JBL Reveals Vince McMahon’s Disdain For Agents In WWE Contract Talks

WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield has revealed that Vince McMahon strongly disliked negotiating with agents when discussing contracts with WWE Superstars.

Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL explained that McMahon preferred direct negotiations with wrestlers, believing that involving an agent often resulted in a worse deal.

“I’ve never used one. I had an agent one time, and I remember he came to a show with me. I’d never use him for Vince – Vince hated agents.”

The former WWE Champion elaborated on McMahon’s approach to contract talks, stressing that trying to pressure him into a deal was ineffective.

“Vince was a pay guy, but if you tried to back Vince into a corner, it would work just the opposite. So if you brought an agent to deal with it, you’d get a worse deal than if you just went to Vince.”

JBL recalled a specific incident involving his own agent, who primarily handled his media appearances for CNBC and Fox. When the agent met McMahon, the WWE boss was less than impressed.

“He was a nice and competent guy, but I remember when he introduced himself to Vince, and Vince looked at him as if he’d just passed gas. The look of disgust was just… and then Vince looked at me, like, ‘You have an agent?’ I was like, ‘No no, not for you, oh my god.’ Vince hated agents.”

McMahon’s hands-on approach to contract negotiations has long been known, with many WWE stars opting to speak with him directly rather than using representatives.

Which Von Erich Did JBL Say Had The Same Presence Of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson?

JBL spoke about his relationship with the famous Von Erich wrestling family and specifically how he knew and worked with Kerry and Kevin Von Erich and that he thought that Kerry carried himself in a similar manner to Hollywood megastar The Rock. JBL said that Kerry and The Rock have a “God-given” charisma and it was unbelievable to see how effortlessly they displayed it on a daily basis.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com