He's No God, But He's Better Than You: A Case for JBL's Hall of Fame Status

Although I personally believe there's only room for one God, John Bradshaw Layfield has done all he could to prove otherwise. And if any wrestling fan thinks they can dispute otherwise, they need to re-evaluate their status as a wrestling fan.

While wrestlers like Orton and Jericho get all the credit for being a great heel, when JBL hangs up the boots after 'Mania, it is his name that will go down in history.

Before you go crazy and throw your mouse at the screen, check the facts. It all starts with his humble beginnings.

Unlike the other monster heels, nothing was expected of the rough Texan. He's not the son of a legend; he didn't marry the bosses daughter; he did not get taken under the wing of a 16-time world champ, he made it by the sweat of his brow.

But this is only the beginning. If you take a look at his career, JBL is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, like him or not.

A long way from his days as the Hawk, JBL has made a living beating his greatness into his opponents. And with his recent victory over CM Punk, he solidified his greatness as he won the IC title and became the 12th ever triple crown winner.

But JBL's greatness goes much further than titles, although he held a few (WWE Champion, Hardcore Champion, IC Champion, US Champion, European Champion, and World Tag Champion 3xs).

He single-handedly kept SmackDown afloat as he became the longest reigning World Champ in years with a title reign that lasted for 280 days. Some may argue that there were no other heels on the show, but that only proves his point.

During his reign, JBL brought the best out of Eddie Guerrero. This lit a fire in the Latin communities, and made SmackDown one of the most watched shows for that demographic.

His mic work was both infuriating and genius.

His career slowed to an end due to a bad back injury, where he blossomed behind the mic. JBL became the best heel commentator since Bobby Heenan.

That was until he couldn't fight the itch to return any longer. JBL decided to lace up the boots for one more run where he was able to capture the only title that had been eluding him, the IC strap.

JBL has done it all. He overcame the odds to be one of the most successful wrestlers in history, a great heel commentator, a successful businessman, and a soon to be Hall of Famer.

Although his rough style will never confuse him for an in-ring technician, his work on the mic and overall package as a wrestler leaves nothing to be desired.

If you haven't already, it's time you jumped on his wrestling bandwagon as he's about to ride off into the sunset and into the Hall of Fame.

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