WWE Hall Of Famer Recalls Backstage Fallout From The Infamous “Curtain Call”

WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield reflected on the backstage fallout from the infamous “Curtain Call” at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1996.

Speaking on Something to Wrestle, JBL shared his perspective on how the controversial moment was received in the locker room. The incident saw members of The Kliq—Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H—break kayfabe by embracing in the ring after Nash’s match against Michaels. Since Nash and Triple H were heels while Michaels and Hall were babyfaces, their public show of unity defied wrestling tradition and sparked major controversy.

Hall and Nash departed for WCW soon after, and while Michaels remained protected due to his top-tier status, Triple H faced consequences, losing his chance to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. JBL recalled how the reaction among wrestlers was mixed, with some furious and others more indifferent.

“It was a big deal and I had real hesitation about it, but I don’t think I was mad about it. I know that a lot of guys were, I mean furious. Davey Boy was going to fight over it, there were a lot of guys that were really upset about it.”

Rather than immediately condemning the situation, JBL opted to see how things played out.

“I was more waiting to see, and if we went to the Garden the next time and the crowd was in half, we’d know that was a bad decision. And it was not the case. I didn’t think anybody was wrong… there wasn’t an answer for it. It hadn’t been done before.”

The Curtain Call remains one of wrestling’s most defining moments, signalling a shift in the industry’s approach to kayfabe.

Which WWE Match Did JBL Say Was One Of The Greatest Matches He’s Ever Seen?

JBL spoke about how the 2007 WWE Royal Rumble Last Man Standing match between John Cena and Umaga for the WWE Championship was one of the greatest matches he’s ever seen. JBL recalled being ringside for the match as he was working as SmackDown’s commentator at the time and being blown away by the contest and specifically mentioned the moment when Umaga crashed through the announcer’s desk after missing a splash and thinking to himself that he was witnessing one the greatest wrestling matches ever.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com