Vince McMahon Blocked WWE Legend’s In-Ring Return

Vince McMahon prevented a WWE Hall of Famer from getting back in the ring.

At WrestleMania 25, John Bradshaw Layfield stepped into the ring for the final time. Even if his match against Rey Mysterio ended in bizarre circumstances, as he quit after just 21 seconds, giving up the Intercontinental Championship.

Although he made a brief cameo in the 2014 Royal Rumble five years later, JBL’s retirement has been one of the few wrestling farewells that have largely stuck.

However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t other potential comebacks that never came to fruition along the way.

Vince McMahon Stopped JBL’s In-Ring Comeback

During the latest episode of Something to Wrestle With, JBL revealed that he’s held talks on multiple occasions about getting back in the ring. This included appearing at the original All In event in 2018.

Unsurprisingly, one of those comebacks nearly happened in WWE, but Vince McMahon had a change of heart.

“There was a time with Heath Slater, we were doing the JBL and Cole show, and he was my nephew, Clem. I wanted to do a spot where I came back and tag team with Heath… I talked to Vince about it. He really thought about it hard, and he almost did it. I was hoping that he would.

The first thing he says is ‘interesting,’ and I could tell that he wasn’t shooting it down, but he ended up, he ended up killing it.”

Through 2024, JBL made a series of appearances in TNA and alongside TNA-contracted talent in AAA, MLW, and GCW. At the time, many suspected that this might lead to an in-ring return for the veteran, and it seems that was very much the plan.

“I had a scheduled match for TNA for this past summer. The guy who was in the creative at the time, we had a disagreement about what he wanted, and I didn’t think it made sense, and so I walked.”

Speaking back in August, JBL admitted that he was “heartbroken” over having to retire, and even tried to leave WrestleMania immediately after his match. He added that he never imagined he’d ever return to the ring.

H/t to WrestlingNews.Co