JBL Reflects On Controversial Salute Incident At 2004 WWE Germany Live Show

WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield has spoken about the 2004 controversy that resulted in his dismissal from CNBC.

Appearing on the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL discussed how he performed a Nazi salute during a WWE live event in Munich, Germany. At the time, he was portraying a villainous heel character and said the act was intended to provoke the audience.

“In hindsight, people kind of made up what happened and didn’t happen,” Layfield explained. “I had done the Nazi salute as a way to get heat, same as Fritz Von Erich did it, same as Baron von Raschke. I wasn’t the only one that day in the match I was in; the heels used to do that all the time, and it wasn’t that big of a deal. People say it was illegal, it was not illegal, it was part of entertainment, so it wasn’t.”

Despite Layfield’s defence, the reaction was immediate. CNBC, who had only recently brought him on as a contributor, terminated his contract following the incident.

Although JBL asserted that the salute was not illegal within an entertainment context, German law tells a different story. Under Section 86a of the German Criminal Code, the use of symbols associated with unconstitutional organisations, including the Nazi salute, is prohibited. Limited exceptions exist, generally for purposes such as art, science, education, or historical reporting.

Layfield’s actions, although intended for theatrical effect, could have had legal repercussions under German law at the time.

Which Classic Wrestling Match Type Does JBL Think Is “Horrible”?

JBL spoke about how he thinks the classic wrestling match type, the Iron Man match, is “horrible.” JBL was speaking about the iconic WrestleMania 12 match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart and said that he wishes the match would have gone over an hour organically, rather than being forced to be by a time-limit. He expressed that he is pleased that he never had to compete in an Iron Man match during his career as he’d struggle with being able to pace the match to make it last the entire length of time.

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