Rest in Peace John Bradshaw Layfield

I know this is a little late. I meant to write it a long time ago when the rumor was going around.

Okay, let's get started. John "Bradshaw" Layfield, at the age of 42, retired at Wrestlemania. I don't know if he made it clear enough to some viewers when he said "I quit," but that meant that he quit.

Bradshaw started his career back in 1992 with the Global Wrestling Federation, where he was known as Johny Hawke. Along with Bobby Duncan Jr., he formed the Texas Mustangs.

In his career he won two tag titles, one with Duncan and the other with Black Bart. He took the NWA North American Championship from Kevin Von Erich but lost it two months later to Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.

In 1996 he went to the World Wrestling Federation, which would later be called World Wrestling Entertainment. He became Justin "Hawke" Bradshaw and had a short feud with Savio Vega and an eight-second win against Fatu.

The character fizzled and he formed the New Blackjacks with Barry Windham. In 1997 Windham had some injuries so the team broke up.

In 1998 he formed what would be one of my favorite tag teams of all time, The Acolytes Protection Agency. The APA was a destructive force who consisted of Bradshaw and Farooq, Ron Simmons.

The APA won their first tag championship by defeating Kane and X—Pac, but would later drop the titles to the Hardyz. They won it back from the Hardyz to complete their second title run.

The team turned face and became cigar smoking, poker playing hitmen. They became Pulp Fiction look-a-likes whose motto was "Because We Need Beer Money."

As most of us remembered, they would be in the middle of a giant hallway playing poker and would ask people to use the door. It always got a laugh from me.

After two failed attempts at the title against The New Age Outlaws, Edge and Christian, they finally won their third Tag Title against the Dudley Boyz. They would later lose the title to Alliance members Chris Kanyon and DDP.

Their last title match would be a Four Way Elimination match in which the champions Billy and Chuck would retain against APA, the Hardyz, and the Dudley Boyz.

After the draft, Farooq and Bradshaw split.

Bradshaw went to Raw, where the Bradshaw gimmick was influenced by his Texas roots. As part of his gimmick he would carry a cowbell to the ring with him to help. He joined the Hardcore Division and won the title 17 times. He first won it from Stevie Richards with his renamed finisher, "The Clothesline from Texas."

He would tear his left bicep later and miss six months of wrestling.

APA reunited where the gimmicks were continued. The team wrestled The Bashams and The World's Greatest Tag Team during their tenure. They lost a fatal four-way tag match for the titles and would later break up after Farooq was "fired," or rather released.

Then the Smackdown GM stated, "This only applies to Farooq. You need to worry about your own future."

In 2004 the John Bradshaw Layfield era began when he changed his character to the man we all know and despise.

JBL won the WWE Title from Eddie Guerrerro in a Texas Bull Rope Match. The match was filled with controversy when Kurt Angle switched the decision. In a rematch with the help of Angle, JBL retained his title.

JBL had a short feud with Undertaker and hired Orlando Jordan to help him. JBL won by DQ at Summerslam and at No Mercy he won a Last Ride match with the help of Heidenreich.

In 2005 JBL would win many controversial title matches and later call himself the "Wrestling God," much to the disdain of then World Heavyweight Champion Triple H.

During his reign he formed the Cabinet, which consisted of Orlando Jordan and the Basham Brothers. At No Way Out he did the unthinkable by defeating Big Show in a Barbwire Steel Cage Match.

JBL had a party to celebrate that he was the longest reigning WWE champion in 10 years, which was interrupted by the No. 1 contender John Cena, who would defeat him at Wrestlemania 21.

JBL's character fizzled and lost its main event status after losing again at Judgment Day as well as in the I Quit match. He had a short feud with Batista, but lost those matches as well. In 2006 JBL won the U.S. Title from Chris Benoit at Wrestlemania 22.

While he was still US Champ, he challenged Rey Mysterio for the title but lost and then lost again to Bobby Lashley who took the title from him.

He was "fired" and became a color commentator for Smackdown until Dec. 17, 2007 when he would have a feud with Chris Jericho.

JBL lost his final match to Jericho.

He had a few short feuds with any World Champion on Raw, including CM Punk who he lost to at Summerslam. Later JBL would have a short feud with Shawn Michaels where he had hired Shawn after issues involving the economy. Shawn eventually fought JBL at No Way Out and won his freedom.

JBL would later defeat CM Punk on March 9, 2009 for the Intercontinental Title, becoming the 10th Grand Slam Champion and 20th Triple Crown Champion. After that Rey Mysterio defeated him at Wrestlemania 25 and JBL announced his retirement.

JBL did leave WWE, which I was sad about because he was a great announcer. JBL will be in the Hall of Fame one day. Right now JBL is sponsoring the Viper Fight League, based out of Louisville, KY. It will begin on April 24, 2009.

JBL, you will be missed.