JBL did not enjoy his one and only time climbing ladders in the WWE.
On Raw in 2002, as Bradshaw, JBL defended the WWE Hardcore Championship against a young Jeff Hardy. The match saw a variety of weapons being used, including a signature of Jeff Hardy in the steel ladder.
He had used the ladder to great effect in a number of matches, namely the TLC series of bouts. These saw The Hardy Boyz, the Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian battle it out in some of the best matches of all time.
JBL, however, did not partake. He wasn’t even thrilled with the use of ladders in this hardcore match against Jeff Hardy.
On Twitter, JBL responded to a clip of the match. It showed him being hit with a trash can lid, causing him to fall off the ladder into the ring. Hardy hit his trademark “Swanton Bomb”, and won the match and the Hardcore Champion.
The user also questioned whether JBL was afraid of ladders. It turns out he was.
Despite this being the only time JBL climbed the ladder in the five-minute match, he hated every second of it. He said on Twitter, while mistaking the match for a ladder match:
“I believe this was my only ladder match, I love Jeff-but hated every second of that stupid ladder.”
JBL Would Have Been Happy In The APA Until He Retired
Despite finding his greatest success as JBL, the former WWE Champion would happily have teamed with Ron Simmons his entire career.
JBL took to Twitter to proclaim that, while he loved being JBL, it was Ron Simmons that “made him”, and he would have teamed with him until retirement.
“Loved being JBL, but if I had been a member of APA till my retirement with Ron, I’d have happily taken it. Ron had just gotten ready to retire and wow did he help make me a heel when I didn’t leave with him! He made me in every way. Love that man,” John Bradshaw Layfield tweeted.
