At the height of his career, JBL was probably the most hated person in pro wrestling and became a prime example of what a heel should be in the industry. Aside from his early years as a wrestler and the APA’s babyface run, the WWE Hall of Famer has almost always been a heel.Â
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According to him, during an appearance on “Something To Wrestle,” one veteran and fellow Hall of Famer taught him how to be the perfect bad guy.
“I needed the tutorship of Dutch Mantell and Barry Windham, and then of Ron Simmons — the biggest influence on my life,” he said. “Ron really taught me how to be a heel. Ron really taught me how to be a champion and how to carry myself that way.”
Looking back at his career, he said that he was grateful that he didn’t get a major push early on, admitting that he needed to learn from several mentors along the way before he could create the JBL character.
During the same interview, JBL commented on his APA days alongside Ron Simmons, claiming he preferred it over his run as a singles star. The veteran also expressed his love for Simmons and noted that he had spent time together with him the weekend before appearing on the podcast. The WWE Hall of Famer further explained that he would have been happy if his entire wrestling career was a long APA run.
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If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Something To Wrestle” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
