddie Guerrero personally requested that he be the top heel of SmackDown! after Brock Lesnar left and they had nobody there to fill the void.

If only Triple H had an eye for talent like Eddie. We went from JBL to Ronald fucking McDonald...

 

[PhilThePain]

And JBL was perfect against Eddie. JBL still feels unsafe in some highly Mexican-populated parts of Texas due to that feud.

 

[Bapetacular]

LOL, where'd you hear that rumor?

Eddie Guerrero personally requested that he be the top heel of SmackDown! after Brock Lesnar left and they had nobody there to fill the void.

If only Triple H had an eye for talent like Eddie. We went from JBL to Ronald fucking McDonald...

Oh, that was cool of Eddie, thanks man. Also, I never knew that Eddie had a pull in backstage politics.

Also, I heard it on an old forum and it seemed pretty plausible.

 

[Kratosx23]

Eddie was the most over man in the company. That tends to carry some weight with it.

 

[Bapetacular]

Eddie was the most over man in the company. That tends to carry some weight with it.

Oh right, thats true. I never really thought of that because I haven't heard of stories like this involving Cena, Jeff Hardy, etc.


Also, where did you find this out? I want to learn more stuff like this such as the Eddie/Angle fight etc.

 

[Kratosx23]

JBL said it himself. I mean, he didn't say "Eddie is the reason I won the WWE title", exactly, but he was talking about where he was in the company and said Eddie "went to bat for him", etc.

 

[Les Turrey]

Still would've preferred if they got Triple H to move to Smackdown (which they did at the Draft that year) and had Triple H/Eddie instead.

 

[The_Jiz]

Eddie supposedly couldn't bare the weight of WWE on his shoulders. He felt there was too much pressure on him.

That def had to have some influence on the quick rise of JBL.

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

Yeah, Eddie requested to lose the title to JBL because he didn't want to be WWE Champion.

Honestly, they didn't really have a Main Event Heel to take the belt from Eddie. Lesnar was gone, Angle was injured, and Triple H famously "didn't wanna work Tuesdays".

I think JBL was one the most overrated WWE Champions of all-time. If not THE most overrated WWE Champion of all-time.

 

[Kurt 'Olympic Gold]

Well whoever was behind this push (most likely Vince ofcourse), JBL's WWE Championship reign was so awesome and entertaining.

 

[scrilla]

I'm sure Simmons getting let go for having drug/alcohol also helped JBL get a singles run.

 

[The Caped Crusader]

This move pissed me off to no end back then. To have Eddie, the most entertaining and over man in the WWE lose the title to JBL? JBL? A nobody who had been in the APA for years and had essentially done nothing. Nothing. Of course, I was mostly a casual viewer at the time (so didn't know about Eddie not wanting the title) but it was just so wrong. Man, it was such an infuriating move. It soured me on JBL's reign big time and made me hate the man.

 

[scrilla]

Good. You were supposed to hate him. When JBL first won the title I thought WTF too, but a few months into the reign I saw exactly why the WWE gave him the strap. The man was a great heat magnet. Too bad his body broke down pretty quick. He could have helped the WWE a lot more had he been able to stick around.

 

[Cowabunga]

Didn't know Eddie personally requested for JBL to feud with him interesting, but I'm sure that Vince gets along with JBL too otherwise he woudn't have accepted such suggestion I mean let's face it JBL was the one who suggested Vince to start doing the "Tribute to Troops" thing back in 2003 and was knows as a bully backstage.

JBL's reign as extremely long but there was no other alternative at the time and they were holding on Cena for WrestleMania 21. JBL wasn't very good in the ring for a Main Eventer but his mic skills were awesome, I bet if I had been following the WWE since the day of his debut I would have been extremely surprised.

 

[Von Doom]

JBL was a very good champion in my eyes, this was back when I was 12/13 and I hated him (obviously because he was the heel and I love Eddie), but that's the signal of a great heel champion for myself and most others, have people hate you and win at all costs.

It was good of Eddie to admit that he couldn't handle the pressure of being Champion though, passing on the torch to get someone else over.

 

[666_The_Game_666]

apart from his feud with Eddie JBL was very lackluster in 2004 and his matches with Taker dont hold up to Judgment Day 2004 with Eddie

 

[USAUSA1]

His feud with Eddie was the peak of his character. I don't know why WWE continue to push him after that. I guess because Bradshaw is a WWE original and long time veteran like Taker and HBK. Don't forget that same year another long term veteran in Hardcore Holly got a main event push but it flop. Mark Henry throughout the years has been getting semi main event pushes as well. WWE like to reward their veterans, I wish Val Venis would of got the same love.

 

[ultimoDANK]

That was one of the best elevations they have ever done. What was so great is that is was pretty unexpected. JBL from the APA? Eddie cleary knew what he was doing...