JBL Shares The Reason Marc Mero Didn’t Make It In WWE

WWE Hall of Famer JBL believes Marc Mero had all the tools to become a major star in professional wrestling but feels the company failed to fully capitalise on his potential.

Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast, JBL highlighted Mero’s athletic background and early successes as proof of his untapped star power.

I mean, here’s a guy with a legit resume.

JBL remarked, referencing Mero’s impressive amateur boxing career.

It’s hard to win the Golden Gloves Tournament. He was training with Ray Rinaldi, a great pro boxing trainer. He was going to be a pro boxer, and something ended up happening with a facial injury, a nose injury, or something that derailed his boxing career.

After transitioning to wrestling, Mero found success in WCW under the persona “Johnny B. Badd,” a character crafted with the guidance of wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes. Known for his flamboyant style and in-ring charisma, Mero quickly gained popularity.

Then he gets down to WCW, and I believe it was Dusty who figured out what he did well. He did that ‘Johnny B. Badd’ really well; he was really over.

Mero’s career seemed poised for greater heights when he signed with WWE on a historic guaranteed contract. Vince McMahon reportedly saw star potential in Mero, viewing him as a possible cornerstone for the company.

Marc was, I believe, the first guaranteed contract that they gave away to somebody. They really thought he could be the guy. The problem was, without Dusty there, the gimmick didn’t work as well. And I think the Brawl for All hurt him too. I think they really missed the boat with him.

Despite winning the Intercontinental Championship, Mero’s WWE tenure lasted only three years, ending in 1999. He retired in 2006 after brief stints in the independents and TNA.

What Claim Made By Vince Russo About Brawl For All Did JBL Refute?

JBL refuted a claim made by Vince Russo that the Brawl For All tournament was created to make fun of JBL for claiming that he could beat up everyone in the WWE locker room. JBL said that was not true because of the calibre of tough men the WWE had at the time as they had two former UFC Champions Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock on the roster so he would never make that claim and nobody would have believed him if he had.

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